Please find a list of road-side water pumps, and wells, which may still exist in Castlegar, County Galway, Ireland.
- Two Mile Ditch - Tuam road. Coordinates; 53.30517 , -9.000356 / 53° 18' 18.6114" , -9° 0' 1.2816" . The pump unit is gone now.
- Castlegar - Tuam road. Coordinates; 53.294047 , -9.016461 / 53° 17' 38.5686" , -9° 0' 59.259" . Across from the Galway Plate Restaurant. (verified; P.G.). Directly to the South is the current site of Northpoint Business Park and previously the premises of W.I.P..
- Ballybrit - link road between the Tuam road and the Monivea Road, on the right heading South.
- Ballybane - old Galway to Monivea Road, east of Mc Greal's shop. No longer in the Parish of Castlegar, but worth a mention for historical reasons; and at 53.288625 , -9.000469 / 53° 17' 19.05" , -9° 0' 1.6884" . See Flash Earth map of this location.
- Ballindooley - the Headford road. On the North side, de-commissioned, and largely forgotten. Across from Fahy's Garage and enveloped with briars (coordinates to come). A Well existed on the South of the N84; near Ballindooley Castle.
- Another Well served the Ballindooley people, towards
Ballindooley Lake. - An old Well south the Castle Boreen - 53.297514, -9.022476 (ref. C.G.)
- Killeen
- Near the bottom of Boyle's hill, was known as Boyle's Well and on the road between Ballindooley cross and Pollkeen. (ref - M. Jo.)
- Another one filled in at Two Mile Ditch on the Tuam road. This was said to be contaminated and blamed for the deaths of two locals. (ref - M. Jo.)
- To the South of Donnelllan's Cross (roads) near the Lynch Roundabout - behind the old Briarhill School which was there until recently enough - north of Coolough Village. (ref - M. Jo.)
Before the County Council took ownership, such road side pumps were important to the health and efficiency of a community, and persons passing through it.
With the advent of "piped water" from local authorities; these focal point were decomissioned by both locals and unofficial authority intervention. The handles - levers for mechanical advantage were cut; leaving functional pumps without an operating lever.
In later times, some were stolen or relocated and used as artefacts which particular mould designs been considered more valuable than others.
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^ The Holy Well of Toberreendoney, is still there; North - East of "Johnny Molloys" homestead. Also obvious is that the junction at Corinthians Rugby Club remains similar to what it was in this 1840 map. The Holy Well of Toberreendoney ( Toberreendonen ), near Killeen. Latitude; 53.319273 and longitude of -8.980674. See Yahoo Map Local Historian; P.G. can recall stories of Mass Paths to this place, with some people travelling from Lydican as well. Another local mentions styles over walls, to get to here (M.E.).
The Holy Well of Tober Mac Duagh (Tobermacduagh), which is on the Galway side of the Tynan's dog track in Polkeen. No longer used but people were christened here. It is located near the following coordinates; 53.315426 , -8.997813 . Map in new window. Excellent Free maps and their copyright are available at http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Library/1842OSMaps/ |
Wells.
Before road-side pumps came into existence, to serve passing trade, as well as attempting to control the levels of contaminants; locals would use wells for water resources. These served humans and animals, and were (had to be) many feet below the natural landscape and linked through gravity and pressure, to the surroundings.
Sometimes, such resources were so highly held, that well-built stone walls complimented with stone steps, encased, the well. A fine example, still exists in Two Mile Ditch, but is private property.
Anyway; where there was a pump, its likely that a well is and was, nearby.
The Pump itself
The body was invariably made from Cast Iron, a pipe descended to the water source (likely the same level as a nearby well), and a column of water could be drawn up the pipe and out the spout.
What is odd though, is the visible cut marks, typically left from an Oxy-Acetylene torch. This implies that the handles were made from forged steel and not cast iron, as the body of the pump. Why the handles were cut when the siezed cross bolt (pivot), could have been removed; is anyone's guess.
Typically, a wall was built on three sides of the pump (to create a divide from the land owner within), and a concrete base was in place drain the area. Cast into the pump body above the nozzle, was a projection for the support of buckets or any vessel with a handle.
