Munster Blackwater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Munster Blackwater |
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River Blackwater at Fermoy
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| Native name | An Abhainn Mhór, An Abha Mhór |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| Counties | Kerry, Cork, Waterford |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Mullaghareirk Mountains County Kerry 229 m (751 ft) 52°11′31″N 9°14′28″W / 52.192°N 9.241°W |
| River mouth | Celtic Sea Youghal Harbour, Cork 51°56′31″N 7°49′59″W / 51.942°N 7.833°W |
| Length | 169 km (105 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 1,200 sq mi (3,100 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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| Designation | |
| Official name: Blackwater Estuary | |
| Designated: | 7 June 1996 |
| Reference #: | 836 |
The Blackwater River, also known as the Munster Blackwater, is a famous river in Ireland. Its Irish name is An Abha Mhór, which means "The Big River." It flows through three counties: Kerry, Cork, and Waterford.
The river starts high up in the Mullaghareirk Mountains in County Kerry. From there, it flows east through County Cork, passing towns like Mallow and Fermoy. Then, it enters County Waterford, where it goes through Lismore. At Cappoquin, it makes a sharp turn south. Finally, the Blackwater River empties into the Celtic Sea at Youghal Harbour. The river is about 169 kilometers (105 miles) long.
The Blackwater River is well-known for its excellent salmon fishing. Many people come here to fish for these amazing fish. In recent years, the number of salmon in many rivers, including the Blackwater, had gone down. But in 2006, the Irish government stopped commercial fishing for salmon off the coast. This helped the salmon numbers start to grow again.
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Rivers Joining the Blackwater
Many smaller rivers flow into the Blackwater, making it bigger and stronger. These smaller rivers are called tributaries. Here are some of them:
- River Awbeg (An Abha Bheag, meaning "the small river")
- River Dalua (Abhainn Dalua)
- River Bride (An Bhríd)
- River Allow (Abhainn Ealla)
- River Araglin (An Airglinn)
- River Finnow (An Fhionnabha, meaning "the fair river")
- River Funshion (Abhainn na Fuinseann, meaning "the ash river")
Towns Along the River
Several towns and villages are located right along the banks of the Blackwater River. These towns have grown up around the river because it was important for travel, trade, and fishing. Some of the main towns include:
A Special Place for Wildlife
The area where the Blackwater River meets the sea, called the Blackwater Estuary, is a very special place for nature. It's so important that it's listed as a Ramsar site. This means it's recognized internationally as a wetland that is important for birds and other wildlife. It was added to this list on June 11, 1996.
This area is also a Special Protection Area (SPA) under a European Union rule called the Birds Directive. This means it's protected especially for the many birds that live there or visit. The SPA covers a large part of the river's mouth, from the Youghal New Bridge to the Ferry Point peninsula. It also includes parts of the Tourig River estuary.
Birds of the Blackwater Estuary
The mudflats and waters of the Blackwater Estuary are like a giant restaurant for many types of wading birds and wildfowl. These birds come to feed and rest, especially during the colder months. Some of the important birds found here include:
- Black-tailed godwit: An internationally important number of these birds live here.
- Eurasian wigeon
- European golden plover
- Northern lapwing
- Dunlin
- Bar-tailed godwit
- Eurasian curlew
- Common redshank
Other cool birds you might see are the pale-bellied brent goose, common shelduck, Eurasian teal, mallard, Northern shoveler, red-breasted merganser, great cormorant, little egret, and grey heron. Some of these birds, like the little egret, European golden plover, and bar-tailed godwit, are extra special and are listed on Annex I of the E.U. Birds Directive, meaning they need even more protection.
