River Nore

{{Short description|River in southern Ireland, one of the Three Sisters}}

{{Infobox river

| name = River Nore

| native_name ={{native name|ga|An Fheoir}}

| name_other =

| name_etymology = Old Irish: Eoir{{Harvnb|Ó Cíobháin|2007}}.

| image = River Nore, 2024-03-22 01.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = River Nore in the City of Kilkenny.

| map = Nore River Map.jpg

| map_size =

| map_caption = Map of the Nore's course

| pushpin_map =

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| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 =

| subdivision_type2 = State

| subdivision_name2 = Republic of Ireland

| subdivision_type3 = Region

| subdivision_name3 = Leinster

| subdivision_type4 = Counties

| subdivision_name4 = Tipperary, Laois, Kilkenny, Waterford

| subdivision_type5 =

| subdivision_name5 =

| length = {{convert|140|km|mi|abbr=on}}

| width_min =

| width_avg =

| width_max =

| depth_min =

| depth_avg =

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| discharge1_location=

| discharge1_min =

| discharge1_avg = {{convert|42.9|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}

| discharge1_max =

| source1 = Devil's Bit Mountain

| source1_location = County Tipperary

| source1_coordinates=

| source1_elevation =

| mouth = River Barrow

| mouth_location = New Ross, County Wexford

| mouth_coordinates =

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| progression =

| river_system = Three Sisters

| basin_size = {{convert|2595|km2|abbr=on}}

| tributaries_left = River Suir

| tributaries_right =

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}}

The River Nore ({{langx|ga|An Fheoir}} {{IPA|ga|ə ˈn̠ʲoːɾʲ|}}) is one of the principal rivers (along with the River Suir and River Barrow) in the South-East Region of Ireland. The {{convert|140|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} river drains approximately {{convert|2,530|km2|mi2|0}} of Leinster and Munster, that encompasses parts of three counties (Tipperary, Laois, Kilkenny). Along with the River Suir and River Barrow, it is one of the constituent rivers of the group known as the Three Sisters.

Starting in the Devil's Bit Mountain, County Tipperary, the river flows generally southeast, and then south, before its confluence with the River Barrow at Ringwood, and the Barrow railway bridge at Drumdowney, County Kilkenny, which empties into the Celtic Sea at Waterford Harbour, Waterford.

The long term average flow rate of the River Nore is 42.9 cubic metres per second (m³/s) The river is home to the only known extant population of the critically endangered Nore freshwater pearl mussel, and much of its length is listed as a Special Area of Conservation.River Barrow and River Nore (IE0002162). [http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,4175,en.pdf Site Synopsis] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219022339/http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,4175,en.pdf |date=2007-12-19 }} - National Parks and Wildlife Service, Republic of Ireland. Natura 2000 ([https://eunis.eea.europa.eu/sites/IE0002162 data set] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228112237/https://eunis.eea.europa.eu/sites/IE0002162 |date=28 December 2017 }}) - European Environment Agency.

Name

Nore is an anglicisation of the river's Old Irish name An Eoir;"Breandán Ó Cíobháin has confirmed that the modern name ... An Fheoir does represent the early form An Eoir ... with an initial sound that was represented in English as 'yeo'", and therefore cognate with Ioriponte, the original name of Jerpoint, in Kilkenny. (An Chomhairle Oidhreachta/The Heritage Council, 2007, Newtown Jerpoint, County Kilkenny: Conservation Plan. Dublin, Heritage Council, p.53.) the modern Irish name is An Fheoir. As such, the name is believed to be derived, etymologically, from Old Irish {{lang|sga|feórann}}: "green bank or shoreland."{{Cite web|url=http://www.dil.ie/search?search_in=headword&q=fe%C3%B3rann|title = EDIL - Irish Language Dictionary}} Modern Irish {{lang|ga|feora}} means "green bank, edge or shore of sea, lake or river". In regard to "An Fheoir, the Nore (g. -e, al. An Eoir); al. Feor, cf. feora", Dinneen's Dictionary (1927) states: "Feoir g. -e, and Feorach, f. border, brim, edge; a stream or rivulet.”Foclóir Gaedhilge agus Béarla, Patrick S. Dinneen (ed.) 1996, (1st pub. 1927) reprinted 1996), p. 447.

The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee (Félire Óengusso Céli Dé), published some time before the year 824, mentions the river: {{lang|sga|re taeb Eoire uarglaine}} "the cold-pure Eoire ."{{Cite web |title=úar |url=https://dil.ie/42762 |website=eDIL (An Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language) |year=2019 |access-date=8 May 2023}} A Middle Irish reference, from before 1420, refers to the Fiond-chlár fairsing na Feoire "fair wide plain of the Feoir".Archive.org, "The topographical poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na naomh O'Huidhrin," modern translation by John O’Donovan published in 1862.

Course

File:Bridge on the Nore. Kilkenny.jpg]]

The Nore rises on the eastern slopes of the Devil's Bit Mountain in the townland of Borrisnoe, County Tipperary. It then flows south-eastwards to County Laois and County Kilkenny before joining the River Barrow just north of New Ross near the Barrow Bridge.{{Harvnb|Hughes|1863}}. The river passes near Durrow, County Laois then through Ballyragget, the city of Kilkenny and then the villages of Bennettsbridge and Thomastown. Further south, it forms a picturesque V-shaped river valley, particularly notable near the village of Inistioge, the tidal limit. Major tributaries of the Nore include the Dinan, the Breagagh at Kilkenny City, the King's River, the Little Arrigle and the Black Water.

alt=The river nore as seen from [[Kilkenny Castle|center|thumb|The river nore as seen from Kilkenny Castle]]

List of places along the river.

List of tributaries

River Erkina
River Dinan (Dinin, Deen)
White Horse (Mountrath River)
Breagagh
King's River
Little Arrigle
Black Water

Geology and morphology

The Nore rises on a sandstone base but the catchment soon turns to limestone and remains so to the sea. The countryside is one of mixed farming, with some tillage, quite a bit of pasture and dairying and some bloodstock. The river has a fairly steep gradient but the flow is checked by innumerable weirs and it is probably true to say that shallow glides are the pre-dominant feature.

History

File:Thomastown64.jpg ]]

In pre-Famine years, there were many water-powered industries in the Nore valley, particularly in the ten-mile (16 km) stretch between Kilkenny City and Thomastown, including breweries, woolen mills, sawmills, marble works, distillaries and grain mills. Flax and linen were produced just north of Kilkenny City.

Recreation

Kilkenny fishing club has extensive fishing rights on the River Nore and its tributary, the River Dinan. Popular with anglers, it holds brown trout and salmon.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}

Some of these weirs along the river have good playboating qualities. The river is long and mostly flat and dotted with weirs at most of the villages it passes through.{{Cite web |url=http://www.irishwhitewater.com/river_guide/river.php?id=312 |title=Irish whitewater river guide to the Nore |access-date=11 September 2008 |archive-date=30 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091030173332/http://www.irishwhitewater.com/river_guide/river.php?id=312 |url-status=live }}

Salmon runs on the river Nore were interrupted in 2005 and 2006 by a flood relief scheme in Kilkenny city carried out by the Office of Public Works. Initially budgeted at €13.1 million, the scheme was delivered at a cost in excess of €48 million{{cite web|url=http://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/paperstoday/index.php?action=view&id=5425|title=Kilkenny flood costs lead to cuts|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927105922/http://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/paperstoday/index.php?action=view&id=5425|archive-date=2011-09-27}} and did not contain suitable fish passes. This oversight has since been rectified at additional expense and salmon can now ascend the river upstream of Kilkenny city.

References

=Footnotes=

{{Reflist|refs=

({{Harvnb|Fiontar|2008|loc=[http://www.logainm.ie/67254.aspx An Fheoir/River Nore (river)]}})

({{Harvnb|Environmental Protection Agency|2016|loc=[https://www.catchments.ie/data/#/catchment/15?_k=pxm7qm Catchment: Nore]}}, {{Harvnb|Environmental Protection Agency|2018|loc=[https://www.catchments.ie/wp-content/files/catchmentassessments/15%20Nore%20Catchment%20Summary%20WFD%20Cycle%202.pdf Nore Catchment Assessment 2010-2015 (HA 15)]}})

{{Cite web |url=http://www.irishfisheries.com/waterways.asp?P=1&W=10 |title=Irishfisheries River Nore Fishing |access-date=11 September 2008 |archive-date=17 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117114001/http://www.irishfisheries.com/waterways.asp?P=1&W=10 |url-status=live }}

[http://www.serbd.com/MultiDownloads/Creport/Chapters/Physical%20Description%20Ch3.pdf South Eastern River Basin District Management System. Page 38] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222354/http://www.serbd.com/MultiDownloads/Creport/Chapters/Physical%20Description%20Ch3.pdf |date=2016-03-03 }}

}}

External links

{{Citation |title=Irishfisheries River Nore Fishing |url=http://www.irishfisheries.com/waterways.asp?P=1&W=10 |work=irishfisheries.com}}
{{Citation |title=Salmon Ireland, information on the Salmon rivers of Ireland |url=http://www.salmonireland.com/salmon-rivers/southern/river-nore.jsp |work=salmonireland.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609194318/http://www.salmonireland.com/salmon-rivers/southern/river-nore.jsp |archive-date=2011-06-09 }}
{{Citation |title=Nore River Guide (canoeing and kayaking) |url=http://www.irishwhitewater.com/river_guide/river.php?id=312 |work=irishwhitewater.com}}
Song: [https://imslp.org/wiki/Floraline_Shore_(Webster%2C_Joseph_Philbrick) "Floraline Shore"] on IMSLP

{{Coord|52|25|N|6|57|W|display=title|region:IE_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki}}

Category:Rivers of County Laois

Category:Rivers of County Kilkenny

Category:Rivers of County Tipperary