Be careful on the water ...

Top: a pleasant and gentle river at low water can become a maelstrom (bottom left) when the flood is down. And the lifebelt upstream of the bridge is missing.

A local resident was out for a walk last week, and as he crossed the Liffey bridge he noticed two girls down by the river bank near the Town Hall Heritage Centre. The river was high at the time, and he went down by the hall to warn the girls about the danger of the flood current. When he reached them, one was on the bank and the other was standing on one of the boulders in the river. He spoke to them about the danger, but it was not clear that they realised just how serious the situation could be.

The river is one of Kilcullen’s attractions, but it is not a swimming pool: it has a current, hidden hazards and a very low temperature at this time of year. Discharges from the power stations upstream make the river at Kilcullen deeper as thousands of tons of water add their weight and force to the flow, speeding up the current and turning the Liffey into a very dangerous place.

Fortunately, the girl who was standing on the boulder, kept her balance and she came to no harm. The river was in full flood at the time, and if she had fallen in, there is little doubt that she would have been swept away and she would have been lucky to survive.

We ask parents to please make sure that their children and any young visitors to the area are made aware of how dangerous the river can be and are warned not to take chances.