What is recorded here

Freestanding cast-iron water pump, erected c.1885, comprising banded cylindrical shaft with fluted head having fluted spout, ‘cow tail’ curvilinear handle, and fluted ogee-dome cap with finial. Modern trough to front. Set back from road adjacent to road junction.

A typical late nineteenth-century water pump, of a standard design that is encountered throughout rural Westmeath. This particular example is in very good condition and is well-maintained. Water pumps played an important social role in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries by providing a communal water source before the development of mains water supply. Frequently, as in this case, water pumps were located at or near road junctions. This cast-iron pump now serves as an attractive piece of street furniture, aesthetically enhancing the rural landscape to the north of Glassan.

This does not grant access. Most recorded buildings are privately owned; view them only from public ground unless the owner allows entry.