River Suir
Encyclopedia
The River Suir is a river in Ireland
that flows into the Atlantic Ocean
near Waterford
after a distance of 185 kilometres (115 mi).
Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout
. While the Suir holds the record for a salmon
taken from an Irish river, (weighing 57 lb/26 kg, taken on a fly in 1874 as is the case in many other Atlantic rivers, salmon stocks have been in decline in recent years. )
Rising on the slopes of Devil's Bit Mountain, just north of Templemore
in County Tipperary
, the Suir flows south through Loughmore
, Thurles
, Holycross
, Golden
and Knockgraffon. Merging with the River Aherlow at Kilmoyler and further on with the Tar
, it turns east at the Comeragh Mountains
, forming the border between County Waterford
and County Tipperary
. It then passes through Cahir
, Clonmel
and Carrick-on-Suir
before reaching Waterford
. Near the Port of Waterford
it meets the River Barrow
at Cheekpoint
to form a wide navigable estuary
, capable of accommodating seagoing vessels up to 32,000 tons dwt
. It exits to the sea between Dunmore East
and Hook Head
.
Together with the Nore and the Barrow, the river is one of the trio known as The Three Sisters
.
The Suir is known in Irish
as the Siúr and it is thought the present spelling in English with the u and i reversed is due to a mistake. Some people therefore feel that the spelling in English should be Siur and this spelling is occasionally seen.. Edmund Spenser
(1552–1599) author of the The Fairie Queene, in his writings during the Elizabethan age while domiciled in County Cork
, referred to the 'gentle Shure', probable a most accurate spelling and the most phonetically correct of the period.
In the early years of the 21st century, the remains of a very large Viking
settlement were found at a bend in the river at Woodstown
just upstream from Waterford.
In Clonmel
, the Suir floods the local area after very heavy rainfalls falling in the up river catchment of 2,173km2. The Office of Public Works (OPW) completed and installed a Flood Forecasting System which was used to forecast flooding in January 2008 and January 2009, the flooding of January 2009 being a 1 in 5 year event. Phase 1 of the Clonmel Flood defence (1-100 year) which stated in 2007 is scheduled for completion in late 2009 and phase two and three as one contract by 2011/2012. The flood defence consists of demountable barriers, walls and earth banks. The Gashouse Bridge, Coleville Road, Davis Road, the quays and the Old Bridge are generally the worst affected areas.
Clonmel
is not tidal. The tide turns above the Miloko
chocolate crumb factory in Carrick-on-Suir
. The flood waters spill onto the land above Miloko on the County Waterford side of the river.
Carrick-on-Suir
is tidal and has a 1-50 year flood defence. The Office of Public Works (OPW) now plan to install a 1-200 year flood defence where the river Suir flows through Waterford
city.
Where the river flows through south County Kilkenny
, near the town of Mooncoin
, was written one of the most famous Irish ballads, called The Rose of Mooncoin
, which includes the lines "On the banks of the Suir, that flows down by Mooncoin".
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
that flows into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
near Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
after a distance of 185 kilometres (115 mi).
Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
. While the Suir holds the record for a salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
taken from an Irish river, (weighing 57 lb/26 kg, taken on a fly in 1874 as is the case in many other Atlantic rivers, salmon stocks have been in decline in recent years. )
Rising on the slopes of Devil's Bit Mountain, just north of Templemore
Templemore
Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....
in County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, the Suir flows south through Loughmore
Loughmore
Loughmore, officially Loughmoe , is a village in North Tipperary in the province of Munster, Ireland. The village is best known for its castle, seat of the Barons of Loughmoe....
, Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, Holycross
Holycross
Holycross is a village in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is in the barony of Eliogarty. Unusually, the civil parish straddles two counties and the baronies of Eliogarty and of Middle Third . It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.The village developed around the...
, Golden
Golden, County Tipperary
Golden is a village in South Tipperary in Ireland. The village is situated on the River Suir. It is located between the towns of Cashel and Tipperary on the N74 road. In older times the village was known as Goldenbridge...
and Knockgraffon. Merging with the River Aherlow at Kilmoyler and further on with the Tar
River Tar
The Tar is a river in South Tipperary, Ireland. It joins the Suir between the towns of Ardfinnan and Newcastle. The Tar's tributaries include the River Duag which joins it between Clogheen and Ballyporeen....
, it turns east at the Comeragh Mountains
Comeragh Mountains
The Comeragh Mountains are a glaciated mountain range situated in the south east of Ireland in County Waterford. They are located between the town of Clonmel on the County Tipperary border and the villages of Kilrossanty and Kilmacthomas in County Waterford.The twelve mountains which form the...
, forming the border between County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
and County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. It then passes through Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
, Clonmel
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
and Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
before reaching Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
. Near the Port of Waterford
Port of Waterford
The Port of Waterford is situated several kilometres downstream of Waterford City on the northern side of the Suir river in South County Kilkenny, and is called Belview...
it meets the River Barrow
River Barrow
The Barrow is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest and most prominent of the three rivers...
at Cheekpoint
Cheekpoint
Set on the confluence of the River Suir and the River Barrow is Cheekpoint a village with a fascinating maritime history. Lying beneath the 150 metre high Minaun Hill the village has panoramic views of Waterford Harbour, the 2131 ft...
to form a wide navigable estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, capable of accommodating seagoing vessels up to 32,000 tons dwt
DWT
DWT may stand for:* Driving While Texting, Is the act of composing, sending, or reading text messages, email, or making other similar use of the internet on a mobile device, while operating a motor vehicle, such as an automobile, truck or train....
. It exits to the sea between Dunmore East
Dunmore East
Dunmore East is a popular tourist and fishing village village in County Waterford, Ireland. Situated on the west side of Waterford Harbour on Ireland's southeastern coast, it lies within the barony of Gaultier : a reference to the influx of Norman settlers in the area.-History:Iron Age people...
and Hook Head
Hook Head
Hook Head is a headland in County Wexford, Ireland located on the east side of the estuary of the three sisters rivers . It is part of the Hook peninsula and is adjacent to the historic townland of Loftus Hall...
.
Together with the Nore and the Barrow, the river is one of the trio known as The Three Sisters
The Three Sisters (Ireland)
The Three Sisters are three rivers in Ireland: the River Barrow, the River Nore and the River Suir. The Suir and Nore rise in the same mountainous area in County Tipperary, near the Devil's Bit, while the Barrow rises in the Slieve Blooms Mountains in County Laois. All three join the sea in the...
.
The Suir is known in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
as the Siúr and it is thought the present spelling in English with the u and i reversed is due to a mistake. Some people therefore feel that the spelling in English should be Siur and this spelling is occasionally seen.. Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
(1552–1599) author of the The Fairie Queene, in his writings during the Elizabethan age while domiciled in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, referred to the 'gentle Shure', probable a most accurate spelling and the most phonetically correct of the period.
In the early years of the 21st century, the remains of a very large 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...
settlement were found at a bend in the river at Woodstown
Woodstown
Woodstown is home to a historic settlement measuring 1.5 km by 0.5 km, located on the southern bank of the River Suir, about 5.5 km west of Waterford City in the southeast of Ireland...
just upstream from Waterford.
In Clonmel
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
, the Suir floods the local area after very heavy rainfalls falling in the up river catchment of 2,173km2. The Office of Public Works (OPW) completed and installed a Flood Forecasting System which was used to forecast flooding in January 2008 and January 2009, the flooding of January 2009 being a 1 in 5 year event. Phase 1 of the Clonmel Flood defence (1-100 year) which stated in 2007 is scheduled for completion in late 2009 and phase two and three as one contract by 2011/2012. The flood defence consists of demountable barriers, walls and earth banks. The Gashouse Bridge, Coleville Road, Davis Road, the quays and the Old Bridge are generally the worst affected areas.
Clonmel
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
is not tidal. The tide turns above the Miloko
Glanbia
Glanbia plc is an international nutritional solutions and cheese group, headquartered in Ireland. Glanbia is listed on the Irish and London Stock Exchange . The Group has four segments; US Cheese & Global Nutritionals, Dairy Ireland, Joint Ventures & Associates and Other Business...
chocolate crumb factory in Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
. The flood waters spill onto the land above Miloko on the County Waterford side of the river.
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
is tidal and has a 1-50 year flood defence. The Office of Public Works (OPW) now plan to install a 1-200 year flood defence where the river Suir flows through Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
city.
Where the river flows through south County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
, near the town of Mooncoin
Mooncoin
Mooncoin is a town situated in the far south of County Kilkenny, in Ireland, just 10 km from Waterford City on the main Waterford to Limerick road...
, was written one of the most famous Irish ballads, called The Rose of Mooncoin
The Rose of Mooncoin
The Rose of Mooncoin is a ballad written in the 19th century by a local schoolteacher and poet named Watt Murphy, who met and gradually fell in love with a local girl called Elizabeth, also known as Molly. Elizabeth was just 20 years old, and Watt was then 56, but the difference in age was of no...
, which includes the lines "On the banks of the Suir, that flows down by Mooncoin".