River Slaney | |
---|---|
Etymology | Old Irish sláine, "health"[1][2] |
Native name |
|
Location | |
Country | Ireland |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Lugnaquilla, County Wicklow |
• elevation | 549 metres (1,801 ft) |
Mouth | Irish Sea |
• location | Wexford Harbour, County Wexford |
Length | 117.5 kilometres (73.0 mi) |
Basin size | 1,762 square kilometres (680 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• average | 37 m3/s (1,300 cu ft/s) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | River Derreen, River Derry, River Bann, River Ballyedmond, River Sow |
• right | Browns Beck Brook, River Clody, River Urrin, River Boro |
The River Slaney (/ˈsleɪniː/; Irish: An tSláine)[3] is a large river in the southeast of Ireland. It rises on Lugnaquilla Mountain in the western Wicklow Mountains and flows west and then south through counties Wicklow, Carlow and Wexford for 117.5 km (73 mi),[4] before entering St George's Channel in the Irish Sea at Wexford town. The estuary of the Slaney is wide and shallow and is known as Wexford Harbour. The catchment area of the River Slaney is 1,762 km2.[5] The long-term average flow rate of the River Slaney is 37.4m3/s[5]
Towns that the Slaney runs through include Stratford-on-Slaney, Baltinglass, Tullow, Bunclody, Enniscorthy and Wexford. The river is crossed by 32 road bridges and one railway bridge.[6]