Our good health

A history of Dublin's water and drainage

Michael Corcoran

‘A fascinating social and engineering history, beautifully illustrated with colour maps, diagrams and plates’, History Ireland.

‘[A] delightful book … superb … A carefully researched work of scholarship that invites and engages the reader … A book that every thinking citizen should read', Dublin Historical Record.

'The sixteen lavishly illustrated chapters of this volume provide an impressive reminder of the essential, but generally forgotten, work of local authorities in providing the twin elements of water supply, namely clean drinking water and appropriate waste water infrastructure ... This is a fitting tribute to those committed pioneers who were responsible for the services which are taken for granted today. Throughout this volume attention is drawn to those who are generally hidden from history; the workers whose muscle-power was essential to the construction of schemes such as the Vartry supply, and especially those slum-dwellers and poverty-stricken masses who suffered most from the lack of adequate clean water and sanitation ... At pains to cater for the general interest reader, while simultaneously providing sufficient engineering detail for technical readers, the author weaves a wide-ranging account of civic and social progress which spans a period of eight centuries. For the historian, the greatest interest will be in the earlier chapters of the book. Nevertheless, a useful record is also provided of the most recent developments, including the impressive Dublin Bay project. It is difficult to find fault with this detailed, scholarly and meticulously researched book. The copious illustrations, including original drawings and photographs, are well served by the large format of the volume. This is a superb achievement which deserves a place on the bookshelves of everyone with an interest in Dublin', Dr Ruth McManus, Irish Economic and Social History (2007).