Originally a welcome supply of fresh water into the city, the river still flowing underground, close to where you stand, once became such a health hazard that it was dubbed the Blackstaff Menace!

Hundreds of years ago, the Blackstaff River began as a pure stream, trickling down from the Black Mountain, emerging at Bog Meadows then meandering through the small town of Belfast and eventually meeting the much larger River Lagan.

But Belfast grew, and grew. By the mid-19th century it was an industrial city of over 100,000 inhabitants and simply did not have the infrastructure to cope. It was overcrowded, with many people living in unsanitary housing. Disease and fevers were common. The Blackstaff River became highly polluted and gave off an overpowering stench. Doctors warned of the threat to public health posed by the Blackstaff Menace!, but to little avail. The river was also often obstructed in the final stages of its journey by waste from Joy’s Paper Mill, which caused it to overflow in the Cromac district.

There were proposals to deal with the problem in 1854, which involved diverting the river, but these all failed through political disagreement within Belfast Corporation and the refusal of landowners to comply.

A new approach – focusing instead on creating drainage tunnels to divert sewage and toxic discharges – brought limited success. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that matters improved significantly, when the river was effectively buried beneath the city.

Today the Blackstaff River is still cited as a main contributor to the high flood risk in central and low-lying areas of Belfast. The Menace may have been defeated, but the river still has power to surprise.

Rinne an abhainn fíoruisce a sholáthar don chathair lá den tsaol, agus tá sí go fóill ag rith thíos faoin talamh, cóngarach don áit a mbíonn tú i do sheasamh, ach d’éirigh an abhainn chomh guaiseach sin don tsláinte gur tugadh Blackstaff Menace uirthi!

Na céadta bliain ó shin, thosaigh Abhainn Bheara mar shruthán glan, ag sileadh anuas ón tSliabh Dhubh agus ag teacht amach ag Cluain an Bhogaigh, ag lúbarnaíl ansin fríd Béal Feirste, baile beag ag an am, agus ar aghaidh léi ansin go dtí Abhainn an Lagáin.

Ach tháinig fás agus fás eile ar Bhéal Feirste. Ba chathair thionsclaíoch í fá lár an 19ú haois ina raibh breis agus 100,000 duine ina gcónaí, agus ní raibh an bonneagar ceart ann le déileáil leis sin, go bunúsach. Bhí sí róphlódaithe, agus bhí a lán daoine ina gcónaí i dtithe míshláintíocha. Ba choitianta na galair agus na fiabhrais. D’éirigh Abhainn Bheara truaillithe go dona agus bhí boladh plúchtach uaithi. Thug dochtúirí rabhadh fán chontúirt a bhain le hAbhainn Bheara maidir le sláinte phoiblí, agus is beag a rinneadh dá bharr. Is minic a bhí an abhainn bactha ag dramhaíl ó Mhuileann Páipéir Joy ag deireadh a turais, agus chuir sí thar bruach i gceantar Chromóige dá bharr.

Bhí moltaí ann le tabhairt faoin fhadhb in 1854, an abhainn a atreorú mar shampla, ach theip orthu seo ar fad mar gheall ar easaontas polaitiúil taobh istigh de Bhardas Bhéal Feirste, agus ó tharla nár chloígh tiarnaí talún leis na moltaí.

Is beag rath a bhí ar an chur chuige nua le díriú ar tholláin draenála a thógáil leis an chamras agus an sceitheadh nimhiúil a atreorú. Níor tháinig feabhas suntasach ar chúrsai go dtí go mall sa 19ú haois, nuair a cuireadh an abhainn i dtalamh thíos faoin chathair, go bunúsach.

Sa lá atá inniu ann, luaitear Abhainn Bheara go fóill mar an phríomhchúis leis an bhaol ard tuilte i lár Bhéal Feirste agus sna ceantar ísle. Fuarthas an lámh in uachtar ar an abhainn go dtí seo, ach thiocfadh léi go fóill iontas a chur orainn.