Blessington Street Basin Traditional Cache
Cuilcagh: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it.
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Cuilcagh - Volunteer Ireland Reviewer
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Located in a little known park to the north of the city centre
Take a look beyond the bulwark of woven gates
At the top of Blessington Street,
And marvel at the serenity which infiltrates
Into a garden, lost and discreet.
A quiet oasis, far from the blare of the city strife,
Where a moment of peace may be found,
A spot where perennial blooms come to life,
Where birds make a pleasant sound.
Who would have thought such a place could endure
In a world with noise so afflicted?
Yet this garden remains remote and secure,
Where blessings abound unrestricted.
If your mind’s in a whirl, or your worries increase,
And life seems quite incomplete,
Take time off to stroll to this garden of peace …
To the basin in Blessington Street.
(Noel Manly)
Water supply to the city was proving a difficulty to the City Corporation in the later half of the eighteenth century. The City Corporation saw the completion of the canals as a way of supplying water to the city centre and reservoirs were built on the Royal and Grand Canals. With the construction of the Royal Canal in 1775, a spur was built to Broadstone, and the City Basin at Blessington Street constructed alongside. The basin was developed to supply water to the north of the city and supplied water to the two large distilleries of Powers (Thomas Street) and Jameson's (Bow Lane) and this continued until the 1970s.
The Basin was completely refurbished in 1993/94 with the help of Fas and financial contributions from the National Heritage Council and ALONE. Now this quiet haven in a bustling metropolis provides a secret garden for local residents and visitors alike. This is now one of the most unusual parks in the city, as eighty percent of the area of the park is water. The park can be accessed from Blessington Street, and the linear park which is now the former Broadstone spur of the Royal Canal, as well as a few quieter streets in the area.
An artificial island has been developed in the centre to create a refuge for the ducks and swans who regard the basin as home. Blessington Basin is now an oasis of calm in the city, surrounded by high stone walls and lined with plants and seating.
The park is a 10 minute stroll from O Connell street. Just keep heading north-west up Parnell Square East and North Frederick Street until you reach the north end of Blessington Street. While the street boasts many examples of once glorious Georgian buildings, the visible signs of decay and unswept rubbish hint at the fact that the area is only a shadow of its former self.
After you have finished in the park, if you feel like a short enjoyable stroll, head out the western gate of the park, turn right and follow the former route of the spur from the canal along what is now a very pleasant narrow park that ends near the heart of the suburb of Phibsboro.
Park Closing hours
Dec-Jan 4.30 pm
Feb 5 pm
March 6/7pm
April 6pm
May 9pm
June - July 9.30 pm
Aug 9 pm
Sept 8 pm
Oct 7/6 pm
Nov 5 pm
The cache is a magnetic micro. Please replace it exactly as you found it, making sure it is not visible. Enjoy!
sources -
Irish-Architecture.com
DublinCity.ie
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