The question of the widening of College Green, Dublin, about which the Lord Mayor and other civic representatives of the Corporation waited upon the Provost of Trinity College last week, has reminded a correspondent of a memorable day when he paid a visit to the late Dr J.P. Mahaffy.
The then Provost showed him a number of historic treasures, which dated back to the days when the Liffey at high tide over-flowed virtually the entire site on which the buildings immediately facing the Green now stand. One of these was an old iron ring-bolt driven into an oak pile that had to be removed when the foundations were being laid. This, as Dr Mahaffy observed, was probably forged and hammered into its anchorage post about the time when the Scandinavian settlers foregathered around the Thyngmount in Hoggen Green. Though it was virtually corroded to the heart with rust, the Provost treasured it as sacredly as if it were a sample of the gold of Ophir.
The Irish Times, March 7th, 1930