The Three Sisters (Ireland) facts for kids
The Three Sisters (Irish: An Triúr Deirfiúr) are three important rivers in Ireland. They are the River Barrow, the River Nore, and the River Suir. These rivers are called "sisters" because they flow close to each other. They also join up before flowing into the sea.
The River Suir and the River Nore both start in the same mountain area. This area is in County Tipperary, near a place called the Devil's Bit. The River Barrow starts in a different mountain range. It begins in the Slieve Bloom Mountains in County Laois.
The River Nore flows into the River Barrow first. This happens about 17 kilometers before the River Suir joins them. After all three rivers meet, they form a wide area of water. This area is called an estuary. It is known as Waterford Harbour. This harbor is located east of the city of Waterford.
These three rivers are very important for the land around them. They help to drain a large part of southern Ireland. This includes counties like Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, and Waterford.
River Lengths
Each of the Three Sisters rivers has a different length.
- The River Barrow is the longest. It is about 192 kilometers (119 miles) long.
- The River Suir is the second longest. It is about 185 kilometers (115 miles) long.
- The River Nore is the shortest of the three. It is about 140 kilometers (87 miles) long.
River Basins
The area of land that a river and its smaller streams drain is called its catchment area or river basin. The Three Sisters together drain a very large area.
- The Suir's basin covers about 3,610 square kilometers.
- The Barrow's basin covers about 3,067 square kilometers.
- The Nore's basin covers about 2,530 square kilometers.
Together, their combined catchment area is about 9,207 square kilometers. This is a huge amount of land!
How the Rivers Join
The Barrow Bridge is a special bridge. It crosses over two of the Three Sisters rivers: the Nore and the Barrow. These two rivers then join the River Suir. This happens just a little bit downstream from the bridge.
This meeting point of the three rivers has a special name in the Irish language. It is called Cumar na dTrí Uisce. This means "the confluence of the three waters." The River Nore joins the River Barrow about four kilometers north of New Ross. You can see the combined waters of all three rivers from a place called Cheekpoint. From Cheekpoint, you can see the joined waters flowing all the way down the estuary to the sea.
History of the Area
Long ago, in ancient times, the land between the River Suir and the River Barrow was a small kingdom. It was called the Kingdom of Ossory. This old name is still used today. It is used for special areas in the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland. These areas are called dioceses.
See also
In Spanish: Las tres hermanas (Irlanda) para niños
