- The Ireland campus is unique in terms of
the ecological features that surround our site.
Since Intel came to Leixlip in 1989,
it's had a special relationship
with protection enhancement of the Rye River
which runs through our site.
Just in our land boundary the Rye intercepts
a very special area known as the Leixlip Spa.
The Leixlip Spa,
situated on the Intel site boundary next to 524,
is an historical feature that was discovered in 1793
by workmen excavating for the Royal Canal.
The work commenced after the second Duke of Lancaster
lobbied to have the planned route of the Royal Canal
diverted from his land,
causing the new route to cross over the Rye River
close to the spa site.
The result is that the water from the spa
drains into the Rye River,
which runs below it.
- When they were digging the canal,
they found a spring and from that spring
they redirected the water down to this basin here.
- [Lisa] The mineral spring was widely used from the
late 18th century onwards
and it's original function was that of a bathing pool
fed by free flowing spring of thermal water.
- This may be the only example definitely in
the British Isles, but possibly in Europe,
of an outdoor spa of it's time.
People would enter down either side of the steps
and immerse themselves in the water.
The water was thought to be very beneficial
to people's health.
In it's day, hundreds of carriages were seen,
there was queues to actually use the spa.
- [Lisa] In a European context,
the spa well is a rare example of a mineralized
thermal spring which gives rise to unique habitats of
flora of botanical interest
and fauna of zoological interest.
The spa is listed as priority one under the
European Designation of Special Areas of Conservation.
For instance, in 1892, rare species of fungi
were found near the spa area,
and in 1933,
the discovery of a rare snail was made in the area.
The spa, which is waters that bubble from the ground
at a constant 23.9 degrees Celsius,
is the only warm spring in Ireland located in a
designated special area of conservation,
and architecturally there are no other examples of
a thermal bath of this type in Ireland.
Initially, the spa was widely used,
but by the late 19th century,
the spa had lost it's attraction with the public
and by the 1960s, it had fallen into disrepair.
In 1978, the spa was listed for preservation
in the county development plan and in the time since then,
a number of working groups and committees
have been established in order to preserve
and rejuvenate the spa and it's surrounding area.
The Leixlip Spa Committee,
consisting of Leixlip Town Council, Kildare County Council,
An Taisce, Duchas, National History Museum,
and other community members engaged in
Environmental Services Agency,
and put together a development plan for the spa site
to return to it's former state.
- The aim of the committee is to get all of the stakeholders
who have an interest in this site to have an
overarching conservation plan which develops all those areas
without one impinging on the other.
- This (mumbles) build with a lime mix.
Keep it natural, keep it the way it was done years ago.
basically without the chemicals now
so we're not harming the land.
- [Lisa] Intel first came to Leixlip in 1989
and throughout our time here,
we have strived to act as a guardian of the Rye River
and it's surrounding area,
and as a close collaborator with our community stakeholders.
We value the importance of preserving a resource
of Ireland's national heritage
and an important feature of the Kildare area.
Intel has engaged with the Leixlip Spa Committee
to fund part of the spa development in the form of
restoration of the stonework of the bath feature.
This involves pointing and replacing brickwork
with hydraulic lime and bricks to match,
replacing granite curbs,
conducting hydraulic lime rendering
of the face of the steps,
and building brick under the granite steps around the spa.
- This is the only spa that we actually worked on.
My father was involved in building stone,
so it's the third generation of us working with stone.
- I think it's very important that people understand
the whole significance of the setting of this spa.
A thermal spring so near the ground that has
actually been converted to use.
This is a very important site in terms of understanding
how leisure time was used in the 18th century.
Basically it's quite intact.
- [Lisa] The spa committee continue to work towards the
complete restoration of the area.
At Intel Ireland, we'll remain a strong supporter of this
important work towards preserving one of Ireland's
most unique, historical, ecological sites.
We are proud to be able to support our community
with a feature that has historical and ecological
significance and will be here for years to come.