Fire Hydrants of Ireland

They are ubiquitous, innocuous, and sometimes picturesque. They may be ignored but they are always important. Let me present a visual tour of the Fire Hydrants of Ireland.

Hydrant signs are often found in the landscaping:

The black H with the yellow background is used to identify a hydrant location – usually within a metre of the sign.

A variety of covers protect the hydrant connections. Unlike American-style hydrants, these hydrants do not occupy precious space on the narrow streets of Ireland’s older towns.

However, underground fire hydrants present their own problems. The importance of the odd little cover is not always recognized.

Irish drivers have sharp eyes for good parking spots, but they often fail to spot the capital H. As a result, it’s not uncommon for a parked vehicle to block access to the hydrant itself – as observed here at UCC (Cork).

It’s many years since I first saw firefighters deal with a hydrant that was inaccessible because a car had parked over it. The firefighters in question were in their street clothes, attending a bachelor party, and very inebriated. With two men on either end of the car, they bounced the vehicle out of its parking spot, into the street (think traffic jam), and gained access to the hydrant. They then left the scene to continue their carousing.

And they probably ruined the vehicle’s suspension in the process. I almost pitied the driver.

To be fair to drivers, I admit that hydrants can be hard to spot – as in this barely noticed example in Skerries, Co. Dublin.

And the fire hydrant’s placement can be questionable. Was this hydrant placed in an inaccessible spot to prevent cars parking over it? (NUIG – Galway)

Fire hydrants can be found in prestigious locations. (National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin)

Or here at Bunratty Castle. (Yes, even stone castles need fire protection. Why else would medieval siege technology involve flinging burning objects at a stronghold?)

Trinity College, Dublin may also be considered a prestigious location. It is the oldest university in Ireland. But even though two of my sisters have connections to the place…

Anyone with any sense knows that UCD is more the thing. (It’s my alma mater.)

However, the most important fire hydrant is the one that protects the family home.

So, if the need arises, the fire brigade can do its thing.

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Thanks to Paula Norris for the cover image of a hydrant at Marley Park, Rathfarnham.

View other posts about fire hydrants:

https://thenumerateninny.com/2019/09/21/fire-hydrants-of-north-america/

https://thenumerateninny.com/?p=1333