St John's Pill, Waterford- ARC GIS Story Map

Developed by Andrew Doherty of Tides and Tales, Cheekpoint, this project seeks to highlight the use of the word Pill in the four counties (Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and Tipperary) along the tidal element of the Three Sister Rivers, by focusing on one specific river initially per county. Presented as an Arc GIS Story Map you can explore the geographic and social history of this historic landmark in the development of the city.

Initially, St John’s Pill was a major factor in Viking invaders choosing the area for their Longphort. The marshes it drained provided a strategic defence for the developing city too. Later, as the city expanded it was to these marshes the city looked both for settlement and for industry, much of it utilising the river for access, at least as far as Poleberry. Waterford City and County Council has supported this initial project, focused on the St John’s Pill in the city and funded through the Local Authority Heritage Fund 2023