Lyreen River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lyreen River |
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|---|---|
| Native name | An Laidhrín |
| Country | Ireland |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | County Kildare 78 m (256 ft) |
| River mouth | Irish Sea at Dublin Bay via Ryewater and so Liffey |
| Length | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | River Liffey |
| Basin size | 87.5 km2 (33.8 sq mi) |
| Tributaries |
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The Lyreen River (Irish: An Laidhrín) is a small river in County Kildare, Ireland. It is a helper stream, also called a tributary, of the Rye River. The Rye River then flows into the larger River Liffey.
Contents
The River's Name
The Irish name for the river is Laidhrín. This word means "little fork" in English. It comes from the older Irish word ladhar, which means "fork". The name "Lyreen" was first written down as "Leyrin" in a survey from the 1650s.
Where the Lyreen River Flows
The Lyreen River starts from several small streams. These streams come together near a place called Corcoranstown. This area is north of Donadea.
Early Journey and Helper Streams
The first big helper stream to join the Lyreen is the Baltracey River. They meet at Graiguelin. The Baltracey River itself begins near Donadea Forest Park. It also gets water from other streams. These streams flow from places like Loughtown, Clonshanbo, Moortown, Rathcoffey, and Raheen.
Through Maynooth
The Lyreen River then flows through Derrinstown. It goes under the M4 motorway between Treadstown and Crinstown. Another helper stream joins it just before the river reaches the town of Maynooth.
The river flows right through the grounds of St Patrick's College, Maynooth. It also passes through the South Campus of Maynooth University. As it enters the college lands, a special channel called a mill race splits off. This channel used to power the old Manor Mills complex. Later, this mill race flows back into the main river.
The Lyreen then passes by the famous Maynooth Castle. The castle was built where the Lyreen meets another helper, the Joan Slade River. The Joan Slade River starts south of the Royal Canal. It flows under the canal near Bond Bridge. Then it runs along Parsons Street and past the castle.
Towards the Rye River
The Lyreen River then turns northeast. It flows behind the houses on Maynooth's Main Street. Here, it gets another helper stream called the Meadowbrook Stream. This stream comes from areas south of the canal. It flows underground for a bit, but you can see it near the town square.
The Lyreen then bends away from Main Street. It flows towards the beautiful Carton Demesne estate. It receives one last helper stream, the Maws or Crewhill Stream. Finally, after passing three man-made fishing ponds, the Lyreen River flows into the Rye River.
River Wildlife
The Lyreen River has a good number of fish living in it. In 2011, scientists found seven different kinds of fish. The most common ones were minnow, brown trout, and stone loach. The Baltracey River, a helper stream, had four types of fish. The most common fish there was the stickleback.
Where the Lyreen and Rye Water rivers meet, there is a special fishing area. It has two new ponds for fishing, in addition to an older one.
River Health
In 2011, the Lyreen River was given a "moderate" environmental status. This means its water quality was okay, but not perfect. The Baltracey River, its helper stream, also had a "moderate" status.
