The Garavogue or Garvoge ( ga, An Gharbhóg is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...

, northwest

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, 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 Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem " The Lake Isle of Innisfree". Location and environment Lough ...

, the Garavogue winds through

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , 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 approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

town and flows into

Sligo Bay Sligo Bay () is a natural ocean bay in County Sligo, Republic of 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, h ...

. 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 The Rosses (officially known by its Irish language name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, with a population of over 7,000 centred on the town of Dungloe, ...

. 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 Ham ...

facility. There is also a marina for smaller and pleasure craft. 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