Rivers of Ireland

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Shown here are all the major rivers and tributaries of Ireland with their lengths (in kilometres and miles). Starting with the Northern Ireland rivers, and going in a clockwise direction, the rivers (and tributaries) are listed in regard to their entry into the different seas: the Irish Sea, the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Also shown are two tables. Table 1 shows the longest rivers in Ireland with their lengths (in kilometres and miles), the counties they flow through, and their catchment areas (in square kilometres). Table 2 shows the largest rivers in Ireland (by mean flow) in cubic metres per second.

File:Ireland physical medium.png

Some of the larger or better-known rivers of Ireland are shown on this map (large version).

The longest river in Ireland is the River Shannon, at Template:Convert. The river develops into three lakes along its course, Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg. Of these, Lough Derg is the largest. The Shannon enters the Atlantic Ocean at the Shannon Estuary. Other major rivers include the River Liffey, River Lee, River Swilly, River Foyle, River Lagan, River Erne, River Blackwater, River Nore, River Suir, River Barrow (The Three Sisters), River Bann, River Slaney, River Boyne, River Moy and River Corrib.

Longest Irish Rivers (with Basin areas)Edit

Lengths obtained from the Ordnance Survey of Ireland: Rivers and their Catchment Basins 1958 (Table of Reference), and for the rivers Bann and Erne – Notes on River Basins by Robert A. Williams

	River	Counties	Length	Basin Area
1	River Shannon (including estuary and flow through lakes)^a	Cavan, Leitrim, Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Galway, Offaly, Tipperary, Clare, Limerick, Kerry	360 km (224 mi)	16,800 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009">Comprehensive study of Riverine Inputs Details of hydrometric stations, sampling stations Page 17, Table 2 [1] Template:Webarchive</ref>
2	River Barrow^b	Laois, Kildare, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford, Waterford	192 km (119 mi)	3,067 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
3	River Suir^b	Tipperary, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford	184 km (114.5 mi)	3,610 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
4	River Blackwater (Munster)	Kerry, Cork, Waterford	168 km (104.5 mi)	3,324 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
5	River Bann (including flow through L. Neagh)^c	Down, Armagh, Antrim, Londonderry	159 km (99 mi)	5,808 km²<ref name="OSI 1958">Ordnance Survey of Ireland: Rivers and their Catchment Basins 1958 (Table of Reference)</ref>
6	River Nore^b	Tipperary, Laois, Kilkenny	140 km (87 mi)	2,530 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
7	River Suck (Shannon)	Roscommon, Galway	133 km (83 mi)	1,600 km²<ref name="Studies of Irish Rivers and Lakes">Dublin Marine Institute 1998: Studies of Irish Rivers and Lakes: Moriarty, Christopher</ref>
8	River Liffey	Wicklow, Kildare, Dublin	132 km (82 mi)	1,256 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
9	River Erne	Cavan, Fermanagh, Donegal	129 km (80 mi)<ref name="Notes on River Basins: Page 67"/>	4,372 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
10	River Foyle (including Rivers Mourne, Strule & Camowen)	Tyrone, Londonderry, Donegal	129 km (80 mi)	2,925 km²<ref name="OSI 1958" />
11	River Slaney	Wicklow, Carlow, Wexford	117 km (73 mi)	1,762 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
12	River Boyne	Kildare, Offaly, Meath, Louth	113 km (70 mi)	2,695 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
13	River Moy	Sligo, Mayo	101 km (62.5 mi)	2,086 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
14	River Clare (Corrib)^d	Mayo, Roscommon, Galway	93 km (58 mi)	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
15	River Blackwater (Ulster) (Bann) ^c	Tyrone, Monaghan, Armagh	92 km (57 mi)	1,507 km²<ref name="OSI 1958" />
16t	River Inny (Shannon)	Cavan, Longford, Westmeath	89 km (55.5 mi)	1,254 km²<ref name="Studies of Irish Rivers and Lakes" />
16t	River Lee	Cork	89 km (55.5 mi)	1,253 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
18	River Lagan	Down, Antrim	86 km (53.5 mi)	565 km²<ref name="OSI 1958" />
19	River Brosna (Shannon)	Westmeath, Offaly	79 km (49 mi)	1,248 km²<ref name="Studies of Irish Rivers and Lakes" />
20	River Laune (includes Lough Leane and River Flesk)	Kerry	76 km (47.25 mi)	829 km²
21	River Feale (Shannon)	Cork, Limerick, Kerry	74 km (46 mi)	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
22	River Bandon	Cork	72 km (45 mi)	608 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
23	River Blackwater (Boyne)	Cavan, Meath	68 km (42.5 mi)	733 km²<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" />
24	River Annalee (Erne)	Monaghan, Cavan	66.8 km (41.75 mi)	522 km²<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" />
25	River Bride (M. Blackwater)	Cork, Waterford	64 km (40 mi)	419 km²
26	Boyle River (including Lung River) (Shannon)	Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon	64 km (40 mi)<ref name="Notes on River Basins: Page 67"/>	725 km²
27	River Deel (Shannon)	Cork, Limerick	63.2 km (39.5 mi)	481 km²<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" />
28	River Robe (Corrib)^d	Mayo	62.8 km (39.25 mi)	320 km²
29	River Finn (County Donegal) (Foyle)	Donegal, Tyrone	62.8 km (39.25 mi)	505 km²<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" />
30	River Maigue (Shannon)	Cork, Limerick	62 km (38.75 mi)	1,000 km²
31	Fane River	Monaghan, Armagh, Louth	61.2 km (38.25 mi)	350 km²
32	Ballisodare River	Sligo	60.8 km (38 mi)	650 km²<ref name="OSI 1958" />
33	River Dee (Louth)	Cavan, Meath, Louth	60.4 km (37.75 mi)	392 km²<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" />
34	River Fergus (Shannon)	Clare	58.4 km (36.5 mi)	1,043 km²
35	Little Brosna River (Shannon)	Offaly, Tipperary	57.6 km (36 mi)	662 km²
36	Mulkear River (including Bilboa River) (Shannon)	Tipperary, Limerick	55.9 km (34.75 mi)	650 km²
37	River Glyde (Co. Louth)	Cavan, Meath, Louth	55.9 km (34.75 mi)	348 km²

TABLE 1

a

The length of the River Shannon from the Shannon Pot to Limerick City is Template:Convert<ref name="osi.ie"/> with a basin area of 11,700 km².
The River Shannon's overall length (to Loop Head), using the Owenmore River (County Cavan) as source, is Template:Convert,<ref>Shannon River Basin: Furthest sourceShannon River Basin#Furthest sources Template:Circular reference</ref> 11 km (7 mi) longer than the Shannon Pot source.
The River Shannon's overall length (to Loop Head), using the Boyle River's furthest source, is Template:Convert,<ref>Boyle River (Ireland)Template:Circular reference</ref> making the Boyle-Shannon river the longest natural stream flow (source to sea) in Ireland, 31.6 km (19.5 mi) longer than the Shannon Pot source.
The River Shannon is a traditional freshwater river for just about 45% of its total length. Excluding the Template:Convert tidal estuary from its total length of Template:Convert, if one also excludes the lakes (L. Derg Template:Convert, L. Ree Template:Convert, L. Allen Template:Convert<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> plus L. Boderg, L. Bofin, L. Forbes, L. Corry) from the Shannon's freshwater flow of Template:Convert, the Shannon as a freshwater river is only about Template:Convert long.

b

The total basin area of the Three Sisters (Barrow, Nore and Suir) is 9,207 km².

c

The traditional length given for the River Bann is 80 miles (129 km) which is the combined total length of Upper and Lower Bann rivers and doesn't include Lough Neagh.
The total length of the Ulster Blackwater from its source to the sea via L. Neagh and the Lower Bann is 186.3 km (115.75 mi),<ref>Ulster BlackwaterRiver Blackwater, Northern Ireland Template:Circular reference</ref> surpassed, in Ireland, only by the Shannon and Barrow rivers. This is the longest stream flow (source to sea) in Ulster.<ref name="European Commission Rivers Map">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

d

The total basin area of the 6 km River Corrib is 3,138 km²<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />
The total length of the River Robe's journey from its source near Ballyhaunis to Galway Bay (via Lough Mask, Cong canal and river, Lough Corrib and River Corrib) is Template:Convert.<ref>River Robe Template:Circular reference</ref> This is the longest stream flow (source to sea) within the Corrib Basin.<ref name="European Commission Rivers Map" />

Largest Irish Rivers (by flow)Edit

	River (River Basin)	Mean Discharge (m³/s)
1	River Shannon<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />^a	209 (300)
2	River Corrib<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	105.5
3	River Bann<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>^b	92 (102.5)
4	River Foyle<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	90
5	River Blackwater (Munster)<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	87.5
6	River Erne<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	85
7	River Suir<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />^c	76
8	River Moy<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	63
9	River Barrow<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />^c	46.5
10	River Laune<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	43
11	River Nore<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />^c	42
12	River Lee<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	40
13	River Slaney<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	39
14	River Boyne<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	38.5
15	River Cong<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> (Corrib)	37.6
16	River Feale<ref name="nuigalway.ie">Long-term effects of hydropower installations and associated river regulation on River Shannon eel populations: mitigation and management [2] Template:Webarchive</ref> (Shannon)	34.6
17	River Fergus<ref name="nuigalway.ie" /> (Shannon)	25.7
18	River Clare<ref name="Atlas of Ireland 1979">Royal Irish Academy, Atlas of Ireland (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 1979) Hydrology P. 23 – Rivers: Mean Discharge</ref> (Corrib)	22.9
19	River Suck<ref name="Atlas of Ireland 1979" /> (Shannon)	22.2
20	River Avoca<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	22
21	River Bandon<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	21.5
22	River Mourne<ref name="Atlas of Ireland 1979" /> (Foyle)	21.1
23	River Blackwater (Ulster)<ref name="Atlas of Ireland 1979" /> (Bann)	19.7
24	River Ballisodare<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" />	18.25
25	River Inny<ref name="Atlas of Ireland 1979" /> (Shannon)	18.4
26	River Liffey<ref name="Ospar Convention 2009" />	17
27	River Derg<ref name="Atlas of Ireland 1979" /> (Foyle)	16.2
28	River Maigue<ref name="nuigalway.ie" /> (Shannon)	15.6
29	River Main<ref name="Atlas of Ireland 1979" /> (Bann)	15.4
30	River Blackwater (Boyne)<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" /> (Boyne)	15.08
31	Aille River (Connacht)<ref name="OPW Hydro">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> (Corrib)	15.0
32	Owenmore River (County Mayo)<ref name="Atlas of Ireland 1979" />	14.7
33	Boyle River<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" /> (Shannon)	13.57
34	River Deel<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" /> (Shannon)	12.56
35	Mulkear River<ref name="Irish Hydropower Association" /> (Shannon)	12.55

TABLE 2

^a The River Shannon's 209 m³/s is to Limerick City (Catchment area: 11,700 km²). If the discharges from all of the rivers and streams into the Shannon Estuary (including the rivers Feale 34.6m³/s, Maigue 15.6m³/s, Fergus 25.7m³/s, and Deel 7.4m³/s)<ref name="nuigalway.ie"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> are added to the discharge at Limerick giving a total catchment of 16,865 km², the total discharge of the River Shannon at its mouth at Loop Head reaches 300 m³/s

^b The River Bann's 92 m³/s is to Movanagher Gauging station (Basin area 5209.8 km²).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The 102.5 m³/s is based on the total basin area of 5808 km²<ref name="OSI 1958"/> .

^c The Three Sisters (Barrow, Nore & Suir) total flow into Waterford Harbour is 154 m³/s and the combined flow of the Barrow and Nore rivers is 86 m³/s before joining the river Suir near Waterford City.