CUSHER RIVER
Cusher River is labelled 9 on the map. The name of the river is pronounced
locally ‘Cooser’.
The river was described in 1838 in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs describing the
parish of Ballymore:
“The principal river in this parish [of Ballymore]is the Cusher river,
which enters the parish at its most western point in the townland of Maymacullen
and becomes the parish boundary in the west for little more than a mile. It
then takes a direction through the parish, being the boundary for various t[ow]nlands,
for about 6 miles. It is very crooked but its general bearing is north east.
Its height above the sea on entering the parish is 175 feet and on leaving it
53 feet. It varies in breadth, the average, perhaps, is 40 feet and depth 1
to 7 feet. Between the townlands of Clare, Moodge [Moodoge] and Druminure and
between Cargans and Tullyhue its banks are thickly wooded. It is well adapted
for mills, of which there are the following: in the townland of Clare a corn
mill with kiln adjoining and a flax mill; in Ballyshielbeg a flax mill; in Druminure
a corn mill; in Moodoge a corn and flax mill; in Mullinteer a spade foundry
These mills are idle about 2 months in the year from the scarcity of water.
It is subject to floods in winter when the low grounds through which it runs
become flooded. The water of this river likewise supplies the Newry Canal by
means of a feeder, an artificial cut commencing at the most eastern bridge near
Tanderagee on the north side of the river. It runs through the centre of Cargans
townland and enters Terryhoogan, where it crosses the ravine by means of an
aquaduct 237 feet in length, supported on 12 arches about 20 foot rise. It enters
the canal at the Wash bridge, its whole length being about 3 miles. The other
small streams in the parish are not worth noticing in detail.”
