Carries water from top of Slievenamon's cylindrical veins of rock (5)

I believe the answer is:

pipes

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'carries water' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

I don't understand the remainder of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for pipes that I've seen before include "they sound shrill at 8 [HIGHLAND GAMES]" , "Wind instruments" , "Scots instrument" , "Tubes for fluids" , "Hollow tubes" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times.

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