River Feale
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. For 65 kilometers the Feale flows through County Kerry, or forms part of its boundary, which makes it the longest river flowing through Kerry.
Name
According to Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (compiled in the 1630s), the river takes its name from a legendary woman:
Fuair Fial bean Lughaidh mic Íotha bás do náire ar bhfaicsin a nochta da céile ar dteacht ó shnámh dhi; gonadh uaithe ghairmthear Innbhear Féile don abhainn sin ó shoin i le
Fial wife of Lughaidh son of Ioth died of shame on her husband seeing her naked as she returned from swimming; and from her that river has ever since been called Innbhear Feile— Foras Feasa ar Éirinn, part 22
In County Limerick and north Kerry, the Feale is also referred to as one of the Three Sisters. These are three rivers which all rise close to each other in the Mullaghareirk mountains in north County Cork and generally flow north or northwest into the Shannon Estuary (the others being the rivers Maigue and Deel). This term is not to be confused with three of Ireland's larger rivers, the Nore, the Suir and the Barrow, which are also collectively referred to as The Three Sisters.
See also
References
- ^ [1] Fishing in Ireland.info
- ^ [2] Case Study Report - Shannon River Basin
- ^ ""Google Maps coordinates 52.31841305806651, -9.102413274665476". Google Maps. Google Maps". Google Maps. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "Part 32 of The History of Ireland (BOOK I-II)". Archived from the original on 23 January 2005.
- ^ "Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (Book I-II)".