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Return to Co. Dublin list |
Go to Prehistoric Alignments & Dials |
Go to Ancient Monastic Dials |
Go to Medieval Dials |
Go to Modern (1600+) Dials |
Go to Sundial Info.and Books |
 Dublin Sundial |
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One of two dials in the National
Botanic Gardens. This undated (c.1800) horizontal brass sundial is located
outside the Alpine Yard having been moved there following the restoration of
the Palm House in 2004. It is 350mm in diameter with a 250mm high pierced
gnomon (the shadow casting device) and it bears the makers name "Lynch 26 Capel
St Dublin". The centre of the dial around the base of the gnomon is badly
corroded and the Equation of Time values and the names of the geographical
locations are barely legible. The time rings near the edge of the dial are
showing signs of wear probably from being polished by visitor's hands.
Unfortunately, as one would expect from a dial in a public place, the graffiti
artists have been at work. The angle between the gnomon and the plate, which should be the same as the design location's latitude, is 53° 30' ± 10'. The latitude of Botanic Gardens is 53° 22' The Chapter Ring shows 4a.m. to 8p.m. in Roman numerals with IIII for four, the half hours being marked by fleur de lys symbols. It has a noon gap to compensate for the 20mm wide gnomon. There are two fractional time rings of 15 and 71/2 minutes inside the Chapter Ring. Outside the Chapter Ring, around the outside edge of the plate, there is a minute ring marked ".. 60 10 20 30 40 50 60 10 .." repeating. The time is read from 'outside' the dial, that is, when facing the sun. It has a fully qualified 16 point compass rose "E" "ESE" "SE" "SSE" etc. at the base of the gnomon and there is an anti-clockwise Equation of Time (EoT) table in the form of four concentric rings, (1) months "Jan" "Feb" etc., (2) marks for individual days with every tenth day labelled "10", "20" "28/30 /31" as appropriate, (3) EoT values and (4) "sun too fast" "sun too slow" indicating whether value should be added or subtracted. There are 32 lines on the dial plate to indicate noon in distant cities and countries, from Pekin in the east, to King George ??? (illegible, looks like Sound) in the west. The dial, which is still quite capable of displaying local time, is inset into the top of an 1150mm high modern granite pillar. The 48 acre gardens are located at Glasnevin, 4km north of the city centre on the N2. Lat 53° 22' North Long 6° 16' West Irish Grid O 315370 236560 See "The Argory" Co.Armagh and "Rowallane" Co. Down for other Lynch dials |