Dublin river nameds explained.

Rivers:-

I. The Liffey.

‘Auenelith,’ 1192, - Charter of Prince John.

This name is probably connected with Avon or Owen (= river). Anna Liffey = River Liffey.

The Liffey rises in a bog near Croghan Pond, about 10 miles S. by W from Bray-head, on the south-east slopes of Kippure, at an elevation of 1,770 feet. Another source is at Sally-gap, - and another near Lough Bray.

The source of the river being only about 12 miles from its mouth, its course of 50 miles is somewhat circular.

It proceeds first westward past Blessington, - nearly two miles below which it receives its greatest tributary (greater than itself), the King’s-river.

After entering Kildare, and passing Ballymore Eustace, it runs at first north-west, and then north-east - past Kilcullen-bridge, New-bridge, to the west of Naas, near Clane, Celbridge, and Leixlip (all in the Co. Kildare).

Entering the Co. Dublin (in which its whole course is hardly nine miles), which it divides into two nearly equal parts, it passes Lucan (where the little Griffin joins it from the south) to the north-east of Palmerston and Chapelizod, - and finally, flowing through the centre of the city of Dublin under nine bridges (q.v.), to Ringsend, it empties itself into Dublin-bay.

[Cf. Liffey-str.]

II. The Tolka.

‘Tolekan,’ 1192, - Charter of Prince John

The Tolka rises some miles north-west of Dunboyne, and flows east-by-south through Clonee and Mulhuddart.

It then passes midway between Castleknock and Dunsink, through Scribblestown, under Cardiff’s-br., by Finglas-br. (alias Tolka-village) and Glasnevin, where it skirts the Botanic-garden, thence - passing under Ballybough-br. and Annesley-br. (see Bridges), - it reaches Dublin-bay, after a course of 15 Irish miles.

[Cf. Tolka-ave.]

III. The Dodder.

‘Dother,’ 1192, - Charter of Prince John.

The Dodder springs from Kippure mountains near Lough Bray and the sources of the Liffey. It has a north-north-east course of 12 or 13 miles to Dublin-bay at Ringsend, after passing to the east of Tallaght, through Templeogue, by Bushy-park and Rathfarnham-br., to Milltown, Clonskeagh, and Donnybrook, under Ball’s-br. and the Kingstown-railway,-when, turning north, it passes under London-br., along the west of Irishtown, and under Ringsend-br. to the mouth of the Liffey. (See Blacker’s Booterstown, etc., 356.)

(Cf. Dodder-rd.,-row.)

IV. The Camac.

‘Camoke,’ 1488, - Riding of the Franchises.

The Camac rises on the south margin of the Co. Dublin, 900 feet above the sea, and flows through Tallaght (parish, not village), Saggart, Rathcoole, Kilbride, Blue Bell, Ballyfermot, Drimnagh, and S. James’s parish, by Golden-br. (q.v.) and Kilmainham, - under Bow-br. (1607), round and outside of the grounds of S. Patrick’s and Dr. Steevens’ Hospitals, - and under the terminus of the G. S. W. Railway to the Liffey, above King’s-br.,-first sending off a supply to the flour-mills, Usher’s-island.

(Cf. Camac-pl.)

V. The Bradoge.

‘Bradoge,’ 1620.

The Bradoge rises in upper Cabra, two miles from Dublin, reaches the top of Grangegorman-la., flows down it, passes under the Richmond Penitentiary and Gardens in the rear, then under the old basin of the Royal Canal near the Aqueduct, and along the middle of Henrietta-str., down Bolton-str., under the site of Newgate and Halston-str., across S. Mary’s-la. and Pill-la., under Ormond-market, to the Liffey, opposite East Arran-str.

(Cf. Bradoge la.)

VI. The Poddle.

‘Puddell,’ 1603, - Riding of the Franchises.

The Poddle is an artificial river,-and, though fed by some streams from near the Green Hills, its waters are chiefly derived from the Dodder.

It passes north-west of Terenure to Kimmage, where it is divided at the ‘Tongue’ (1491 ), - one- third passing north, by the ‘Rampart’ and Rutland-ave., under the Canal at Dolphin’s-barn to the ‘back of the pipes,’ and, after communicating with S. James’s-str. basin, and supplying the Earl of Meath’s reservoir in Forbes’s-la., on the north-side of Jameson’s Distillery, it passes by Marrowbone-la. through Tripoli, Pimlico, Ardee-str., and Sweeny’s-la. to its re-union, in Busby’s pond, behind Mill-str., with the two-thirds portion that was separated from it at the ‘Tongue.’ The two-thirds portion passes by the Paper-mill, Mt. Jerome, and Harold’s-cross to Pim’s mill at Greenmount, and thence under the Canal at Parnell-pl. and on the west side of Wellington-barracks to Pim’s mill at Greenville, then along Love-la., at the end of which it takes a turn to the east, which at once brings it to Busby’s-pond.

The re-united stream, passing the Convent at Warren-mount, crosses under the north-end of Black-pits, passes Busby’s Distillery, between New-row and New-str., to S-Patrick-str., under the Mill-yd.

(S. Bride’s-al.), across Ross-la., and S. Bride-str., through little Ship-str. and the lower Castle-yd., then across Dame-str. under the house No. 73, and after passing behind Sycamore-str. and under Essex-str. it enters the Liffey at Wellington-qu., opposite Swift’s-row.

[See Mr. H. F. Berry’s Paper, on The Water Supply of Ancient Dublin, in the Journal of the Roy. Soc. Antiq. Irel, 1891.]

(Cf. the street formerly called Poddle, - and now called Dean-str.)

VII. The Swan.

The Swan, flowing from Mt. Tallant, through Leinster-rd., west, Rathmines, Mountpleasant-sq., and Northbrook-rd., enters the Dodder south of London-br.

VIII. Colman’s-brook.

Colman’s-brook (1406, - MSS., T. C. D. [Berry]) was a continuation of the old city watercourse. It passed through Bridgefoot-str. to Mullinahack (where it turned a mill), and thence under Bridge-str. along the rear of the houses on the north-side of Cook-str. to the Liffey, opposite No. 20 Merchants’-quay.

(See Irish Builder, 15 May, 1886.)

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