River Avoca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids River AvocaAbhainn Abhóca |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | The Meeting of the Waters, County Wicklow. |
| River mouth | Irish Sea at Arklow |
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| Tributaries |
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The Avoca River (called Abhainn Abhóca in Irish) is a river found in County Wicklow, Ireland. It flows entirely within this county. The river is about 35 miles (56.3 kilometers) long.
The Avoca River begins when two smaller rivers, the Avonmore (meaning "Big River" in Irish) and the Avonbeg (meaning "Small River" in Irish), join together. This special place is known as the Meeting of the Waters (Cumar an dá Uisce). It's located in the beautiful Vale of Avoca and is a very popular spot for visitors. The famous poet Thomas Moore even wrote a song about it!
There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet,
As the vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet;
Oh, the last rays of feeling and life must depart,
Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart.
The village of Avoca is also located along the river.
The Avoca River eventually flows into the Irish Sea at Arklow. Here, it widens into a large area called an estuary. This is why Arklow's Irish name, an t-Inbhear Mór, means "the big inlet." The area that drains water into the Avoca River is about 652 square kilometers. On average, the river flows at a rate of 20.2 cubic meters per second.
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The River's Name
The Avoca River was once known by different names, like Abhainn Mhór or Abhainn Dé. The name "Avoca" comes from "Oboka," a river name found in an ancient book called Geography by Ptolemy. People used to think this "Oboka" was the Avoca River. However, it's now believed that "Oboka" might have actually referred to the River Liffey.
Past Industries Along the River
For many years, the Avoca valley was home to a large copper mine. Further down the river, there was also a factory that made fertilizer. These industries, while important for jobs, caused a lot of pollution in the lower parts of the river. The fertilizer factory closed in 2002.
Getting Around the Avoca Valley
The railway line that connects Dublin to Rosslare travels through the beautiful Vale of Avoca. It moves away from its usual path along the coast to follow the river. Also, the R752 road closely follows the west side of the Avoca River from the "Meeting of the Waters" all the way to Arklow.
Images for kids
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The view in Moore's time.
See also
In Spanish: Río Avoca para niños
