Geraldine Nugent's photo of the river flowing over the weir brought back many memories.
At that time, the water below the weir from Nugent's field to the Mill was shallow. So in the heat of the summer, Nugent's cattle would wander over to the mill buildings to shade themselves, much to the consternation of my mother. Her hens, ducks and geese would scatter on their arrival and the aftermath of cow dung wouldn't please her!
When the weir burst in 1946 due to the constant release of high volumes of water from the new hydro-dam at Golden Falls, Ballymore Eustace, the cow's location (in the middle of the picture, facing the camera) became the current deep-water course for the river.
The weir and all the stones and sand in this area were swept down the river to form the present day island in the middle of the river below Liffey Bank House.
Jim Collins
