Shannon Pot
Encyclopedia
Shannon Pot is a small lake in the Karst topography
found on the slopes of Cuilcagh
Mountain in County Cavan
, Ireland
. An aquifer
-fed naturally fluctuating pool, it is the traditional source of the River Shannon
.
The pool itself is approximately 16 m (52.5 ft) in diameter. It was first explored by divers in 1971 to a depth of 6 m. It was later explored by Martyn Farr
among others to a depth of 9.5 m from where the water emerges from a 2 m wide fissure. In early 2009 the pot was dived to a depth of 14.6 m by Artur Koz%C5%82owski, who entered an unstable chamber.
Towns near the Shannon Pot include Dowra
, Blacklion
and Glangevlin
.
According to legend, the Shannon is named after Sionnan, who was the granddaughter of Manannán mac Lir
, or God of the Sea. She came to this spot to eat the fruit of the forbidden, or the Tree of Knowledge, which was planted by the Druids. As she began to eat it, the waters of the pool sprang up and overwhelmed her, drawing her down into it to flow out later across the land, thus the River Shannon sprung up.
The highest point in the catchment is a spring at Tiltinbane on the western end of the Cuilcagh mountain ridge; this sources an unnamed stream which itself feeds into Shannon Cave
. Further sinks that source the pot include Pollboy and, through Shannon Cave, Pollahune in Cavan and Polltullyard and Tullyrrakeeragh in Fermanagh
.
Surveys suggest that Shannon Pot may once have had a substantially larger catchment area. In times of high flow conditions it has been shown to be hydrologically linked to Badger Pot
and Pidgeon Pot beside Florencecourt
Forest Park, Fermanagh
.
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
found on the slopes of Cuilcagh
Cuilcagh
Cuilcagh, historically Slieve Cuilcagh , is the highest mountain in the Breifne area and the 165th highest on the island of Ireland . The summit lies on the border between County Fermanagh and County Cavan , and is the highest point in both counties...
Mountain in County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. An aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
-fed naturally fluctuating pool, it is the traditional source of the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
.
The pool itself is approximately 16 m (52.5 ft) in diameter. It was first explored by divers in 1971 to a depth of 6 m. It was later explored by Martyn Farr
Martyn Farr
Martyn Farr is a leading exploratory cave diver and caver, known for his record breaking cave dives and the exploration of many miles of previously undiscovered underground passages...
among others to a depth of 9.5 m from where the water emerges from a 2 m wide fissure. In early 2009 the pot was dived to a depth of 14.6 m by Artur Koz%C5%82owski, who entered an unstable chamber.
Towns near the Shannon Pot include Dowra
Dowra
Dowra is a small village in northwest County Cavan, Ireland. It is the first village on, and marks the most uppermost navigable point of, the River Shannon. On one side of its bridge is County Cavan; on the other is County Leitrim...
, Blacklion
Blacklion
Blacklion is a border village in west County Cavan, Ireland. It is situated on the N16 national primary road, just across the border from the County Fermanagh village of Belcoo.- History :The village is within the townland of Tuam...
and Glangevlin
Glangevlin
Glangevlin or The Kingdom of Glan is situated in the northwest of County Cavan, Ireland. It is surrounded by the Cuilcagh Mountains and borders the counties of Leitrim and Fermanagh....
.
According to legend, the Shannon is named after Sionnan, who was the granddaughter of Manannán mac Lir
Manannán mac Lir
Manannán mac Lir is a sea deity in Irish mythology. He is the son of the obscure Lir . He is often seen as a psychopomp, and has strong affiliations with the Otherworld, the weather and the mists between the worlds...
, or God of the Sea. She came to this spot to eat the fruit of the forbidden, or the Tree of Knowledge, which was planted by the Druids. As she began to eat it, the waters of the pool sprang up and overwhelmed her, drawing her down into it to flow out later across the land, thus the River Shannon sprung up.
Hydrology
Surveys have defined a 12.8 square kilometre immediate catchment area covering the slopes of Cuilcagh. This area includes Garvagh Lough, Cavan, 2.2 km to the northeast of the pot. Water from Garvagh drains into Pollnaowen'Poll nm1:' hole, pit, sink, leak, aperture (The Pocket Oxford Irish Dictionary – Irish-English) sink, before emerging at Shannon Pot.The highest point in the catchment is a spring at Tiltinbane on the western end of the Cuilcagh mountain ridge; this sources an unnamed stream which itself feeds into Shannon Cave
Shannon Cave
Shannon Cave is an active stream passage cave situated in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland.At vertical depth, it stands joint 6th with Poulnagree in County Clare in the deepest caves of Ireland...
. Further sinks that source the pot include Pollboy and, through Shannon Cave, Pollahune in Cavan and Polltullyard and Tullyrrakeeragh in Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
.
Surveys suggest that Shannon Pot may once have had a substantially larger catchment area. In times of high flow conditions it has been shown to be hydrologically linked to Badger Pot
Badger Pot
Badger Pot and Pigeon Pot are two caves found in the Karst topography on the eastern slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain, south of Florencecourt Forest Park, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland....
and Pidgeon Pot beside Florencecourt
Florencecourt
Florencecourt is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 135 people. It lies within the Fermanagh District Council area. Historically the area was called Mullanashangan ....
Forest Park, Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
.