The
River Erne ( or
An Éirne), in the
northwestThe four cardinal directions or cardinal points are north, south, east, and west, commonly denoted by their initials - N, S, E, W. They are mostly used for geographic orientation on Earth but may be calculated anywhere on a rotating astronomical body...
of
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, rises in Beaghy Lough, two miles south of
StradoneStradone is identified in the current County Cavan, Ireland, Development Plan 2003-2009 as a smaller urban community. These small communities are recognised as having what could be described as proto-urban characteristics and may provide a valued local retail service to the surrounding...
in
County CavanCounty Cavan is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster. It was named after the town of Cavan . It is one of three counties situated in the province of Ulster without being part of Northern Ireland. The county is bordered by County Monaghan, County...
and flows 64 miles through
Lough GownaLough Gowna is a fresh water lake which is the uppermost lake on the River Erne. It is located on the border between County Longford and County Cavan, with the largest part of the lake being in County Longford....
,
Lough OughterLough Oughter is a lake, or complex of lakes, in County Cavan covering approximately 1,464 hectares. It is on the River Erne, and forms the southern part of the Lough Erne complex...
and Upper and Lower
Lough ErneLough Erne refers to two lakes in Northern Ireland, which are in effect widened sections of the River Erne. The waterway is mostly situated in County Fermanagh. The river begins by flowing north, and then curves west into the Atlantic. The southern-most lake is further up the river and so is named...
,
County FermanaghCounty Fermanagh – ) is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster and is part of Northern Ireland. As Fermanagh is situated mostly in the basin of the River Erne, it is often referred to as Ireland's Lake District, together with neighbouring County Cavan...
, to the sea at
BallyshannonBallyshannon is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located where the N3 and N15 cross the River Erne.-Location:...
,
County DonegalCounty Donegal is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the Province of Ulster and is part of the Republic of Ireland. It was named after the town of Donegal ....
. For 30 miles from
CrossdoneyCrossdoney is a village in County Cavan on the R154 regional road where it terminates at a junction with the R198.-Crossdoney 1837:Description from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland...
in County Cavan to
EnniskillenEnniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
in County Fermanagh, it is difficult to distinguish the river as it winds its way through interconnected loughs or parts of loughs nestling among the drumlin hills of Cavan and south Fermanagh.
The
River Erne ( or
An Éirne), in the
northwestThe four cardinal directions or cardinal points are north, south, east, and west, commonly denoted by their initials - N, S, E, W. They are mostly used for geographic orientation on Earth but may be calculated anywhere on a rotating astronomical body...
of
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, rises in Beaghy Lough, two miles south of
StradoneStradone is identified in the current County Cavan, Ireland, Development Plan 2003-2009 as a smaller urban community. These small communities are recognised as having what could be described as proto-urban characteristics and may provide a valued local retail service to the surrounding...
in
County CavanCounty Cavan is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster. It was named after the town of Cavan . It is one of three counties situated in the province of Ulster without being part of Northern Ireland. The county is bordered by County Monaghan, County...
and flows 64 miles through
Lough GownaLough Gowna is a fresh water lake which is the uppermost lake on the River Erne. It is located on the border between County Longford and County Cavan, with the largest part of the lake being in County Longford....
,
Lough OughterLough Oughter is a lake, or complex of lakes, in County Cavan covering approximately 1,464 hectares. It is on the River Erne, and forms the southern part of the Lough Erne complex...
and Upper and Lower
Lough ErneLough Erne refers to two lakes in Northern Ireland, which are in effect widened sections of the River Erne. The waterway is mostly situated in County Fermanagh. The river begins by flowing north, and then curves west into the Atlantic. The southern-most lake is further up the river and so is named...
,
County FermanaghCounty Fermanagh – ) is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster and is part of Northern Ireland. As Fermanagh is situated mostly in the basin of the River Erne, it is often referred to as Ireland's Lake District, together with neighbouring County Cavan...
, to the sea at
BallyshannonBallyshannon is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located where the N3 and N15 cross the River Erne.-Location:...
,
County DonegalCounty Donegal is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the Province of Ulster and is part of the Republic of Ireland. It was named after the town of Donegal ....
. For 30 miles from
CrossdoneyCrossdoney is a village in County Cavan on the R154 regional road where it terminates at a junction with the R198.-Crossdoney 1837:Description from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland...
in County Cavan to
EnniskillenEnniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
in County Fermanagh, it is difficult to distinguish the river as it winds its way through interconnected loughs or parts of loughs nestling among the drumlin hills of Cavan and south Fermanagh. The
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water...
is 120
kilometreThe kilometre , symbol km is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second....
s long and is very popular for
fly fishingFly fishing is a distinct and ancient angling method, most renowned as a method for catching trout and salmon, but employed today for a wide variety of species including pike, bass, panfish, grayling and carp, as well as marine species, such as redfish, snook, tarpon, bonefish and striped bass...
for
troutTrout are a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the Salmonidae family. Salmon belong to some of the same genera as trout but, unlike most trout, most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
and
salmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish of the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the family are called trout; the difference is often attributed to the migratory life of the salmon as compared to the residential behaviour of trout, a distinction that holds true for the Salmo...
, with a number of fisheries along both the river itself and its tributaries. The town of
EnniskillenEnniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
is mostly situated on an
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
in the river, between Upper and Lower Lough Erne. It is linked to the
River ShannonThe River Shannon is, at 386 km , the longest river in Ireland. It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
by the
Shannon-Erne WaterwayThe Shannon-Erne Waterway is a canal linking the River Shannon in the Republic of Ireland with the River Erne in Northern Ireland. Managed by Waterways Ireland, the canal is in length, has sixteen locks and runs from Leitrim village in County Leitrim to Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh.The...
.
Angling
The building of hydroelectric power stations at Cliff (near
BelleekBelleek is a village on the boundary between County Fermanagh and County Donegal . The majority of the village is within County Fermanagh. It had a population of 836 people in the 2001 Census...
) and Ballyshannon (work began in 1945 and the first power station was commissioned in 1950) caused famous
salmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish of the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the family are called trout; the difference is often attributed to the migratory life of the salmon as compared to the residential behaviour of trout, a distinction that holds true for the Salmo...
beats to be flooded and the run of salmon into the Erne has now declined to such a tiny trickle as to be of little angling value except for the few fish that are occasionally caught below Cliff when the power station is generating.
RoachRoach can refer to:Animals* Cockroaches* Roach , certain members of family Cyprinidae:** the genus Rutilus, which includes the Common Roach ** the California Roach of the monotypic genus HesperoleucusOther...
first appeared in the river in 1963 and there was a massive increase in the roach population in 1968. This increase could well have had an adverse effect on trout stocks, which went into decline at that time. Water pollution became a major problem in the 1970s and up to 1987. Since 1987 the pollution problem has been well controlled, the roach population has declined dramatically and trout stocks have made a welcome return and provide good angling once more, both on the Erne itself and its tributaries.
Pleasure Boating
The River Erne is suited to all types of pleasure craft. It is one of the most popular venues in Europe for rental boat vacations. Live aboard pleasure cruisers are available in many locations along the Erne waterway, including Belturbet, Knockniny, Carrybridge, Bellanaleck,
EnniskillenEnniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
, and Killadeas. In addition to the use of the Erne for live aboard Boating holidays sections of the river are ideal for water skiing, bank fishing, trolling, jet skiing and scuba diving. Boaters are cautioned, by the
Original Official Site of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board http://www.geographia.com/northern-ireland/ukifer01.htm , that Upper Lough Erne is a maze of small islands needing careful navigation and waves on Lower Lough Erne can reach “open-sea dimensions”. It is believed that in 2009
Donald AttigDonald Attig is an inventor, boat designer, entrepreneur and yachtsman.-Biography:Donald Attig was born in Pontiac, Illinois. He attended St. Mary’s Grade School, Pontiac Township High School, and Flanagan, Illinois High School, Our Lady of the Snows, Our Lady of the Ozarks, Sweezy School of...
, at 73 years of age, established benchmark records in both endurance challenge and adventure challenge catagories as the first person to complete a single handed transit of the entire Erne Navigation in an
engineless live aboard pleasure boat. After an official launch by Her Excellency Priscilla Jenna, the ambassador from South Africa, Attig started his engineless transit at the end of navigation marker at
BelturbetBelturbet is a town in County Cavan, Ireland, located from Cavan town from Dublin city. Belturbet lies on the N3 road. It is from the border with Northern Ireland between the counties of Cavan and Fermanagh and is south of Enniskillen.- History :...
, County Cavan. He completed the engineless transit at the end of navigation marker
BelleekBelleek may refer to:* Belleek, County Fermanagh, a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, famous for its pottery.**Belleek Pottery Ltd, the village's major industry...
, County Fremanagh. Previously, in 2007, Mr. Attig and Jack Donovan established similar records by being the first crew to complete a transit of the
River ShannonThe River Shannon is, at 386 km , the longest river in Ireland. It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
Navigation and beyond in an engineless live aboard pleasure boat. In 2008 Donald Attig repeated the 2007 feat single handed.
Ancient ruins abound
The Erne waterway is virtually littered with Ancient ruins both Christian and Pagan. The sum total comprises a treasure trove for the photographer, historian or anyone interested in Ireland’s roots. Significant ruins can be found at the following locations.
Crom EstateThe Crom Estate is a nature reserve located in the south of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, along the shores of Upper Lough Erne. It is one of three estates owned and managed by the National Trust in County Fermanagh, the others being Florence Court and Castle Coole mansions. The estate...
, on the North bank of the Upper Erne channel, Gad Island, near Crom Estate,
Devenish IslandDevenish Island is an island in Lower Lough Erne, north of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Aligned roughly north–south, it is about one and a quarter miles long and two-thirds of a mile wide.- Features :...
, Inismacsaint Island, Davy’s Island, White Island, and
Boa IslandBoa Island is an island located near the north shore of Lower Lough Erne, in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is 25 kilometres from Enniskillen town....
. Many of these locations can only be reached by boat. Boa Island is the home of one of most interesting pre-Christian statues in Ireland and Inismacsaint has, what is reputed to be, the oldest large stone cross in Ireland. Devenish Island has an excellent historical display centre, adjacent to its most interesting ruins. Rental boats and hire boats abound on the Erne Waterway. There are also some excursion boats servicing the Erne Waterway. The Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Activity Map of Lough Erne(Isbn 978-1-905306-26-8) is an excellent source for planning your photographic, boating, or historical research trip to Lough Erne.
Culture
The song "
Buachaill Ón Éirne" is a famous
IrishIrish is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now only spoken natively by a small minority of the Irish population but also plays an important symbolic role in the life of the Irish state, and is used...
balladA ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative and set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later North America, Australia and North Africa. Many...
about a young boy from the Erne area. It has been recorded by such groups as
ClannadClannad are a Grammy Award-winning Irish musical group, from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Their music has been variously described as bordering on folk and folk rock, Irish, Celtic and New Age...
and
The CorrsThe Corrs are a Celtic folk rock group from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim ....
.
External links