Water pump in Castlejohn

Freestanding cast-iron water pump, erected c. 1900, with banded shaft, having finial and fluting to cap and neck, and curved pumping arm, set up on concrete platform with concrete surround wall and accessed by concrete steps. Cast-iron wall-mounted post box, c. 1940, with P&T emblem in back wall of surround.

The employment of artistic detailing to the pump such as a banded shaft and fluting to cap and neck enliven this functional object. This contrasts with the simple design of the post box which has little decorative detailing. However the traditional Gaelic form of the lettering, which was employed in the post-Independence period in Ireland is noteworthy. Water pumps once played an important social and functional role in Ireland providing a communal water source while post boxes often provided the only means of long-distance communication in rural areas. Located at a cross roads these objects form a critical focal point within the surrounding rural hinterland.