LISMORE SPOUT.

Lismore Spout Y2000....Photo by Pat Kiely...

Middle and bottom photo: Original picture which was in black and white was taken way back in 1855 by Francis Edmund Currey, an agent for Lismore Castle all through the famine times. Currey was one of the earliest photographers in the world and one of the first to take pictures of ordinary Irish people!

(The original photo taken from a book called 'Early photography in Ireland,' has been coloured by Pat Kiely)

Short History of the Lismore Spout.

The Spout is situated along the Lismore Castle wall, on the road into Lismore almost opposite what is known by locals today as St Carthage's Well.

The Spout has been a source of clean mountain drinking water for a very long time and this water is also piped into the castle for consumption by its residents.

It is claimed that around the 1850s poor people and labourers working for the castle estate used to live in cabins along this road but Kiely has not been able to verify this.

Drinking water for the town is nowadays supplied from the River Blackwater. This river water sometimes becomes becomes discoloured after heavy rain, even though it is filtered and treated.

Even though Council inspectors claim it is perfectly safe to drink, some residents still prefer to collect their water in containers from the spout at these times.