The 1939 Poulaphuca Survey of the lands flooded by the Liffey Reservoir Scheme

For many visitors to the Poulaphuca area today, the man-made lake of the reservoir seems as if it has been ever-present in the landscape. However, as the waters of the Liffey gradually rose in 1940, they submerged an historic area that only a few months previously had hosted a thriving farming community. The lives of these people would probably have entered the realms of mythology had it not been for the foresight of a small group of individuals. Coordinated by Liam Price, people from various backgrounds volunteered their time and skills during the summer months of 1939 in an attempt to record as much information as possible about the landscape soon to be flooded. This is the Poulaphuca Survey—a moment in time of a forgotten Irish landscape.

Edited by Christiaan Corlett of the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage this volume is a reprint of the 2008 volume which recalls one of the largest infrastructural schemes carried out during the formative years of the State. The Liffey Reservoir Scheme provided folklorists, archaeologists, and other specialists to carry out a unique survey of mid-twentieth century Irish rural life.