COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE/FIRHOUSE/BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 09, 2021

MOTION NO. 13

MOTION: Councillor E. Murphy

That the Council provides detail to this ACM on the naming of the Firhouse Weir and makes a statement on the responsibilities of the Council in relation to naming of the Weir. The Weir is being referred to as Balrothery Weir - has the Council sanctioned a name change?

REPORT:

 The feature referred to is the large weir that was constructed in the 13th Century to divert water from the River Dodder to the River Poddle. This diversion was needed to provide additional suppliers of fresh water to the rapidly expanding Dublin City at that time.

The structure and its ancillary features are listed in the Council’s list of Protected Structures as The City Watercourse (no. 186), reflecting its original function as a source of water for Dublin City.

The weir is referred to today by several other names, depending on how the communities located in the vicinity of the weir interact with the feature.

Structurally, the weir faces towards the communities of Firhouse and Knocklyon. In the past, the location of the weir was also an important crossing point on the river for the communities of Tallaght, Balrothery, and Greenhills. Thus the weir is referred to interchangeably as the Firhouse Weir, the Tallaght Weir, and the Balrothery Weir etc.

The use of different names for this impressive historic feature is merely a reflection of the vibrant cultural heritage of the long-established communities who have engaged with the weir in the past, and who continue to do so today.