River Fergus

River Fergus
The river at Ennis
Map
Native nameAn Forghas (Irish)
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationLough Fergus,[1] Clare
 • elevation86 m (282 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Shannon Estuary at Ennis
Length59 km (37 mi)[2]
Basin size1,041 km2 (402 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average25.7 m3/s (910 cu ft/s)

The River Fergus (Irish: An Forghas)[3] is a river within the Shannon River Basin which flows in County Clare, Ireland. The river begins at Lough Fergus in north Clare and flows into the Shannon Estuary. The source is at Lough Fergus in the townland of Kilmore North.[4]

At Knockroe, the river is joined by a tributary stream called the Clooneen River. The Fergus flows underground for about a kilometre in Cahermacon, near Kilnaboy. The river then flows through Lough Inchiquin. Just after this lake, a tributary which has its source at Loughnagowan joins the Fergus. The river then flows along by the village of Corofin. After Corofin, the river flows through Lough Atedaun, Ballyteige Lough, Dromore Lough and Ballyallia Lake. The river then flows through the town of Ennis, where it is crossed by six road bridges, a pedestrian bridge and a railway bridge. There is also a small branch which splits off just north of Ennis and rejoins the main flow to the east of the town.[5] Another tributary, a stream known as the Inch River or Claureen River, also joins at Ennis. The river then flows through the village of Clarecastle, where there was a port in former times.[6] After Clarecastle, the river widens into an estuary which then joins the Shannon Estuary. There are several islands in the Fergus Estuary, including Deer Island, Coney Island, Trummer, Feenish, Inishmacowney, Canon Island and Inishloe.[7] Some of these islands were once inhabited, and there were schools on Coney Island[8] and Inishloe.[9]

The River Fergus is noted for its trout and salmon fishing.[2] A water-powered flour mill was located at Clifden, Corofin, just after the river exits Lough Inchiquin. Some of the ruins of the mill still exist.[10] Another water mill was located in Ennis,[11] and its mill wheel has been restored.[12]

The River Fergus has an average discharge of 25.7 m3/s.[13]

Name

The river's name is recorded in old Irish manuscripts as Forgas and Forgus.[1] A possible derivation is from Old Irish for- ("on, upon") and gas, "stripling, twig, scion", with the Fergus seen as a twig or small branch off of the much larger River Shannon.[14]

Settlements

Settlements along the river include Corofin, Ennis and Clarecastle.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Loch Forghais/Lough Fergus". Placenames Database of Ireland.
  2. ^ a b "River Fergus". The Great Fishing Houses of Ireland. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011.
  3. ^ "An Forghas/River Fergus". Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  4. ^ John Lloyd (1780). "11". A Short Tour; or, an Impartial and Accurate Description of the County of Clare with Some Particular and Historical Observations. Ennis: John Busteed and George Trinder. p. 28.
  5. ^ "Ennis". discoveringireland.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016.
  6. ^ "The Port of Clare". Clarecastle Ballyea Heritage. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021.
  7. ^ MacCarthy, Dan (20 October 2019). "The Islands of Ireland: In search of tranquility". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020.
  8. ^ The Schools' Collection. Vol. 0604. p. 163 – via duchas.ie.
  9. ^ "Pádraig O'Cahillane". Cuimhneamh an Chlár.
  10. ^ "Bridge at Clifden House, Corofin, County Clare, Ireland".
  11. ^ "Mill Road, Lifford, Ennis, Clare". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Historic Mill Water Wheel in Ennis is restored". Clare Herald. 3 February 2016. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016.
  13. ^ McCarthy, T.K.; Frankiewicz, P.; Cullen, P.; Blaszkowski, M.; O'Connor, W.; Doherty, D. (2008). "Long-term effects of hydropower installations and associated river regulation on River Shannon eel populations: mitigation and management" (PDF). Hydrobiologia. 609 (1): 109–124. doi:10.1007/s10750-008-9395-z. S2CID 35058560. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 January 2009.
  14. ^ "gas". Dictionary of the Irish Language.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fergus River.

52°42′N 9°00′W / 52.700°N 9.000°W / 52.700; -9.000