Survey Data
Reg No
50020497
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical, Social, Technical
Previous Name
Dublin Dockyard Company/Ringsend Dockyard Company
Original Use
Dry dock
Date
1795 - 1800
Coordinates
317895, 233943
Date Recorded
24/04/2015
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Two former graving docks, built 1796, now disused. Cut limestone retaining walls. Recent smooth rendered enclosing wall to north, east and south boundaries. Situated on east side of Grand Canal Basin.
Appraisal
Grand Canal Dock, built to designs by William Jessop, opened in 1796 and marked the completion of the Grand Canal from the Shannon to the Liffey, terminating in deep water docks next to the mouth of the River Dodder. These 'graving docks' were built for ship repair and construction. They were used by the Dublin Dockyard Company from 1851 to 1881, and by the Ringsend Dockyard Company from 1913. However, due to the insufficient size of the sea locks and silting caused by the Dodder, it was difficult for ships to enter the basin. With the decline in the use of the canals, the basin became largely redundant. While no longer in use, historic fabric remains to the dock retaining walls. They act as strong reminders of the former industrial use of the basin.