St. Joseph's School for Children with Visual Imp

Freestanding cast-iron water pump, erected c. 1890, comprising square-plan pillar with panelled faces and panelled base, latter bearing maker's mark 'Tonge & Taggart Ltd'. Decorative roundel to panel under maker's name and bearing inscription 'Déanta in Éirinn [Made in Ireland]', moulded spout with bucket hook to south face, fluted cap and cup and ball finial, handle with ball terminal to east face, and inscribed plaque to south face with reading 'Castle Well A.D. 1568. Directly under this pump is located the original well of Drumcondra Castle (present community house) constructed of stone. It is 8 feet in diameter and over 50 feet in depth'. Bolted to masonry base incorporating bowl. Located in rear yard of Saint Joseph's School for Children with Visual Impairment.

This pump represents an attractive and unusual piece of late nineteenth-century street furniture, with an uncommon square-plan form. The appearance of this otherwise functional item is subtly enlivened by details such as the fluted cup and ball finial and panelled faces. It forms part of the setting of the former Drumcondra Castle, and was apparently put in place over an early well that served the original castle. Water pumps, such as this example, formerly played an important social and functional role, providing a communal water source. This pump was produced by the family-run foundry of Tonge and Taggart, located on Windmill Lane, Dublin.