Poulaphouca

Pollaphuca Reservoir Taiscumar Pholl a' Phúca
Pollaphuca Reservoir
Location	County Wicklow
Coordinates	53°8′N 6°31′W / 53.133°N 6.517°W / 53.133; -6.517
Type	Reservoir
Primary outflows	River Liffey
Basin countries	Ireland

Pollaphuca dam

Pollaphuca falls and bridge

Coordinates: 53°07′01″N 6°35′14″W / 53.11694°N 6.58722°W / 53.11694; -6.58722 Poulaphouca, officially Pollaphuca (Irish: Poll a' Phúca, meaning "the Púca's hole"),^[1][2] is a townland in County Wicklow, Ireland, on the border with County Kildare. It is primarily known for its hydroelectric generating station and artificial lake, known as Poulaphouca Reservoir, Poulaphouca Lake, or Blessington Lake. The once famous Poulaphouca Waterfall has little water running over it any longer because of the hydroelectric project.

Reservoir

The reservoir at Poulaphouca has been designated as a Special Protection Area by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and is of international importance for its Greylag Goose population. The reservoir was created in the late 1930s and early 1940s by damming the River Liffey as part of a collaboration between the Electricity Supply Board and Dublin City Council to build a second hydroelectric station in Ireland while the reservoir could be used to supply water to the Dublin region.

Railroad

A four and a half mile extension to the Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway was built by the Blessington and Poulaphouca Steam Tramway, with its end-of-line terminus at Poulaphouca, and opened on May 1, 1895.^[3][4] The line was closed in 1932. The ticket office still exists and is a private residence located on the eastern side of the N81 road, that formerly overlooked the Poulaphouca Waterfall on the River Liffey before the construction of the dam.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

External links

• ESB history of hydroelectricity development
• 2005 Irish Independent article about the sale of the Tramway House at Poulaphouca
• Beneath the Poulaphuca Reservoir

v t e Places in County Wicklow County town: Wicklow Towns Arklow Bray Greystones Wicklow Villages Aghavannagh Annamoe Ashford Aughrim Avoca Ballinaclash Baltinglass Blessington Carnew Charlesland Coolafancy Coolboy Delgany Donard Dunlavin Enniskerry Glendalough Glenealy Grangecon Greenan Hollywood Kilcoole Killincarrig Kilmacanogue Kilpedder Kilquade Kiltegan Knockananna Lacken Laragh Newcastle Newtownmountkennedy Rathdangan Rathdrum Rathnew Redcross Roundwood Shillelagh Stratford-on-Slaney Tinahely Valleymount Woodenbridge List of townlands in County Wicklow Category:Mountains and hills of County Wicklow Category:Rivers of County Wicklow Category:Geography of County Wicklow