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The Garavogue or Garvoge ( is a
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in
County Sligo County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...
, northwest
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, known historically as the Sligeach or Sligo River.


Etymology

Garavogue is not the original name of the river, which was earlier and for centuries called the Sligeach, a name meaning ''abounding in shells'', by the native local population. The river gave its name firstly to the town that grew up on its banks from the 13th century, and then to the county that was established in the late 16th and early 17th century. This name can be traced in ancient annals and other sources attesting to it for over 1,500 years. However, by the time of early Ordnance Survey work in the 19th century, the common name had become the Garavogue, at least for the river from Lough Gill to below the bridge in the town of Sligo. The source of the name ''Garavogue'' is uncertain, but may be based on "garbh," meaning "rough" or "gritty." In English it was also sometimes known as the ''Githy''. Another interpretation is that the Garavogue takes its name from the local 'landscape goddess', a hag or witch who is said to have built megaliths in the region by dropping stones, and to have lived on a nearby hill with a mad king named Sweeney.


Course

From
Lough Gill Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree". Location a ...
, the Garavogue winds through
Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...
town and flows into
Sligo Bay Sligo Bay () is a natural ocean bay in County Sligo, Ireland. Geography Sligo Bay is opened between Aughris Head (South side) and Roskeeragh Point (North). The inner part of the bay is divided into three smaller bodies of water, hosting the e ...
. This pre-tidal course is less than long, making it possibly the shortest significant river in Ireland. The river's estuary continues for roughly out to
Rosses Point Rosses Point ( or ) is a village in County Sligo, Ireland and also the name of the surrounding peninsula. Rosses Point is at the entrance to Sligo Harbour from Sligo Bay with Oyster Island being the long thin landmass notable when entering th ...
. The wide estuary has a shipping channel capable of taking ships up to 10,000 tons, but it is only navigable as far as Sligo town, where there is a
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
facility. There is also a marina for smaller and pleasure craft. There are three road bridges crossing the river. The most easterly is Markievicz Bridge connecting Bridge Street to Thomas Street, then Hyde Bridge, between Stephen Street and Lower Knox Street, and finally Hughes Bridge (often known locally as the New Bridge as it was built in 1980s), connecting Markievicz Road to Custom House Quay. There are also two footbridges, the John Fallon Footbridge, to the east of the river, connecting Riverside to Calry Parish Church and the Mall and the (unnamed) footbridge about half-way between Markievicz Bridge and Hyde Bridge, which connects Rockwood Parade to Queen Maeve Square. The whole river system and catchment (including Lough Gill and the River Bonnet) is long.


History

The Garavogue is mentioned in Early Medieval texts as one of the "nine royal rivers" of Ireland. Saint Patrick is said to have blessed it so that it would produce salmon all year round. The battle of Sligo (river) took place at this river in 536 AD between Eoghan Bél, King of Connacht and the forces of two branches of the Uí Néill of Ulster.


References

{{coord, 54.274, -8.475, type:river, display=title Sligo (town) Garavogue