Morell River facts for kids

The Morell River (called An Mhoiréil in Irish) is a river in County Kildare, Ireland. It's a smaller river that flows into the bigger River Liffey. The Liffey then carries its water all the way to the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay.

What's in a Name?

The Morell River gets its name from a person named William Morrell. He used to own land in the area a long time ago. The name "Morrel" first appeared in a book about County Kildare in 1807.

Where Does the Morell River Flow?

The Morell River starts in a place called Slieveroe. This spot is a few kilometers west of Blessington Lake. From there, it flows from south to north.

River's Journey

The river passes through Punchestown Racecourse. It then goes by Craddockstown Golf Club and the Naas Industrial Estate. A smaller stream, called a tributary, joins the Morell outside Johnstown, County Kildare. The N7 road crosses over the river with a bridge.

The Morell continues its journey northwards. Another tributary joins it south of Palmerstown House Golf Club. The river then flows under the Grand Canal. It uses a special bridge called an aqueduct to pass underneath.

Meeting Other Waters

After that, the Morell goes under the Dublin–Cork railway line. It then meets and joins with the Painestown River. The river flows under the Morell Bridge. Here, there is a special station that checks the water quality.

Finally, the Morell River flows into the River Liffey. This happens about 1 kilometer south of Straffan. It's about 470 meters downstream from the Straffan weir, which is a small dam across the river.

Amazing Wildlife in the Morell River

The Morell River is a great home for many plants and animals. The riverbanks have lots of trees. These include maple sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and European alder (Alnus glutinosa).

Fish and Their Homes

These trees create a lot of shade, called canopy cover, over the water. This shade is very important for fish. It helps protect the eggs of fish like Brown trout. It also helps migratory fish, such as sea trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), lay their eggs. These fish travel from the sea to lay eggs in fresh water.

River Health Check

Scientists have studied the Morell River. They looked at tiny creatures that live in the water, called macroinvertebrates. These small animals help show how healthy a river is. A study by the Water Framework Directive Ireland gave the Morell River a "Moderate" status. This means it's a fairly good place for these tiny creatures to live.