Water pump in Kells

Freestanding cast-iron waterpump, c.1875, on a corner site comprising banded cylindrical shaft with raised detailing to necking, polygonal head over having foliate detailing to spout, 'cow tail' curvilinear handle with open finial, and fluted ogee-dome capping having finial. Road fronted on a corner site.

Making an appealing, if discreet visual statement in the streetscape a waterpump represents an important example of early-surviving mass-produced cast-iron work. Raised elements identify the design aesthetic of the waterpump while the curvilinear 'cow tail' handle in particular is an elegant feature of the composition. However, intended primarily as a functional piece the waterpump survives as an important reminder of the services put in place to provide water from a local source in the period before the development of mains systems: the waterpump is distinguished in a county-wide context on account of the fact that it remains operational to the present day.