The Slaughterhouse River was so named because it flowed in recent times by the city abattoir at the end of Abbeygate St. The river appears to start from nowhere from under the bridge that connects Abbeygate St with Newtownsmith. From there it flows next to Born and joins the segment of the Friar’s River that flows under the Born building. It then travels parallel to the Middle River as far as St Patrick’s primary school then passes under the Middle River and into the River Corrib. In fact the original River entered the city where Woodquay is now, flowed through where the green park is, made a right turn and flowed towards the Mercy secondary school and out to the Corrib. The natural water course was eventually culverted then later blocked off under where the bridge between Abbeygate St and Newtownsmith is now.
Click on the images below to follow the course of the Slaughterhouse River as it once entered Woodquay from the Corrib, flowed towards the present day Mercy secondary school, past the city abattoir and back out into the Corrib River.
