The River Maine ( ga, An Mhaing) is a river in
County Kerry, Ireland.
History and legend
According to an ancient tradition recorded in ''
Lebor Gabála Érenn
''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
'', three rivers "burst forth" during the reign of
Fíachu Labrainne
Fíachu Labhrainne, son of Smirgoll, son of Enboth, son of Tigernmas, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to power by killing the previous incumbent, Eochaid Faebar Glas, in the battle o ...
as
High King of Ireland. One was ''Innbhear Mainge'' — the Maine. The
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...
contains the same story, but spells it ''Mand''.
The
Metrical Dindshenchas
''Dindsenchas'' or ''Dindshenchas'' (modern spellings: ''Dinnseanchas'' or ''Dinnsheanchas'' or ''Dınnṡeanċas''), meaning "lore of places" (the Irish language, modern Irish word ''dinnseanchas'' means "topography"), is a class of onomastic tex ...
records ''Inber Cíchmaine, cid cress, gáet co líth-baile láech-bress Maine ergna, úais ella, mac Medba ocus Ailella.'' ("At Inber Cichmaine, though it be narrow, was slain (a mighty onslaught) far-famed Maine, son of
Medb and
Ailell, exulting in fury of warlike combats.")
A possible etymology is from
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...
''mang'', referring to a fawn or young
deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...
.
The Maine was the traditional division of the
Kingdom of Desmond
The Kingdom of Desmond () was a historic kingdom in southwestern Ireland. It was founded in 1118 by Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh, King of Munster when the Treaty of Glanmire formally divided the Kingdom of Munster into Desmond and Thomond (, "Nor ...
: south of the Maine was controlled by the Gaelic MacCarthys, while north of the Maine was controlled by the Norman
Earl of Desmond
Earl of Desmond is a title in the peerage of Ireland () created four times. When the powerful Earl of Desmond took arms against Queen Elizabeth Tudor, around 1578, along with the King of Spain and the Pope, he was confiscated from his estates ...
. A castle on the boundary was constructed on a stone bridge over the river at
Castle Maine
Castle Maine, also recorded as Castle Magne and Castlemaine, was a medieval castle located at what is now Castlemaine, County Kerry. The castle, built in 1215, stood on a bridge over the River Maine (County Kerry), River Maine. A defensive structur ...
.
Course
The River Maine rises at Tobermaing and flows westwards. It passes through
Castleisland
Castleisland () is a town and commercial centre in County Kerry in south west Ireland. The town is known for the width of its main street. As of the 2016 Census, Castleisland had a population of 2,486.
Castleisland was described by one of its ...
and under the
N23, then meets its main tributary, the
Brown Flesk. It continues through
Currans
Currans () is a small village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is 8.5 km southwest of Castleisland and 4.7 km west of the neighbouring village of Currow.
History
The old parish church was abandoned after the Reformation, and fell into rui ...
and is bridged by the
N22. In
Castlemaine it passes under the
N70, flows past the
Ardcanaght Stones and enters the harbour.
Pollution
In 2014 the river was reported as polluted with
ammonia
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous wa ...
.
Wildlife
The River Maine is a noted
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...
and
sea trout fishery. The
brook lamprey
The brook lamprey (''Lampetra planeri'', also known as the European brook lamprey and the western brook lamprey) is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater environments. The species is related to, but distinct from, ...
also lives in it.
See also
*
Rivers of Ireland
Shown here are all the major rivers and tributaries of Ireland with their lengths (in kilometres and miles). Starting with the Northern Ireland rivers, and going in a clockwise direction, the rivers (and tributaries) are listed in regard to their ...
References
Rivers of County Kerry
{{Ireland-river-stub