By Dan Walsh
An ancient cast iron water fountain on the route of the celebrated Enniscorthy-made film Brooklyn, written by local scriptwriter Colm Toibín, located on Friary Hill with the junction of Lower Church Street was damaged recently.
It looks like the old fountain, one of the few surviving in the town and located on the edge of the footpath, was nudged sideways by a vehicle and is in a distressed state.
It is part of the town’s history and heritage and WexfordLocal.com is asking Enniscorthy Municipal District Council to investigate the damage and, hopefully, restore it as a precious piece of natural street furniture recalling times past.
During the greater part of the 19th century the townspeople relied on their water supply on spring wells, a goodly number of which were situated in the town and its environs.
This source was supplemented in the 1830s when pipes were laid down bringing water from Sheil’s Well in Templeshannon to the west side of the town- across the River Slaney at the same time when the old stone bridge was widened and lowered.
Three fountains were supplied from these pipes. Later two pumps and three fountains, supplied from other sources, were supplied from these pipes. Unfortunately, we are not privy to the location of these pipes.
Following construction of the railway tunnel underneath the town, some of the spring wells were closed and replaced by new fountains. In 1891, Enniscorthy Town Commissioners erected the new reservoir at Drumgoold, costing £2,800, and it is reasonable to assume that the old fountain on Friary Hill belongs to this era. It would have been in use until the late 1950s or early 1960s!
WexfordLocal.com 