Pump

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A standard fountain manufactured by Glenfield and Kennedy, Kilmarnock with a plain shaped column decorated with flutes. Affixed to the wall behind the pump is a cast-iron plaque inscribed ‘This/ fountain was erected by the/ subscription of Sir Hugh Stewart/ baronet and the inhabitants of/ the town of Ballygawley in the/ year of our Lord one thou/ sand eight hundred and/ thirty six’. Below this is a coat of arms, followed by ‘Phoenix Foundry/ Newry/ 1836’.

This pump is associated on the listing cards with the buildings and plaque under reference HB13/09/017

Historical information

No fountain or pump shown on the 1907 OS 25 inch map (PRONI Ref OS 10/6/52/16/1), but ‘W.T.’ (=Water Trough) is marked on the 1935 edition, which suggests that the fountain was probably present at that time. Further particulars in the EHS Report ‘Water Pumps in Northern Ireland: A Preliminary Survey’ by Fred Hamond, January 1997, Pump No 12.

The plaque refers to a fountain in place in 1836. The current fountain was installed later as it relies on pressurised mains water to operate, which was not available until the early twentieth century..

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
V. Authorship
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This is an unusual combination of a well detailed late Georgian cast iron plaque referring to an earlier public water supply and a replacement fountaion probably installed in the early twentieth century. Together they are an impirtant link to the past when drinking water was only available from public sources.