| Pollaphuca Reservoir Taiscumar Pholl a' Phúca | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location of Pollaphuca Reservoir Taiscumar Pholl a' Phúca in Ireland | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Location | County Wicklow |
| Coordinates | 53°7′24″N6°30′21″W / 53.12333°N 6.50583°W /53.12333; -6.50583 |
| Purpose | Water supply andhydroelectricity |
| Status | In use |
| Construction began | 1937 |
| Opening date | 1940 |
| Operator(s) | ESB |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 166 billion litres |
| Active capacity | 148 billion litres |
| Surface area | 22.26 square kilometres (5,500 acres) |
| Installed capacity | 30 MW |
| Website ESB | |
Poulaphouca Reservoir, officiallyPollaphuca (fromIrishPoll a' Phúca, meaning 'thePúca's hole'),[1][2] is an active reservoir (for both water supply and electricity generation) and area of wild bird conservation in westCounty Wicklow,Ireland named after thePoulaphouca waterfall on its south-western end where the water exits the lake. The lake is also commonly known as theBlessington Lakes, even though there is just one.
It holds 166 billion litres (43.8 billion gallons, or 0.2 cubic km) and has a surface area 22.26 km2, making it the largest artificial reservoir in Ireland by capacity and surface area.[3] It has a 44.3 km (27.5-mile) shoreline, and is 39.6 km (24.6 miles) from the sea.
It was created between 1937 and 1947, with flooding beginning at 10:00 on 3 March 1940 bydamming theRiver Liffey atPoulaphouca as part of theElectricity Supply Board project to build a secondhydroelectric station inIreland,Ardnacrusha on theRiver Shannon being the first.
The reservoir is one of two major sources ofDublin'swater supply, the other major supply beingVartry Reservoir in east Wicklow.
Between 1938 and 1940, 76 houses were demolished, and the bridges at Humphreystown, Baltyboys, and Burgage blown up, in anticipation of the flooding of the valley for the Poulaphouca hydroelectric power station.
In 1947, the recently flooded reservoir appeared in scenes of the filmCaptain Boycott, parts of which were filmed in the lakeside villages ofLacken andBallyknockan.[4]
The Poulaphouca Reservoir supplies the three power stations along the River Liffey, which are located in Poulaphouca,Golden Falls andLeixlip. Poulaphouca has the largest capacity with two 15 MW generators driven byKaplan turbines, the other two stations have a capacity of 4 MW each, so the total capacity of the power stations on the River Liffey is 38 MW.[5]
The Kaplan turbines of the Poulaphouca station were delivered by the Swiss manufacturerAteliers des Charmilles fromGeneva,Switzerland. Each turbine has a capacity of 25,300 horsepower at ahydraulic head of 50.5 m. The contract was executed in collaboration withEnglish Electric fromLondon.[6]
The reservoir is sometimes known as "lakes" due to its shape, which arises because it lies in not one but two river valleys - that of the Liffey and, primarily, that of the King's River. The King's River joined the Liffey at Baltiboys, at which point it was the larger flow, and when the Liffey was dammed upstream of the confluence, the King's River Valley was flooded far to the south.
A ridge of land, on which the village ofValleymount lies, divides the southern part of the reservoir.
Thegoosander, recently arrived as a breeding species in Ireland, can sometimes be seen here.
TheBlessington Greenway walk is 6.5 km in length and links the historic town of Blessington with the Palladian mansion atRussborough House. The trail starts in Blessington village and leads south to the Avon Ri Activity Centre at the southern end of the town and weaves its way along the lake shores and forestry, crosses an ancient medieval Ringfort, and then uses the footpath along part of the N81 before turning back into the forest at Burgage Moyle lane. The Greenway follows the lakeshore and phase 2 is underway, with the goal of a 30 km greenway around the reservoir for walking, cycling and other recreational activities.
