River Farset facts for kids
The River Farset (also known as An Fhearsaid or Abhainn na Feirste in Irish) is a small but very important river in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This river actually gave the city of Belfast its name! It flows into the River Lagan, which then flows into Belfast Lough.
Where the River Farset Flows
The River Farset is located on the County Antrim side of the River Lagan. It joins the Lagan very close to where the Lagan flows out into Belfast Lough (a large sea inlet).
Today, you can't see most of the Farset river. It flows completely underground in a large tunnel beneath Belfast's High Street. People say the tunnel is big enough for a bus to drive through!
The Farset's History and Belfast's Name
The city of Belfast began at a sandy ford (a shallow place where you can cross a river) across the River Farset. This is how Belfast got its name! The Irish name for Belfast is Béal Feirste, which means "Mouth of the Sandbar." The word Farset itself comes from an Irish word meaning "sandbar."
As Belfast grew into a busy city in the 1800s, the river flowed next to the docks on High Street. Ships would come and go, using the river's path.
Over time, people started to cover the river. In the 1700s and 1800s, the Farset was sometimes called the Belfast River, the River of Belfast, the Town River, or the High Street River. The very last part of the river, near Princes Street, was covered over in 1804. Now, it's a hidden river flowing beneath the city streets.
