Pump base 'a clear and present danger'

It's time to call out some unacceptable inaction which poses a serious danger for pedestrians in Kilcullen, writes Brian Byrne.

Just a year ago, the old water pump outside The Hideout, a signature element of the streetscape for more than a century, was knocked down by a tanker delivering fuel to the Applegreen filling station.

The base of the pump, made of cast iron, was broken in the incident, leaving upturned bolts as a hazard on the path.

After first being taken in for safe-keeping by local people, the pump eventually ended up in Kildare County Council's yard in Kilcullen, where it remains today.

Last summer, I contacted the logistics company who had delivered the fuel on behalf of Applegreen, and spoke to one of its managers. I explained that the Council required someone to organise and pay for the repair and re-installation of the pump. He undertook to call the Council and deal with the matter.

My understanding is that there was one contact call, and then a promised follow-up one never materialised. A while ago I again called the logistics company and left a message for the same person to get back to me. There has been no response, either to me or to the Council.

For a time, the broken base was covered by a pile of sand and marked by a cone. Eventually that cone was one night thrown through a window in the home of a Main Street resident by some miscreants.

Today the base and its protruding bolts remain a clear and present danger to pedestrians young and old.

It needs to be made safe. The pump, an important heritage piece, needs to be put back. Ultimately, as the contractor was delivering for Applegreen, it is now up to Applegreen to expedite matters. And for the Council to do something proactive to make the area safe in the meantime.

Frances Clare giving the pump a coat of Tidy Towns paint in 2016.