The River Boyne ( or Abhainn na Bóinne) is a river which flows through Leinster, Ireland. The course of the river is about long. It rises at Edenderry, near Offaly and flows north-east through County Offaly, County Kildare, and County Meath to reach the Irish Sea between Mornington, County Meath, and Baltray, County Louth.
Names and etymology
This river has been known since ancient times. The Greek geographer
Ptolemy drew a map of
Ireland in the 2nd century that included the Boyne,
which he called Βουουίνδα (
Bouwinda) or Βουβίνδα (
Boubinda), which in Celtic means "white cow" (). During the High Middle Ages, Giraldus Cambrensis called it the
Boandus. In
Irish mythology it is said that the river was created by the
goddess Boann and Boyne is an anglicised form of the name.
In other legends, it was in this river where Fionn mac Cumhail captured Fiontán, the Salmon of Knowledge. The Meath section of the Boyne was also known as
Smior Fionn Feidhlimthe[Dineen: Foclóir Gaedhilge agus Béarla, 1927 ("Smior" - pg 1067, Ed.1996)] (the 'marrow of Fionn Feilim'). The tidal estuary of the Boyne, which extends inland as far as the confluence with the
Mattock River, 'the curly hole', had a number of names in Irish literature and was associated as a place of departure and arrival in the ancient legends and myths, such as The Tragedy of the Sons of Tuireann, Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, &c. In the Acallam na Senórach the estuary has the name
Inber Bic Loingsigh, abounding in ships.
Inber Colpa or
Inber Colptha was the principal name for the mouth of the Boyne in early medieval times. The townlands and civil parish of Colp, or Colpe on its southern shore preserve the name. It was associated in myth with Colpa of the Sword, a son of Míl Espáine, in the Milesian origin of the Irish, who drowned in the attempt to land there and is by tradition buried in the ringfort behind Colpe church. An alternative
Dindsenchas tradition associates the name with the Máta, a massive aquatic creature, which having been killed was dismembered at Brú na Bóinne was thrown in the Boyne. Its shinbone (colptha) reached the estuary giving name to Inber Colptha.
Course and geography
The Boyne is a lowland river, surrounded by the Boyne Valley. Near
Donore Castle, it is joined by the
River Deal, which transports water from
Lough Lene. Much a stronger tributary, also from the left, is
Kells Blackwater, which discharges into the Boyle in
Navan,
County Meath.
West of Drogheda, the Boyne is crossed by the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge, which carries the M1 motorway, and by the Boyne Viaduct, which carries the Dublin–Belfast railway line to the east. The catchment area of the River Boyne is 2,695 km2.[ South Eastern River Basin District Management System. Page 38] The long-term average flow rate of the River Boyne is per second.
Significance
Despite its short course, the Boyne has historical, archaeological and mythical connotations. The Battle of the Boyne, a major battle in Irish history, took place along the Boyne near Drogheda in 1690 during the Williamite war in Ireland. It passes through the ancient town of Trim,
Trim Castle, the Hill of Tara (the ancient capital of the High King of Ireland),
Navan, the Hill of
Slane, Brú na Bóinne (a complex of
monuments),
Mellifont Abbey, and the medieval town of Drogheda. In the Boyne Valley can also be found other historical and archaeological monuments, including Loughcrew, Kells, Celtic crosses, and castles.
History
Boyne Canal
The
Boyne Navigation is a series of canals running roughly parallel to the main river from
Oldbridge near Drogheda to Navan. The navigation, owned by
An Taisce and mostly derelict, is being restored to navigable status by the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. The canal at Oldbridge, which runs through the Battle of the Boyne site, was the first to be restored.
Prehistoric art
A rock that showed indications of being
prehistoric art was found in August 2013. Cliadh O'Gibne reported through the Archaeological Survey of Ireland that a boulder with geometric carvings had been found in Donore, County Meath.
Ancient log-boat
Workers from the Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and Recovery Service (BFRRS), near Drogheda,
County Louth, were performing one of its regular operations to remove shopping trolleys from the Boyne, in May 2013, when they discovered an ancient log-boat, which experts believe may be 5000 years old. Initial examination by an underwater archaeologist suggested that it could be very rare because, unlike other log-boats found here, it has oval shapes on the upper edge that could have held oars. Investigations were ongoing as of 2013.
Viking ship
In 2006, the remains of a Viking ship were found in the river bed in Drogheda during dredging operations. The vessel is to be excavated as it poses a hazard to navigation.
Annalistic references
-
AI770.2 The battle of Bolg Bóinne gained against the Uí Néill, by the Laigin.
Flora and fauna
Several species of
trout inhabit the Boyne:
brook trout,
brown trout and introduced
rainbow trout. There is also a
steelhead in the spring, and naturally reproducing
salmon in the fall.
Gallery
See also
-
Anthony Holten, author of The River Boyne: Hidden Legacies, History and Lore Explored on Foot and by Boat ()
External links
