Stop 11: the fountain
Notice
the fountain in the middle of the roundabout at the Square. In the late 1800s,
Portlaw was one of the best laid-out towns in Ireland. The central square was a
busy commercial area. The wide streets radiated from the square. It looks as if
Portlaw is shaped like a hand with the fountain in its palm.
A policeman could stand at the fountain and keep an eye on what was going on in all the streets. The fountain was made of cast iron, which was cast in the Mayfield foundry. It was called after William Robert Caldbeck who died on February 5th, 1887. The fountain was moved in the 1980s so that it is in the centre of the roundabout.
