River Quoile
Encyclopedia
The Quoile is a river in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

.

Route

The river begins its life as the Ballynahinch River which flows from west of the town of Ballynahinch to Annacloy where it is known as the Annacloy River
Annacloy River
Annacloy River is a river in County Down, Northern Ireland, which rises in the Dromara Hills and flows into Strangford Lough. The Ballynahinch River, flowing east through Ballynahinch, and the Carson's Dam River, flowing south through Crossgar, join at Kilmore, and the united stream is called the...

. This then becomes the Quoile proper, which flows through Downpatrick
Downpatrick
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...

 and the Quoile Pondage before finally emptying into Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...

.

History

In October 1991, during dredging operations in the river, a piece of oak, perhaps the remains of a log-boat, was found. Following dendrochronological
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...

 dating it was found to have a Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

 date of 2739 BC.

Inch Abbey

On the north bank of the river, 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north-west of Downpatrick, the Inch Abbey
Inch Abbey
Inch Abbey is a large, ruined monastic site 0.75 miles north-west of Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, on the north bank of the River Quoile in a hollow between two drumlins and featuring early Gothic architecture...

 site was originally on an island in the Quoile Marshes. The pre-Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...

 Celtic monastic settlement here, known as Inis Cumhscraigh (or Inis Cuscraidh), was in existence by the year 800. In 1002 it was plundered by the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...

s led by Sitric, King of the Danes, who came up the Quoile with a fleet from the sea. The Vikings plundered the settlement again in 1149. The Cistercian Inch Abbey monastery, founded by John de Courcy
John de Courcy
John de Courcy was a Anglo-Norman knight who arrived in Ireland in 1176. From then until his expulsion in 1204, he conquered a considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for both the Benedictines and the Cistercians and built strongholds at Dundrum Castle in County...

 in 1180, is located near to the river in the southern area of the Early Christian earthwork enclosure.

Quoile Castle

Quoile Castle
Quoile Castle
Quoile Castle is a castle situated 1.5 miles from Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, just off the main road from Downpatrick to Strangford, on the east bank of the River Quoile. It is a 16th-century tower house, which was inhabited into the 18th century...

 is situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Downpatrick, just off the main road from Downpatrick to Strangford
Strangford
Strangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 people at the 2001 Census.On the other side of the lough is Portaferry and there is a ferry service between the two villages...

, on the east bank of the river. It is a 16th century Tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...

which was inhabited into the 18th century.

Quoile Pondage National Nature Reserve

The Quoile Pondage National Nature Reserve is situated just outside Downpatrick on either side of the Quoile River. It was created in 1957 by the construction of a tidal barrier to prevent flooding in the Downpatrick area. Soon after the barrier was built, plants and trees colonised the former seashore. Facilities at the reserve include the Quoile Countryside Centre with displays on the wildlife and history of the area. There are also many features of historical interest within the reserve including Quoile Quay situated close to the Centre, which itself is just beside Quoile Castle.
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