TheSillees River (Irish:Abhainn na Sailchis meaning "the sally kesh river") is located in south-westernCounty Fermanagh. Its origins lie in Lough Ahork, which is located in Lough Navar Forest (Coill Loch na bhFear). From here it continues through Correl Glen,Derrygonnelly and theBoho countryside, passing through both Carran and Ross Loughs where it ends inLower Lough Erne.[1][2]
There are a few tributary streams and rivers that flow into the Sillees river, amongst them the Boho River, the Screenagh, which emerges from the Arch cave, and theReyfad Stream, which enters Pollytullybrack of theReyfad cave system.[3]
The river is famous for the curse which was given bySt Faber, when she changed its direction, making the river bad for fishing and good for drowning.[4]
In another tale of the river, there is a highwayman known asBlack Francis Corrigan, who leaps the Sillees in a single bound with his horse after a famous robbery.[5]
The Sillees River has the distinction of having a species ofbrachiopod named after it, namelyRugosochonetes silleesi.[6] Indeed, some 56 species of earlyCarboniferous brachiopods alone were discovered in this area as well as 69 species ofbryozoans.[6][7]
