| River Boyne | |
|---|---|
 River Boyne at Brú na Bóinne | |
 | |
| Etymology | Proto-Celtic *bou-windā, "white cow" |
| Native name | An Bhóinn (Irish) |
| Location | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Region | Leinster |
| Counties | Kildare,Offaly,Meath,Louth |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, nearCarbury |
| • location | County Kildare |
| • coordinates | 53°21′07″N6°57′25″W / 53.351906542854074°N 6.956809100021702°W /53.351906542854074; -6.956809100021702 |
| Mouth | Irish Sea |
• location | BetweenMornington,County Meath, andBaltray,County Louth |
• coordinates | 53°43′18″N6°14′17″W / 53.72173°N 6.23813°W /53.72173; -6.23813 |
| Length | 112 km (70 mi) |
| Basin size | 2,695 km2 (1,041 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 38.8 m3/s (1,370 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | River Blackwater |
TheRiver Boyne (Irish:An Bhóinn orAbhainn na Bóinne) is a river inLeinster,Ireland, the course of which is about 112 kilometres (70 mi) long. It rises atTrinity Well, Newberry Hall, nearCarbury,County Kildare, and flows north-east throughCounty Meath to reach theIrish Sea betweenMornington, County Meath, andBaltray,County Louth.
This river has been known since ancient times. The Greek geographerPtolemy drew a map ofIreland in the 2nd century that included the Boyne,[1] which he calledΒουουίνδα (Bouwinda) orΒουβίνδα (Boubinda), which in Celtic means "white cow" (Irish:bó fhionn). During the High Middle Ages,Giraldus Cambrensis called it theBoandus. InIrish mythology it is said that the river was created by thegoddessBoann and Boyne is an anglicised form of the name.[1] In other legends, it was in this river whereFionn mac Cumhail captured Fiontán, theSalmon of Knowledge. The Meath section of the Boyne was also known asSmior Fionn Feidhlimthe[2] (the 'marrow of Fionn Feilim'). The tidal estuary of the Boyne, which extends inland as far as the confluence with theMattock River, 'the curly hole', had a number of names in Irish literature and was associated as a place of departure and arrival in the ancient legends and myths, such as The Tragedy of the Sons of Tuireann, Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, &c. In theAcallam na Senórach the estuary has the nameInber Bic Loingsigh, abounding in ships.Inber Colpa orInber Colptha was the principal name for the mouth of the Boyne in early medieval times. The townlands and civil parish of Colp, or Colpe on its southern shore preserve the name. It was associated in myth with Colpa of the Sword, a son ofMíl Espáine, in theMilesian origin of the Irish, who drowned in the attempt to land there and is by tradition buried in the ringfort behind Colpe church. An alternativeDindsenchas tradition associates the name with the Máta, a massive aquatic creature, which having been killed was dismembered atBrú na Bóinne was thrown in the Boyne. Its shinbone (colptha) reached the estuary giving name to Inber Colptha.
The Boyne is a lowland river, surrounded by the Boyne Valley. It is crossed just west ofDrogheda by theMary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge, which carries theM1 motorway, and by theBoyne Viaduct, which carries theDublin–Belfast railway line to the east. Thecatchment area of the River Boyne is 2,695 km2.[3] The long-term averageflow rate of the River Boyne is 38.8 cubic metres (50.7 cu yd) per second.[3]
Despite its short course, the Boyne has historical, archaeological and mythical connotations. TheBattle of the Boyne, a major battle inIrish history, took place along the Boyne near Drogheda in 1690 during theWilliamite war in Ireland. It passes through the ancient town ofTrim,Trim Castle, theHill of Tara (the ancient capital of the High King of Ireland),Navan, the Hill ofSlane,Brú na Bóinne (a complex ofmegalithic monuments),Mellifont Abbey, and the medieval town of Drogheda. In the Boyne Valley can also be found other historical and archaeological monuments, including Loughcrew,Kells, Celtic crosses, and castles.
TheBoyne Navigation is a series of canals running roughly parallel to the main river fromOldbridge near Drogheda to Navan. The navigation, owned byAn Taisce and mostly derelict, is being restored to navigable status by theInland Waterways Association of Ireland. The canal at Oldbridge, which runs through the Battle of the Boyne site, was the first to be restored.
A rock that showed indications of beingprehistoric art was found in August 2013. Cliadh O'Gibne reported through theArchaeological Survey of Ireland that a boulder with geometric carvings had been found inDonore, County Meath.[4]
Workers from the Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and Recovery Service (BFRRS), near Drogheda,County Louth, were performing one of its regular operations to remove shopping trolleys from the Boyne, in May 2013, when they discovered an ancient log-boat, which experts believe may be 5000 years old. Initial examination by an underwater archaeologist suggested that it could be very rare because, unlike other log-boats found here, it has oval shapes on the upper edge that could have held oars. Investigations were ongoing as of 2013.[5]
In 2006, the remains of a Viking ship were found in the river bed in Drogheda during dredging operations. The vessel is to be excavated as it poses a hazard to navigation.[6]
Several species oftrout inhabit the Boyne:brook trout,brown trout and introducedrainbow trout. There is also asteelhead in the spring, and naturally reproducingsalmon in the fall.[7]
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