River Slaney

River Slaney

River Slaney at Stratford-on-Slaney
Native name Abhainn na Sláine
Country Ireland
Basin
Main source Lugnaquilla, County Wicklow
549 metres (1,801 ft)
River mouth Irish Sea at Wexford via Wexford Harbour
Basin size 1,762 square kilometres (680 sq mi)
Physical characteristics
Length 117.5 kilometres (73.0 mi)
Discharge
  • Average rate:
    37 m3/s (1,300 cu ft/s)
Features
Tributaries
  • Left:
    River Derneen, River Derry, River Bann, River Ballyedmond
  • Right:
    Browns Beck Brook, River Clody, River Urrin, River Borough

The River Slaney (Irish: Abhainn na Sláine, meaning "river of health") is a large river in the southeast of Ireland. It rises on Lugnaquilla Mountain in the western Wicklow Mountains and flows west and then south through counties Wicklow, Carlow and Wexford for 117.5 km (73 mi),[1] before entering St George's Channel in the Irish Sea at Wexford town. The estuary of the Slaney is wide and shallow and is known as Wexford Harbour. The catchment area of the River Slaney is 1,762 km2.[2] The long term average flow rate of the River Slaney is 37.4 Cubic Metres per second (m3/s)[3]

Towns on the Slaney include Stratford-on-Slaney, Baltinglass, Tullow, Bunclody, Enniscorthy and Wexford. Over the river's 117 kilometre course, it is crossed by 32 road bridges and one railway bridge.[4]

Wildlife

Varied and plentiful wildlife can be found in the environs of the river. In Wicklow, herds of deer can be seen, as well as swans, dippers, wild ducks, herons and kingfishers. At dusk, bats, owls and otters may be seen, while the mudflats of the estuary are favoured by black-headed gulls, redshanks and oystercatchers.[5] The rare goosander can be seen on the Slaney at Kildavin. In season, salmon and trout and pike are fished.[6]

Tributaries

Tributaries of the Slaney include the River Derreen, the River Derry, the River Clody, the River Bann, the River Urrin, the River Boro, and the River Sow.

References

  1. ↑ Ordnance Survey of Ireland: Rivers and their Catchment Basins 1958 (Table of Reference)
  2. ↑ South Eastern River Basin District Management System. Page 38
  3. ↑ South Eastern River Basin District Management System. Page 38
  4. ↑ Duffy, John. River Slaney, from source to sea, 2006, ISBN 978-0-9554184-0-2, p.30
  5. ↑ Duffy, p.19
  6. ↑ Slaney River Trust

Coordinates: 52°20′N 6°27′W / 52.333°N 6.450°W / 52.333; -6.450

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