AN ATTRACTIVE DRINKING FOUNTAIN IN LIMERICK
I REALLY LIKE THIS TAIT DRINKING FOUNTAIN [CLARE STREET PARK IN LIMERICK]
The Tait Drinking Fountain: A Glimpse into Limerick's Past
Initially erected in 1866 by Sir Peter Tait, a benevolent citizen and three-term Mayor, this elaborate cast-iron drinking fountain served as a vital source of water for employees within his Tait Clothing Factory (later known as the Limerick Clothing Factory) on Lord Edward Street.
Design and Symbolism
Manufactured by Walter Macfarlane & Co. at the Saracen Foundry in Possilpark, Glasgow, this impressive structure stands 9 feet 6 inches high. It features four columns with decorative mouldings and consoles terminating in griffins, symbols of vigilance and strength, guarding priceless possessions. The fountain is seated on a two-tiered square plinth.
The standard design includes rope-moulded cartouches within each lunette, depicting a crane—a symbol of vigilance—and an open Bible displaying a verse from St. John's Gospel (Chapter 4, Verse 14): "Whosoever Drinketh Of This Water Shall Thirst Again But Whosoever Drinketh Of The Water That I Shall Give Him Shall Never Thirst."
An optional memorial shield proudly displays the Tait family crest: a gauntlet with an embowed arm in riveted plate armour and a bare hand grasping stems of red roses and leaves. Above this, the Tait crest motto, "Gratiam dat Deus" (God Give Grace), is inscribed. This motto is also found on Tait's Clock (1867) in Baker Place.
Two sides of the fountain were designed to receive inscriptions with raised metal letters, while the other two featured the practical monition, "Keep The Pavement Dry." Such inscriptions often extolled civic virtues like temperance. The structure is surmounted by an open filigree dome, crowned with a pattée cross finial.
The Original Font and Later Relocation
Under the canopy, the original font, design number 7, stood 5 feet 8 inches high. Its basin, 2 feet 6 inches in diameter with a scalloped edge and decorative relief, was supported by a single decorative pedestal with four pilasters and four descending salamanders, symbolising courage and bravery. A central urn with four consoles offered drinking cups suspended by chains, and the fountain was operated by a push button. The original crane terminal is now missing.
The fountain's subsequent history is somewhat incomplete, but it was eventually removed from the factory and re-erected in the Terence Albert O’Brien Park (also known as Clare Street Park), which opened in the 1940s. The park is dedicated to Terence Albert O’Brien, Bishop of Emly, who was executed in 1651 following the Cromwellian conquest of Limerick City.
Current Appearance
When I first photographed the fountain it was painted a faded red, later it appeared to be painted red and black, likely due to the red paint flaking off. The darker colour made it easy to miss if one did not know its exact location in the park. It is currently red and it stands out as an attractive feature. My understanding is that the original colour as supplied by the the factory was black.
The Tait Drinking Fountain: A Glimpse into Limerick's Past
Initially erected in 1866 by Sir Peter Tait, a benevolent citizen and three-term Mayor, this elaborate cast-iron drinking fountain served as a vital source of water for employees within his Tait Clothing Factory (later known as the Limerick Clothing Factory) on Lord Edward Street.
Design and Symbolism
Manufactured by Walter Macfarlane & Co. at the Saracen Foundry in Possilpark, Glasgow, this impressive structure stands 9 feet 6 inches high. It features four columns with decorative mouldings and consoles terminating in griffins, symbols of vigilance and strength, guarding priceless possessions. The fountain is seated on a two-tiered square plinth.
The standard design includes rope-moulded cartouches within each lunette, depicting a crane—a symbol of vigilance—and an open Bible displaying a verse from St. John's Gospel (Chapter 4, Verse 14): "Whosoever Drinketh Of This Water Shall Thirst Again But Whosoever Drinketh Of The Water That I Shall Give Him Shall Never Thirst."
An optional memorial shield proudly displays the Tait family crest: a gauntlet with an embowed arm in riveted plate armour and a bare hand grasping stems of red roses and leaves. Above this, the Tait crest motto, "Gratiam dat Deus" (God Give Grace), is inscribed. This motto is also found on Tait's Clock (1867) in Baker Place.
Two sides of the fountain were designed to receive inscriptions with raised metal letters, while the other two featured the practical monition, "Keep The Pavement Dry." Such inscriptions often extolled civic virtues like temperance. The structure is surmounted by an open filigree dome, crowned with a pattée cross finial.
The Original Font and Later Relocation
Under the canopy, the original font, design number 7, stood 5 feet 8 inches high. Its basin, 2 feet 6 inches in diameter with a scalloped edge and decorative relief, was supported by a single decorative pedestal with four pilasters and four descending salamanders, symbolising courage and bravery. A central urn with four consoles offered drinking cups suspended by chains, and the fountain was operated by a push button. The original crane terminal is now missing.
The fountain's subsequent history is somewhat incomplete, but it was eventually removed from the factory and re-erected in the Terence Albert O’Brien Park (also known as Clare Street Park), which opened in the 1940s. The park is dedicated to Terence Albert O’Brien, Bishop of Emly, who was executed in 1651 following the Cromwellian conquest of Limerick City.
Current Appearance
When I first photographed the fountain it was painted a faded red, later it appeared to be painted red and black, likely due to the red paint flaking off. The darker colour made it easy to miss if one did not know its exact location in the park. It is currently red and it stands out as an attractive feature. My understanding is that the original colour as supplied by the the factory was black.