River Quoile facts for kids

The Quoile River (pronounced 'Kwile') is a river in County Down, Northern Ireland. Its name comes from the Irish words An Caol, meaning "the narrow place".

River Quoile, seen from Quoile Bridge

Where the Quoile River Flows

The Quoile River starts as the Ballynahinch River. This part of the river flows from west of the town of Ballynahinch. It then reaches a place called Annacloy. Here, it is known as the Annacloy River. After Annacloy, it officially becomes the Quoile River. The river then flows through the town of Downpatrick. It passes through an area called the Quoile Pondage. Finally, the Quoile River flows into Strangford Lough, which is a large sea inlet.

How the Quoile River Was Formed

The Quoile River as we know it today was largely created by human effort. In the 1700s, a landlord named Edward Southwell (1705–1755) lived in Downpatrick. He built a special barrier to block the tide at the Quoile. This project helped drain the land. Before this, the area was part of Strangford Lough. By draining the water, about 500 acres of new land were created.

The name "Quoile" comes from the narrowest part of the river's mouth near Finnebrogue. Long ago, there was a place to cross the river here, either by walking or by ferry.

Ancient Discoveries in the River

In October 1991, workers were digging in the river. They found a piece of oak wood. It might have been part of an old log-boat. Scientists used a method called Dendrochronology to find its age. This method looks at tree rings. They found the wood was from the Neolithic period, around 2739 BC. This shows people were using the river thousands of years ago!

Inch Abbey: A Historic Site

River Quoile and Inch Abbey

On the north side of the river, about 1.2 kilometers from Downpatrick, stands Inch Abbey. This site was once an island in the Quoile Marshes. An old Celtic monastery was here by the year 800. It was called Inis Cumhscraigh.

In 1002, Vikings attacked the monastery. They were led by Sitric, the King of the Danes. They sailed up the Quoile River from the sea. The Vikings attacked the monastery again in 1149. Later, in 1180, a new monastery was built here. It was a Cistercian monastery, founded by John de Courcy. It is located close to the river.

Quoile Castle: A Tower House

Quoile Castle is about 2.4 kilometers from Downpatrick. It is located on the east bank of the river, just off the main road to Strangford. This castle is a Tower house from the 1500s. People lived in it until the 1700s.

Quoile Pondage National Nature Reserve

The Quoile Pondage National Nature Reserve is a special place for nature. It is located just outside Downpatrick, on both sides of the Quoile River. This reserve was created in 1957. A tidal barrier was built to stop flooding in Downpatrick. After the barrier was built, plants and trees grew where the seashore used to be.

The reserve has a Quoile Countryside Centre. Here, you can learn about the wildlife and history of the area. There are also many interesting historical spots in the reserve. Quoile Quay is near the Centre. Quoile Castle is also very close by.