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

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Geography

River Owenabue rises just north of

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

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, Ballinha ...

where it widens into

Ballygarvan Ballygarvan () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It lies 9 km south of Cork City. The village had a population of 556 inhabitants as of the 2022 census. Occupying the eastern half of Ballinhassig parish, the village lies in the valley ...

. It then meanders through Ballea Woods into

Carrigaline Carrigaline (; ) is a town and civil parish in County Cork, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, situated on the River Owenabue. Located about south of Cork (city), Cork city, and with a population of 18,239 people, it is one of the largest commuter ...

, and onto

Crosshaven Crosshaven () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is in lower Cork Harbour at the mouth of the River Owenabue, across from Currabinny Wood, 15 km south-east of the centre of Cork city. Originally a fishing village, from the 19th centu ...

where it enters

Cork Harbour Cork Harbour () is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee (Ireland), 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 ...

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 List of townlands of the barony of Kerrycurrihy, townland in the ba ...

. 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. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

s and

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

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 The Royal Cork Yacht Club is a yacht club located in Crosshaven, County Cork, Ireland. Founded in 1720, it is a claimant to the title of the world's oldest yacht club, although this is challenged by the Neva Yacht Club in Russia. Formation T ...

) was based on the Owenabue River.

References

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