The River Lagan is a geographical and atmospheric landmark in Belfast, encountered on drives through the city. The narrative places it among the docks, bridges, shipyard cranes, and illuminated streets, while setting it apart from the Farset, which runs beneath High Street.

The river at night

On a night drive, Cushla and Gerry cross a bridge above the black river. Streetlamps flicker amber across its surface, while the ferry at the docks stands under glaring blue-white lights. The river belongs to a cityscape rendered through movement and reflection: the route carries them past High Street, the cathedral, and Carlisle Circus, where the plinth of a statue blown up by the Irish Republican Army remains severed. The Lagan’s reflective darkness gathers these urban landmarks into one passage through the city.

Waterfront and city geography

On another drive, the Lagan is crossed near the docks, past vast aircraft hangars and the bent yellow cranes of the shipyard. The animal-feed factory beyond the docks contributes another marker of the city’s working landscape. From there, High Street lies ahead. Michael explains that a different river, the Farset, flows through a tunnel beneath the street; he connects its hidden course to the street’s breadth and curve and to Belfast’s name, Béal Feirste, meaning the mouth of the Farset. The distinction makes the Lagan a visible crossing in the scene, while the Farset is an unseen current beneath the built city.

Narrative significance

The river links contrasting views of Belfast: the Lagan is seen at night through water, bridge, ferry, and industrial waterfront, while Michael’s account turns attention to a buried river and the city’s older shape. These brief crossings make geography part of the characters’ movement through the city, and give the journey both a concrete route and a sense of urban history.