Leixlip Spa facts for kids
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Spá Léim an Bhradáin
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Leixlip Spa in December 2011
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| Location | Leixlip, Ireland |
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| Coordinates | 53°22′19″N 6°30′21″W / 53.371855°N 6.505840°W |
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| Discovered | 1793 |
The Leixlip Spa (which is called Spá Léim an Bhradáin in Irish) is a special natural spring in Leixlip, Ireland. It's located near the Royal Canal at a place called Louisa Bridge. This amazing spot was found by workers in 1793 while they were digging for the canal.
The water at the spa comes bubbling out of the ground at a warm temperature of about 23.9 degrees Celsius (that's 75 degrees Fahrenheit!). This warm water then flows into the nearby Rye River. For many years, people used the spa, perhaps for its special waters. However, since the 1960s, the spa has not been looked after very well. To help save and protect this important place, a group was formed. This group included people from the Leixlip Town Council, Kildare County Council, An Taisce, Duchas, and the Irish National History Museum.
Discovering Leixlip Spa's Past
The Royal Canal was built to compete with another canal called the Grand Canal. Its construction started in 1790 and it was planned to be 146 kilometers long.
The area around Leixlip, where the spa was found, was a very challenging place to build the canal. One of the most expensive engineering projects in Ireland happened here. The canal had to cross the Rye Water valley, which was 26 meters (85 feet) below the canal's level! Because of this amazing feat, this area is considered very important for understanding engineering and industrial history. This huge engineering effort took six years to finish. It cost a lot of money, more than €200 million in today's money. Even today, it remains a cool local attraction in Leixlip.
In recent years, the water level of the spa was lowered by 0.6 meters (two feet) using a pump. This helped to show the special capstones that surround the spa. The site was full of thick mud, but the water itself was quite clear. People also removed a lot of rubbish, like old refrigerators, shoes, and jackets. Now, the Kildare County Council and Leixlip Town Council are responsible for continuing the work to restore the spa. It's an important part of Ireland's National Heritage and a special feature in the Kildare area.
