The River Owenabue (), also spelled "Owenboy", is a river in

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

Geography

River Owenabue rises just north of

Crossbarry Crossbarry () is a small village on the R589 regional road in Innishannon parish, County Cork, Ireland. It is about 20 km southwest of the city of Cork. The River Owenabue flows through the village. The West Cork Railway once ran through t ...

and flows east towards the sea for roughly . It flows through Crossbarry and on to the small village of Halfway. It then reaches

Ballinhassig Ballinhassig () is a village in County Cork, Ireland, situated south of Cork City just off the N71 Bandon road and near the source of the River Owenabue (''Abhainn Bui'', meaning "Yellow River"). Traditionally an agricultural area, Ballinhass ...

where it widens into

Ballygarvan Ballygarvan () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It lies 9km south of Cork City. The village had a population of 556 inhabitants as of the 2016 census. Occupying the eastern half of Ballinhassig parish, the village lies in the valley between ...

. It then meanders through Ballea Woods into

Carrigaline Carrigaline () is a town and civil parish in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the River Owenabue. Located about south of Cork city, and with a population of 15,770 people, it is one of the largest commuter towns of the city. The R611 regiona ...

, and onto

Crosshaven Crosshaven () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in lower Cork Harbour at the mouth of the River Owenabue, across from Currabinny Wood. Originally a fishing village, from the 19th century, the economy of the area became more re ...

where it enters

Cork Harbour Cork Harbour () is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" (after Port Ja ...

near

Curraghbinny Curraghbinny (), also sometimes spelled Currabinny or Currabinney, is a townland in County Cork, Ireland. Located on Cork Harbour near Ringaskiddy and with an area of , it is a townland in the barony of Kerrycurrihy. As of the 2011 census, Cur ...

. The area is known as the Owenabue Valley.

Otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes we ...

s and

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...

s are seen on the river, and the heron has become a symbol of the area. 10 bridges cross the river.

History

The Royal Munster Yacht Club (now merged with the Royal Cork Yacht Club) was based on the Owenabue River.

References

Owenboy Ramsar sites in the Republic of Ireland River Lee {{Ireland-river-stub