Leixlip Spa
The Leixlip Spa situated close to the Royal Canal, Ireland at Louisa Bridge was discovered in 1793 by a group of workmen excavating for the canal. William Conolly who acquired Leixlip Castle in 1732 planned to develop the spa into a classical thermal spa but to no avail.
The spa waters bubble from the ground at a constant 23.9 degrees Celsius (75 degrees F) and drain into the Rye River below. The spa was widely used over the years but since the 1960s it has fallen into disrepair. To preserve the spa, a committee was set up from members of Leixlip Town Council, Kildare County Council, An Taisce, Duchas and the National History Museum.
History
The Royal Canal was built to compete with the Grand and the canal was conceived by a disgruntled member of the Grand Canal Board. The canal was to be 146 kilometres long and construction began in 1790.
The area around Leixlip where the spa was built saw one of the most expensive civil engineering tasks ever undertaken in Ireland as the canal (built alongside the newly discovered spa) had to cross the Rye Water valley, 26 metres (85 ft) below the level of the canal - because of this feat it is considered that this area is one of the most important in terms of engineering and industrial archaeology. The engineering effort took 6 years to complete and cost more than €200 million by today’s standards, it still remains today a stunning sight.
In recent years, the level of the spa was dropped by 0.6 metres (two feet) by pump to reveal the cap stones surrounding the spa. The site was thick in sludge, although the water was quite clear. Domestic rubbish including the usual refrigerators, shoes, and jackets were removed. It is now the responsibility of Kildare County Council and Leixlip Town Council to continue with the work to restore the spa which is part of Ireland's National Heritage and an important feature in the Kildare area.