The Liffey Valley
Park Alliance
The Strawberry Beds
“…..and drove out to the furry glen or the strawberry beds wed have him examining all the horses toenails first like he does with the letters no not with Boylan there yes with some cold veal and ham mixed sandwiches there are little houses down at the bottom of the banks there on purpose…”
Ulysses III Penelope, James Joyce
A Place of Recreation, Nature and History......
Named
after the fruit crop that once grew plentifully on the banks of the
river Liffey, the Strawberry Beds has long been celebrated for it's
unique beauty and unusual fauna and flora. The Strawberry Beds stretch from the top of Knockmarron Hill in the east to Lucan Bridge in the west.
The Strawberry Beds was traditionally a popular excursion area for Dubliners in the past.
Jaunting
cars ran between
Carlisle Bridge (now O’Connell Bridge) and the
Strawberry Beds. It was not
unusual to see a procession of cars extending from Parkgate Street to
Knockmaroon, where
they were met by strawberry vendors and musicians. Strawberries were
sold on
lettuce leaves from the cottages along the way. Amongst the many
photographs in
the Laurence Collection in care of the National Library) are scenes of
these vendors. It was also traditionally where most Dublin newlyweds spent their honeymoons, as recollected in the words of the song:
“A sunny afternoon, for your honeymoon, down by the Liffey side”.
Activities on the river
Other
forms of
recreation,
which are still alive and well on the Beds, include angling and
boating. There
are two canoeing organisations with boathouses on the banks of the
Liffey, the
Irish Canoe Union and the Wild West Kayak Club, which runs the famous
Liffey
Descent canoe race, one of the few all
natural city canoe races in the world. (for more information check
out websites - www.liffeydescent.com
.
Other Recreational Outlets
The three pubs along the Lower Road , The Anglers Rest, the Strawberry Hall and the Wrens Nest ( the second oldest pub in Dublin) have changed little over the years.
Historical and Archeological Features
The Valley is rich in historical and archaeological features, and this part is no different. The old burial ground and church at the bottom of Mill Lane on the south bank date from pre-Norman times. These are now in Council ownership and listed for preservation. There are three weirs, dating from the industrial revolution, constructed to provide a head of water for use on local mills.
The
Anna Liffey Weir/Shackleton's Mill
The Anna Liffey Weir provides water for the Anna Liffey Mill which
is
the successor of a
building that was popularly known as
"The Devil's Mill" . This was because of the story that it was
erected in the course of a single night by his ‘Satanic
Majesty’. Now better
known as Shackleton’s Mill, it was until 1999 a working flour
mill. It is in
good condition with all of the machinery being intact, and its two-inch
thick
floors remain.
The Anna Liffey Weir provides water for the Anna Liffey Mill which
is
the successor of a
building that was popularly known as
"The Devil's Mill" . This was because of the story that it was
erected in the course of a single night by his ‘Satanic
Majesty’. Now better
known as Shackleton’s Mill, it was until 1999 a working flour
mill. It is in
good condition with all of the machinery being intact, and its two-inch
thick
floors remain. The stone buildings and the Georgian Miller House are also in good condition.
The
Mill was recently acquired by the Council,
and
hopefully will become a centre for the local community, as well as a
centre for
local tourism.
The
Wren's Nest Weir
The
Wren's Nest Weir,
pictured opposite,
provided
water as a source of power for what was most recently the Coates
Printing Ink
factory. The mill race is almost three kilometers in length.
The remains of an old Iron Factory, originally established as a linen mill, by Dutch immigrants, can be seen opposite the Wrens Nest.
The Weir at Palmerstown was constructed to provide a water supply and to generate electricity for the Guinness Estates. Water was pumped from the Liffey just above this weir to the Water Tower in the grounds of Knockmaroon house by gravity.
The
Wren's Nest Weir,
pictured opposite,
provided
water as a source of power for what was most recently the Coates
Printing Ink
factory. The mill race is almost three kilometers in length. The remains of an old Iron Factory, originally established as a linen mill, by Dutch immigrants, can be seen opposite the Wrens Nest.
The Weir at Palmerstown was constructed to provide a water supply and to generate electricity for the Guinness Estates. Water was pumped from the Liffey just above this weir to the Water Tower in the grounds of Knockmaroon house by gravity.
The
Guinness Bridge
At the bottom of Knockmaroon hill, there is the distinctive “Guinness Bridge”,
again
easily
visible in many of the Laurence Collection photographs. This is an Iron
open
trellis bridge, formerly floored with timber, which provided a means of
access
for domestic staff and estate workers, who lived on the south side of
the
river. It has no floor at present, and is in very poor condition.
It was acquired by the former Dublin County Council, prior to the establishment of three smaller administrative areas, but unfortunately very little has been done to maintain it since that time.
There are many other old buildings along the Lower Road that have changed little over the years. Unfortunately in the last thirty years, many of the older Cottages, some of which were thatched, have been knocked down and replaced by modern bungalows that have not always been sympathetic to the surroundings.
At the bottom of Knockmaroon hill, there is the distinctive “Guinness Bridge”,
again
easily
visible in many of the Laurence Collection photographs. This is an Iron
open
trellis bridge, formerly floored with timber, which provided a means of
access
for domestic staff and estate workers, who lived on the south side of
the
river. It has no floor at present, and is in very poor condition. It was acquired by the former Dublin County Council, prior to the establishment of three smaller administrative areas, but unfortunately very little has been done to maintain it since that time.
There are many other old buildings along the Lower Road that have changed little over the years. Unfortunately in the last thirty years, many of the older Cottages, some of which were thatched, have been knocked down and replaced by modern bungalows that have not always been sympathetic to the surroundings.
At the top of Knockmaroon Hill are the Knockmaroon Gates of the Phoenix Park.
Nature on the Strawberry Beds
The Strawberry Beds - provide a wonderful environment for local
wildlife and flora. You can read more about what can be seen in this
area by clicking here
Protection for the Strawberry Beds, and the rest of the Valley and the practical reality...
The significance of the Liffey Valley has been recognised by the former Dublin County Council and the Department of the Environment through the institution in 1990 of Irelands first Special Amenity Area Order, covering the Strawberry Beds. The Order is renewed every five years, and has successfully been renewed in to date. However the Strawberry Beds constitute only a small part of the overall valley and indeed the Order
is unfortunately very limited, it covers only the land adjacent to the riverbank, and no protection was put in place to prevent residential or industrial development right up to the Special Amenity Area. This has led to some very insensitive development adjacent to the Liffey Valley, which impacts negatively upon it.
There was a detailed plan for the development of the Special Amenity Area, but due to lack of funding, and a distinct lack of prioritisation on behalf of those responsible for developing the Amenity, very little has been done. Traffic using the road, has made it difficult for cyclists and pedestrians to even walk down the road, which for long stretches, does not even have a proper footpath. Liffey Valley Park Alliance organises guided walks through parts of the valley each year. Please keep an eye on our news section for updates on these events.
On the south side of the valley is the St. Edmundsbury estate, and yet another new development proposal presents yet a further threat to the Liffey Valley and the objective to preserve it as a natural environment and national park. You can read more on this under the tab entitled 'The Threat' on this site or at www.SaveTheLiffeyValley.com
Based on a piece by Garvan Browne, and by permission of Gerry O’Flynn