River Tolka
The River Tolka (Irish: An Tulcha) is a river which flows through Dublin, Ireland.
It rises near Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath, passing Dunboyne, Mulhuddart, Blanchardstown, Finglas, then through the north Dublin district of Drumcondra (beside Tolka Park), Glasnevin, Ballybough and Fairview, before entering Dublin Bay at East Wall.
The Tolka is, with the River Liffey and the River Dodder is one of Dublin’s main rivers. It is the second largest river entering Dublin City, after the Liffey, in terms of its length and catchment area.
After its rise in County Meath, the Tolka serves a catchment which is roughly divided in three parts between a generally rural area in County Meath, a developing area in Fingal and a substantially developed area in Dublin City Council. The river has a relatively flat gradient and is characterised by small summer flows and a tendency to occasional extreme floods generally in response to particular hydrological conditions.
Here’s the Tolka by Connolly Hospital in August 2008, following the previous day’s flash floods.
Historically, the Tolka suffered a major flood in December 1954. Two other major floods occurred on 6th November 2000, causing extensive damage to residential areas along its banks and on 28th October 1880.
A flood of major proportions hit the Tolka on 15th November 2002. This flood resulted in peak river flows in Dublin City some 10% in excess of those estimated for 1954. At the same time, the flooding conditions in Dunboyne and Clonee were extraordinarily severe with large numbers of properties inundated.
Since then, much work has been done to strengthen its flood defences. The River Tolka Flooding Study (careful - large PDF) was commissioned by Dublin City Council, in association with Fingal County Council, Meath County Council and the Office of Public Works in 2002.
Tolka estuary and the DPT
The Tolka is connected to the nearby Royal Canal by what is known as the Cemetery Drain, so-called as it run beneath Glasnevin Cemetery before joining the Tolka in the Botanic Gardens.
Thanks to the River Tolka Flooding Study & Wikipedia for much of this information.
