List of rivers of Ireland

This is an alphabetical list of the main rivers in Ireland as a whole. It includes rivers that flow through the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Rivers that flow through Northern Ireland are marked with an asterisk (*). The major rivers have their length (in miles and kilometres) given. Also shown are two tables. Table 1 shows the longest rivers in Ireland with their lengths (in miles and kilometres), the counties they flow through, and their catchment areas (in km2). Table 2 shows the largest rivers in Ireland (by mean flow) in cubic meters per second.

Longest Irish Rivers (with Basin areas)

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 lakes)a Cavan, Leitrim, Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Galway, Offaly,

Tipperary, Clare, Limerick, Kerry

 360 km (224 mi) 16,800 km2[1]
2 River Barrowb Laois, Kildare, Kilkenny, Carlow,

Wexford, Waterford

 192 km (119 mi) 3,067 km2[1]
3 River Suirb Tipperary, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford 184 km (114.5 mi) 3,610 km2[1]
4 River Blackwater (Munster) Kerry, Cork, Waterford 168 km (104.5 mi) 3,324 km2[1]
5 River Bann (including flow through L. Neagh)c Down, Armagh, Antrim, Derry/Londonderry 159 km (99 mi) 5,808 km2[2]
6 River Noreb Tipperary, Laois, Kilkenny 140 km (87 mi) 2,530 km2[1]
7 River Suck (Shannon) Roscommon, Galway 133 km (83 mi) 1,600 km2[3]
8 River Liffey Wicklow, Kildare, Dublin 132 km (82 mi) 1,256 km2[1]
9t River Erne Cavan, Fermanagh, Donegal 129 km (80 mi)[4] 4,372 km2[1]
9t River Foyle (including Rivers Mourne, Strule & Camowen) Tyrone, Derry/Londonderry, Donegal 129 km (80 mi) 2,925 km2[2]
11 River Slaney Wicklow, Carlow, Wexford 117 km (73 mi) 1,762 km2[1]
12 River Boyne Kildare, Offaly, Meath, Louth 113 km (70 mi) 2,695 km2[1]
13 River Moy Sligo, Mayo 101 km (62.5 mi) 2,086 km2[1]
14 River Clare (Corrib)d Mayo, Roscommon, Galway 93 km (58 mi) 1,108 km2[5]
15 River Blackwater (Ulster) (Bann) c Tyrone, Monaghan, Armagh 92 km (57 mi) 1,507 km2[2]
16t River Inny (Shannon) Cavan, Longford, Westmeath 89 km (55.5 mi) 1.254 km2[3]
16t River Lee Cork 89 km (55.5 mi) 1,253 km2[1]
18 River Lagan Down, Antrim 86 km (53.5 mi) 565 km2[2]
19 River Brosna (Shannon) Westmeath, Offaly 79 km (49 mi) 1,248 km2[3]
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) 1,170 km2[6]
22 River Bandon Cork 72 km (45 mi) 608 km2[1]
23 River Blackwater (Boyne) Cavan, Meath 68 km (42.5 mi) 733 km2[7]
24 River Annalee (Erne) Monaghan, Cavan 66.8 km (41.75 mi) 522 km2[7]
25t River Bride (M. Blackwater) Cork, Waterford 64 km (40 mi) 419 km2
25t Boyle River (including Lung River) (Shannon) Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon 64 km (40 mi)[8] 725 km2
27 River Deel (Shannon) Cork, Limerick 63.2 km (39.5 mi) 481 km2[7]
28t River Robe (Corrib)d Mayo 62.8 km (39.25 mi) 320 km2
28t River Finn (Foyle) Donegal, Tyrone 62.8 km (39.25 mi) 505 km2[7]
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[2]
33 River Dee (Louth) Cavan, Meath, Louth 60.4 km (37.75 mi) 392 km2[7]
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
36t Mulkear River (including Bilboa River) (Shannon) Tipperary, Limerick 55.9 km (34.75 mi) 650 km2
36t River Glyde (Co. Louth) Cavan, Meath, Louth 55.9 km (34.75 mi) 348 km2

TABLE 1

a

b

c

d

A

River Avoca

B

River Bann
Munster Blackwater

C

River Corrib

D

E

F

River Foyle

G

H

I

J

K

L

River Lagan

M

N

River Nore

O

P

Q

R

S

River Suck

T

River Tolka

U

V

W

Y


List of the Largest Irish Rivers (by flow)

River

(River Basin)

 Mean Discharge

(m³/s)

1 River Shannon[1] 209*
2 River Corrib[1] 104
3 River Bann[18] 92
4 River Foyle[19] 90
5 River Blackwater (Munster)[1] 87
6 River Erne[1] 85
7 River Suir[1] 68**
8 River Moy[1] 63
9 River Barrow[1] 44**
10 River Laune[1] 43
11 River Nore[1] 42**
12 River Lee[1] 40
13 River Boyne[1] 38
14 River Cong[7] (Corrib) 37.6
15 River Slaney[1] 37
16 River Feale[20] (Shannon) 34.6
17 River Fergus[20] (Shannon) 25.7
18 River Clare[21] (Corrib) 22.9
19 River Suck[21] (Shannon) 22.2
20 River Bandon[1] 21.5
21 River Mourne[21] (Foyle) 21.1
22 River Blackwater (Ulster)[21] (Bann) 19.7
23 River Ballisodare[7] 18.25
24 River Inny[21] (Shannon) 18.4
25 River Avoca[1] 18
26 River Liffey[1] 17
27 River Derg[21] (Foyle) 16.2
28 River Maigue[20] (Shannon) 15.6
29 River Main[21] (Bann) 15.4
30 River Blackwater(Boyne)[7] (Boyne) 15.08
31 Owenmore River(Mayo)[21] 14.7
32 Boyle River[7] (Shannon) 13.57
33 River Deel[7] (Shannon) 12.56
34 Mulkear River[7] (Shannon) 12.55

TABLE 2

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 Riverine Inputs and Direct Discharges to Convention Waters Annex V Statistical information on river catchment areas P. 70
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 2.50 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.59 2.60 2.61 2.62 2.63 2.64 2.65 2.66 2.67 2.68 2.69 2.70 2.71 2.72 2.73 2.74 2.75 2.76 2.77 2.78 2.79 2.80 2.81 2.82 2.83 2.84 2.85 2.86 2.87 2.88 2.89 2.90 2.91 2.92 2.93 2.94 2.95 2.96 2.97 2.98 2.99 2.100 2.101 2.102 2.103 2.104 2.105 2.106 2.107 2.108 2.109 2.110 2.111 2.112 2.113 2.114 2.115 2.116 2.117 2.118 2.119 2.120 2.121 2.122 2.123 2.124 2.125 2.126 2.127 2.128 2.129 2.130 2.131 2.132 2.133 2.134 2.135 2.136 2.137 2.138 2.139 2.140 2.141 2.142 2.143 2.144 2.145 2.146 2.147 2.148 2.149 2.150 2.151 2.152 2.153 2.154 2.155 2.156 2.157 2.158 2.159 2.160 2.161 2.162 2.163 2.164 2.165 2.166 2.167 2.168 2.169 2.170 2.171 2.172 2.173 2.174 2.175 2.176 2.177 2.178 2.179 2.180 2.181 2.182 2.183 2.184 2.185 2.186 2.187 2.188 2.189 2.190 2.191 2.192 2.193 2.194 2.195 2.196 2.197 2.198 2.199 2.200 2.201 Ordnance Survey of Ireland: Rivers and their Catchment Basins 1958 (Table of Reference)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Dublin Marine Institute 1998: Studies of Irish Rivers and Lakes: Moriarty, Christopher
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Notes on River Basins: Page 67
  5. ↑ Western CFRAM Units of Management
  6. ↑ Biology and Management of European Eel p.29
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 http://www.irishhydro.com/rivers.htm
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Notes on River Basins: Page 69
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ordnance Survey (Ireland) Educational Facts
  10. ↑ Shannon River Basin: Furthest sourceShannon River Basin#Furthest sources
  11. ↑ Boyle River (Ireland)
  12. ↑ Ask about Ireland
  13. ↑ Ulster BlackwaterRiver Blackwater, Northern Ireland
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 European Commission Rivers Map
  15. ↑ River Robe
  16. ↑ Notes on River Basins: Page 64
  17. ↑ Notes on River Basins: Page 68
  18. ↑ Riverine Inputs and Direct Discharges to Convention Waters Annex V Statistical information on river catchment areas P. 76 (Convert 1,000m³/d into m³/s)
  19. ↑ http://www.ecowin.org/smile/loughfoyle.htm
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Long-term effects of hydropower installations and associated river regulation on River Shannon eel populations: mitigation and management
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 Royal Irish Academy, Atlas of Ireland (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 1979) Hydrology P. 23 - Rivers: Mean Discharge
  22. ↑ SFPC Maintenance Dredging Application: Table 3-7

External sources