SHANNON. 



alfo dignifies it, as Virgil did the Po, with the title of 

 Fluviorum Rex. Spenfer too celebrates 



" The fpacious Shenan fpreading like a fea." 



And other poets have been eloquent in defcribing its ma- 

 jeftic courfe, holy iflands, and fublime fcenery ; but geo- 

 graphers are, in general, very brief, and fometimes con- 

 tradiftory in their accounts of this river. They do not 

 even agree as to its fource. According to Camden and 

 Ware it rifes in Slkve-en-eron, (;'. t. tlie mountain of iron 

 mines,) in the county of Leitrim ; but Gough and Ferrar 

 make it fpring from the plains of Quilka, in the county of 

 Cavan. Again, Dr. Beaufort fays. Lough Clean is the 

 fountain-head ; while Boade, Pinkerton, and mod other 

 writers on the fubjeft, make it Lough Allen. Thefe dif- 

 ferences, however, may be in fome meafure reconciled by 

 obferving, that Lough Allen receives the waters of the other 

 fources above-mentioned, and that the Shannon does not 

 take its name until it has pafTed this lake. As it is likewife 

 the receptacle of mod of the other current waters of the fur- 

 rounding country, every flream that falls into it may claim 

 fome (hare in the difpiited honour; but Lough Clean has the 

 higheft title, as contributing moil largely by means of the 

 river Duff. Lough Allen is nearly in the centre of the 

 county of Leitrim ; it is about twenty fquare miles in ex- 

 tent, and in fome parts is faid to be unfathomable. From 

 this grand refervoir and copious fpring, the Shannon iffues 

 in great force at a place called Balatnara. The diretlion, at 

 firft, is fouth and fouth-welt, dividing the provinces of 

 Leinfter and Munfter from Connaught. It pafTes Limerick, 

 where it turns nearly to the weft, and, fixty miles below this 

 city, falls into the Atlantic ocean, between Kerry Head and 

 Cape Lean, after a courfe of two hundred miles. It is na- 

 vigable nearly to Limerick for (hips of the greateft burden, 

 and for fraaller veffels throughout the whole extent of its 

 courfe. 



This noble river traverfes feveral large lakes, and forms 

 many extenfive bays and eftuaries, interfperfed with beau- 

 tiful iflands. It receives above thirty other rivers in its 

 courfe, and diffufes verdure and fertility over the banks 

 of ten counties ; namely, Leitrim, Rofcommon, Gal- 

 way, and Clare, on the right ; and on the left, Longford, 

 Weftmeath, King's County, Tipperary, Limerick, and 

 Kerry, 



The principal towns fituated on its banks are Leitrim, 

 Carrick, Jameftown, Laneftorough, Atlilonc, Banagher, 

 Portumna, Killaloe, Caftleconnel, Tarbert, and Kilrufli; be- 

 fides the city of Limerick, which it encompafles by different 

 branches, and in fome meafure infulates. 



The largeft lakes which it paffes throMgh are. Lough 

 Boffin, Lough Ree or Regith, and Lough Derg or Derg- 

 art. The firit, which is about ten fquare miles in extent, is 

 fituated at the confines of the counties of Leitrim, Long- 

 ford, and Rofcommon, Lough Ree extends nearly from 

 Lanefborough to Athlone, a diitance of about fixteen miles, 

 and is from two to five miles in breadtli. It contains above 

 fifty iflands, many of which are covered witli wood and good 

 palturage. Lough Derg is eigliteen miles long, and from 

 two to feven broad. It is diverfified with about fixty iflands, 

 one of which, called Innifmore, contains above a hundred 

 acres of good land ; and on another, called the Holy Ifland, 

 are the ruins of feven churches, and a round tower. This 

 lake extends nearly from Portumna to Killaloe. There is 

 alfo below Limerick, at the confluence of the Fergus 

 river, an immeiife eftuary, or firth, of many fquare miles 

 in extent, interfperfed with feveral rich and romantic 

 iflands. 



The principal rivers that fall in from the right bank, ct 

 Connaught fide, are the Key, Suck, Scariff, and Fergus. 

 The confluence of the Key is at Carrick, and the Suck, 

 which divides the counties of Rolconimon and Galwav, 

 flows in at Clonfert above Banagher. Several fmaller rivers 

 fall in from the county of Galway ; and from Clare flow U 

 the Scariff and Fergus ; but the great weight of water \ 

 comes from the other fide by rivers running from ead to 

 weft, which, it may be remarked, is difi^erent to the ufual 

 courfe in other parts of the world. The Inny is the firft 

 great river on the left bank : it is the boundary between 

 the counties of Longford and Weftmeath, and falls into 

 Lough Ree, where it forms a large eftuary. The fecond 

 river on this fide is the Great Brofna, which forms a fin& 

 confluence with the Shannon above Banagher ; and the Lefler 

 Brofna, united with the Birr river, falls in a few miles below 

 that town. From hence to Limerick many fmaller rivers 

 flow in on the Ormond fide, and below that city there are 

 fome larger ones : the principal are the Maig, Deel, Ovan, g 

 Cummage, Feale, Gale, and Cafliin. Several of the above I 

 are navigable to a confiderable diftance from the Shannon. 



From fucli an accumulation of rivers, lakes, and fprino-s, 

 the mouth of the Shannon is increafed to an immenfe magni- 

 tude, being nearly ten miles in breadth, for the laft fifteen miles, 

 and from twenty to thirty fathoms deep. It is not only larger 

 than any other infular river, but difcharges much more water 

 into the ocean than any continental ftream whatever, running 

 fo fhort a diftance as two hundred miles. Camden feems to 

 credit a tradition, commonly believed in his time, of a gradnal 

 increafe in the number and fize of the lakes and rivers of 

 Ireland. The fuppofition is curious, and may not be wholly 

 unfounded. 



As the Shannon from Limerick to the ocean is of great 

 and increafing importance to the commercial world, we 

 fhall here give fome particulars of its navigation from an 

 hydrographical furvey lately made. The diitance is above 

 fixty Englifh miles, and the bearing nearly W. by S. The 

 breadth of the river is various. If the length be divided 

 into three parts, the firft will be found to meafure from one 

 to three miles broad ; the middle divifion incrcafes to about 

 fix, and the third to ten miles in breadth. The foundings of 

 the month have been already mentioned : they decreafe to- 

 wards Limerick; but in all parts the river is of confiderable 

 depth, and is remarkable for its tranfparency. 



The tides in the mouth of the Shannon rile from nine to 

 fourteen feet perpendicular height ; and they increafe as the 

 river becomes narrower, infomuch that at the pool of Li- 

 merick, they are from twelve to twenty feet high. The 

 current of the tide varies confiderably in diflferent parts of 

 the ftream, running at the rate of from two to five miles 

 an hour. It is not, however, perceptible far above the 

 city, owing to feveral catarafts. 



There are many fine bays on the Clare fide, which afford 

 fafe anchorage and good flielter for fhipping. The principal 

 are Kilbahan, Carigahault, Clonderlaw, and LabilTieda, be- 

 fides the commodious harbour of Poolanifhary, near Kilrufh, 

 and Tarbert bay on the Kerry fide. It may be men- 

 tioned, that Kerry Head, alfo called Ballyhcigh Puint, is a 

 long and narrow promontory ; and that Cape Lean, or Loop 

 Head, on the other fide, is flill narrower ; having at its ex- 

 tremity a light-houfe, in N. lat. 52° ^o'. W. long. 10 °2o'. 

 The navigation between the Upper and Lower Shannon 

 was formerly impeded by the noted cataraft near Caftlecon- 

 nel, called the Salmon's Leap, but of late years canals have 

 been drawn round this rock as well as others called the Falls. 

 An important communication has been likewife opened be- 

 tween the Shannon and Dubhn by means of the grand canal, 



which 



