River Feale | |
---|---|
River Feale at Finuge Crossing, County Kerry | |
Etymology | Fial, a mythical woman |
Native name | Abhainn na Féile (Irish) |
Location | |
Country | Ireland |
Counties | Cork, Limerick, Kerry |
Towns | Abbeyfeale, Listowel |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Mullaghareirk Mountains |
• location | County Cork |
Mouth | Shannon Estuary |
• location | Ballyduff, County Kerry |
• coordinates | 52°28′59″N 9°41′21″W / 52.48294°N 9.68903°W |
Length | 75 km (47 mi) |
Basin size | 445.2 sq mi (1,153 km2) |
Discharge | |
• average | 34.6 m3/s (1,220 cu ft/s) |
The River Feale (An Fhéil or Abhainn na Féile in Irish) rises near Rockchapel in the Mullaghareirk Mountains of County Cork in the southwest of Ireland and flows northwestwards for 75 kilometres [1] through Abbeyfeale in County Limerick and Listowel in County Kerry before finally emptying into Cashen Bay, a wide estuary north of Ballyduff. Then it flows out through the Shannon's estuary and joins with the Atlantic Ocean with a flow rate of 34.6 m2/s.[2] The river, along with its tributaries, combine to add to over 160 km (100 miles) of waterways. For the final 10 km (6 miles) stretch it is known as the Cashen River. The river contains a large salmon and sea trout population.
The headwaters of the Feale rise approximately 4.3 km northeast of the village of Rockchapel between the townlands of Rockhill West, Rockhill East and Tooreenmacauliffe on the southwestern slopes of Mullaghareirk mountain.[3]