Posted by JDP on May 28, 2002 at 00:40:32:

In Reply to: Re: River posted by PJ on May 27, 2002 at 12:37:52:

The more I think about this topic the more I am convinced that the present course of the river is it`s natural course.
Think of the topography before the were any structures or development. A countryside of rolling hills, drumlins. The lake nestles between hills. The river meanders between the higher ground sweeping down St. Patricks National school and the area of what is now Mountain View, The Mall, The Military Bks. It veers right at the rear of what is now Tucker and Linenhall St at the bottom of Stabhall hill anf carries on its way between the higher ground between the creamery area and Staball.
The ground betwen the river and the back of the TF and Post Office was always marshy and soft may have been a flood plain at times.
I can think of no reason why the river would have flowed over to the mall area and along the area at the rear of main st.
An examination of the 1917 map shows a Bench Mark of 146 at the P.O., 122 at Best`s bridge and 115.9 at Barrack bridge. A B.M. of 121 at Mulloy`s bridge, being a foot lower than Best`s is easily accounted for in the the height of the bridge structures. With the average ground level between Mountain View and Best`s of 134 and the aver water level between Mulloy`s and Best`s at about 112 ( 10 ft. below the av. B.Ms.) I see no logical reason why earthworks on such a huge scale ( before the Industrial Revolution) would have been undertaken and again for what reason ? I beleive the present course was always the course. I can see no evidence to support the story. I beleive Murrisk`s point about Saleen causing flooding is plausible. The gentry and the military liked to position themselves on elevated sites, hence the Barrack location and the Mall walk to the CoI
As for the origin of the story, probably a good yarn by some character after a few bottles of porter.

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