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{{Short description|Longest river in the British Isles}}
{{use Hiberno-English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox river
| name = River Shannon
| native_name ={{native name|ga|Abhainn na Sionainne}}
| name_other =
| name_etymology =
| image = River Shannon from Drumsna bridge.jpg
| image_size = 240
| image_caption = River Shannon from [[Drumsna]] bridge, County Leitrim
| image_alt =
| map = River Shannon watershed.png
| map_size = 250
| map_caption = River Shannon watershed ([https://mghydro.com/watersheds/shared/A56884.html Interactive map])
| map_alt =
| pushpin_map =
| pushpin_map_size =
| pushpin_map_caption=
| pushpin_map_alt =
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 6
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
| subdivision_type2 = Counties
| subdivision_name2 = [[County Cavan|Cavan]], [[County Leitrim|Leitrim]], [[County Longford|Longford]], [[County Roscommon|Roscommon]], [[County Westmeath|Westmeath]], [[County Offaly|Offaly]], [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]], [[County Galway|Galway]], [[County Clare|Clare]], [[County Limerick|Limerick]], [[County Kerry|Kerry]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length = {{convert|360|km}}
| width_min =
| width_avg =
| width_max =
| depth_min =
| depth_avg =
| depth_max =
| discharge1_location=
| discharge1_min =
| discharge1_avg =
| discharge1_max = {{convert|300|m3/s}}
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1 = [[Shannon Pot]]
| source1_location = [[Glangevlin]], [[Cuilcagh Mountain]], County Cavan
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|54.235|N|7.92|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = 100
| mouth = [[Shannon Estuary]]
| mouth_location = [[Limerick]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|52.657|N|8.66|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation =
| progression =
| river_system =
| basin_size =
| basin_landmarks =
| basin_population =
| tributaries_left =
| tributaries_right =
| waterbodies =
| waterfalls =
| bridges =
| ports =
| custom_label =
| custom_data =
| extra =
}}
The '''River Shannon''' ({{langx|ga|an tSionainn, Abhainn na Sionainne}} or archaic {{lang|ga|an tSionna}}''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.logainm.ie/ga/1166693 | title=An tSionainn/River Shannon }}</ref>'') is the major river on the island of [[Ireland]], and at {{convert|360|km|mi|0|abbr= in}} in length,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.osi.ie/Education/Primary-Schools/Seniors/Mountains,-Rivers-Lakes-%281%29.aspx|publisher= [[Ordnance Survey Ireland]]|title= Primary Seniors – Mountains, Rivers & Lakes|access-date= 28 May 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140529051622/http://www.osi.ie/Education/Primary-Schools/Seniors/Mountains,-Rivers-Lakes-%281%29.aspx|archive-date= 29 May 2014|url-status= dead}}</ref> is the longest [[Rivers of Ireland|river]] in the [[British Isles]].<ref name=BI1>{{Cite book |last1=Feeley |first1=Hugh B. |title=ESManage Project: Irish Freshwater Resources and Assessment of Ecosystem Services Provision |last2=Bruen |first2=Michael |last3=Bullock |first3=Craig |last4=Christie |first4=Mike |last5=Kelly |first5=Fiona |last6=Kelly-Quinn |first6=Mary |publisher=EPA |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-84095-699-3 |volume=Report No. 207 |pages=Section 3.1.2}}</ref><ref name="BI2">{{cite book |last=Dobrzynski |first=Jan |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nFAdDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT6 |title=River Severn: From Source to Sea |date=2016 |publisher=Amberley Publishing |chapter=Introduction |isbn=9781445649054 |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref> It drains the [[Shannon River Basin]], which has an area of {{convert|16900|km2|sqmi|0|abbr= on}},<ref>{{cite book|title= Biology and Management of European Eel (''Anguilla anguilla'', L) in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland|chapter-url= http://europeaneel.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/chapter-2-study-area.pdf|chapter= Chapter 2: Study Area|access-date= 7 September 2014|archive-date= 7 September 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140907173249/http://europeaneel.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/chapter-2-study-area.pdf|url-status= live}}</ref> – approximately one fifth of the area of Ireland.
Known as an important [[waterway]] since antiquity, the Shannon first appeared in maps by the Graeco-Egyptian [[geographer]] [[Ptolemy]] ({{circa}} 100 – {{circa}} 170 AD). The river flows generally southwards from the [[Shannon Pot]] in [[County Cavan]] before turning west and emptying into the [[Atlantic Ocean]] through the {{convert|102.1|km|mi|abbr= on}} long [[Shannon Estuary]].<ref name="Facts">{{cite web|title= Facts|url= http://www.osi.ie/Education/Secondary-Schools/Teacher-Resources/Facts-%281%29.aspx|publisher= [[Ordnance Survey Ireland]]|access-date= 9 September 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140911001931/http://www.osi.ie/Education/Secondary-Schools/Teacher-Resources/Facts-%281%29.aspx|archive-date= 11 September 2014|url-status= live}}</ref> Limerick city stands at the point where the river water meets the [[seawater|sea water]] of the [[estuary]]. The Shannon is tidal east of Limerick as far as the base of the [[Ardnacrusha power plant|Ardnacrusha dam]].<ref>
{{cite journal
|title= Going through Ardnacrusha|journal= Inland Waterways News
|issue= Summer 2001 – Volume 28 Number 2
|publisher= [[Inland Waterways Association of Ireland]]
|url= http://iwn.iwai.ie/v28i2/guide2.PDF|access-date= 9 September 2014
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053029/http://iwn.iwai.ie/v28i2/guide2.PDF
|archive-date= 4 March 2016|url-status= dead
}}
</ref> The Shannon divides the west of Ireland (principally the [[provinces of Ireland|province]] of [[Connacht]]) from the east and south ([[Leinster]] and most of [[Munster]]; [[County Clare]], being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception.) The river represents a major physical barrier between east and west, with [[list of crossings of the Shannon|fewer than thirty-five]] crossing points between the village of [[Dowra]] in the north and [[Limerick]] city in the south.
==
By tradition the Shannon is said to rise in the [[Shannon Pot]], a small pool in the townland of [[Derrylahan]] on the slopes of [[Cuilcagh|Cuilcagh Mountain]] in [[County Cavan]], [[Republic of Ireland]], from where the young river appears as a small trout stream. Surveys have defined a {{convert|12.8|km2|abbr=on}} immediate pot catchment area covering the slopes of Cuilcagh. This area includes Garvah Lough, Cavan, {{convert|2.2|km|abbr=on}} to the northeast, drained by ''Pollnaowen''.<ref group="n">Note '''Poll nm1:''' hole, pit, sink, leak, aperture (''The Pocket Oxford Irish Dictionary – Irish-English'')</ref> Further sinks that source the pot include Pollboy and, through [[Shannon Cave]], Pollahune in Cavan and Polltullyard and Tullynakeeragh in [[County Fermanagh]], [[Northern Ireland]]. The highest point in the catchment is a spring at Tiltinbane on the western end of the Cuilcagh mountain ridge.<ref name="SBW">Philip Elmer et al. ''Springs and Bottled Waters of the World'' Springer {{ISBN|3-540-61841-4}}</ref>
From the Shannon Pot, the river subsumes a number of tributaries before replenishing [[Lough Allen]] at its head.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iwai.ie/maps/shannon/guide/17.php3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319000141/http://www.iwai.ie/maps/shannon/guide/17.php3|url-status=dead|title=The Shannon Guide|archive-date=19 March 2015}}</ref> The river runs through or between 11 of Ireland's [[Counties of Ireland|counties]], subsuming the tributary rivers [[Boyle River (Ireland)|Boyle]], [[River Inny, Westmeath|Inny]], [[River Suck|Suck]], [[Mulkear River|Mulkear]] and [[River Brosna|Brosna]], among others, before reaching the Shannon Estuary at [[Limerick]].
[[File:Shannon Pot (474383119).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Shannon Pot]], the traditional source of the river]]
Many different values have been given for the length of the Shannon. A traditional value is {{Convert|390|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle= Shannon |volume= 24 | pages = 819–820; see page 819, line two |quote= ...with a length of about 240 m....}}</ref> An official Irish source gives a total length of {{Convert|360.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} (being {{convert|258.1|km|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}} fresh and {{convert|102.1|km|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}} tidal).<ref name="Facts"/> Some Irish guides now give {{Convert|344|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite book|first=Ruth|last=Delaney|title=Shell Guide to the River Shannon|year=1996|url=http://www.iwai.ie/maps/shannon/guide/1.php3|access-date=8 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165644/http://www.iwai.ie/maps/shannon/guide/1.php3|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cruising on the Shannon|publisher=Fodor|url=http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/ireland/the-midlands/feature_30012.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908224458/http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/ireland/the-midlands/feature_30012.html|archive-date=8 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Discover Ireland">{{cite web|url=http://www.discoverireland.com/gb/about-ireland/nature/|title=Nature & Scenery|publisher=Discover Ireland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520121337/http://www.discoverireland.com/gb/about-ireland/nature/|archive-date=20 May 2013}}</ref> Some academic sources give {{Convert|280|km|mi|abbr=on}},<ref name="Environmental Geology">{{cite journal|title=Source of the River Shannon, Ireland|journal=Environmental Geology|volume=27|number=2|pages=110–112|date=31 January 2005|doi=10.1007/BF01061681|last1=Gunn|first1=J.|s2cid=129442165}}{{dead link|date=February 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> although most will refuse to give a number. The reason is that there is no particular end to a river that empties into an estuary. The 344 km length relates to the distance between Shannon Pot and a line between [[Kerry Head]] and [[Loop Head]], the furthest reaches of the land. (It also assumes the current shipping route via Ardnacrusha, which takes {{convert|7|km|abbr=on}} off the distance.) The 280 km distance finishes where the Shannon estuary joins the estuary of the [[River Fergus]], close to [[Shannon Airport]]. Longer claimed lengths emerged before the use of modern surveying instruments.
At a total length of {{convert|360.5|km|mi|0|abbr=in}}, it is the longest river in Ireland.<ref name="Discover Ireland"/> That the Shannon is the longest river in the British Isles was evidently known in the 12th century, although a map of the time showed this river as flowing out of the south of Ireland.<ref name=BI1 />
There are some tributaries within the [[Shannon River Basin]] which have headwaters that are further in length (from source to mouth) than the [[Shannon Pot]] source's length of {{convert|360.5|km|mi|0|abbr=in}}, such as the [[Owenmore River (County Cavan)|Owenmore River]], total length {{Convert|372|km||abbr=on}} in County Cavan<ref>{{cite book|title=Atlas and Cyclopedia of Ireland|author=P. W. Joyce|chapter=Cavan|chapter-url=http://www.libraryireland.com/Atlas/Cavan.php|year=1900|publisher=Murphy & McCarthy|access-date=8 October 2011|archive-date=11 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411192148/http://www.libraryireland.com/Atlas/Cavan.php|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Boyle River (Ireland)|Boyle River]], total length {{Convert|392.1|km||abbr=on}} with its source in [[County Mayo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/notesonriverbas00willgoog|title=Notes on river basins|date=3 January 1872|via=Internet Archive|access-date=3 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325205428/https://archive.org/details/notesonriverbas00willgoog|archive-date=25 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Upper Shannon catchment.jpg|thumb|left|Upper Shannon catchment (with Shannon source, Owenmore River and Boyle River Basin)]]
The River Shannon is a traditional freshwater river for about 45% of its total length. Excluding the {{convert|63+1/2|mi|0|order=flip|abbr=on}} tidal estuary from its total length of {{convert|224|mi|order=flip|abbr=on}}, if one also excludes the lakes ([[Lough Derg (Shannon)|L. Derg]] {{convert|24|mi|order=flip|abbr=on}}, [[Lough Ree|L. Ree]] {{convert|18|mi|order=flip|abbr=on}}, [[Lough Allen|L. Allen]] {{convert|7|mi|order=flip|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/|title=Home|website=askaboutireland.ie|access-date=3 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110054610/http://askaboutireland.ie/|archive-date=10 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> plus [[Lough Boderg|L. Boderg]], [[Lough Bofin (River Shannon)|L. Bofin]], [[Lough Forbes|L. Forbes]], [[Lough Corry|L. Corry]]) from the Shannon's freshwater flow of {{convert|160+1/2|mi|0|order=flip|abbr=on}}, the Shannon, as a freshwater river, is only about {{convert|100|mi|0|order=flip|abbr=on}} long.
Apart from being Ireland's longest river, the Shannon is also, by far, Ireland's largest river by [[streamflow|flow]]. It has a long-term average flow rate of {{convert|208.1|m3/s|abbr=on}} (at [[Limerick]]). This is double the flow rate of Ireland's second highest-volume river, the short [[River Corrib]] ({{convert|104.8|m3/s|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.serbd.com/MultiDownloads/Creport/Chapters/Physical%20Description%20Ch3.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222354/http://www.serbd.com/MultiDownloads/Creport/Chapters/Physical%20Description%20Ch3.pdf|url-status=dead|title=South Eastern River Basin Management: Page 38|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> If the discharges from all of the rivers and streams into the Shannon Estuary (including the rivers [[River Feale|Feale]] {{convert|34.6|m3/s|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}, [[River Maigue|Maigue]] {{convert|15.6|m3/s|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}, [[River Fergus|Fergus]] {{convert|25.7|m3/s|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}, and [[River Deel|Deel]] {{convert|7.4|m3/s|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}})<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/zoology/mccarthy/documents/mccarthy_et_al_2008.pdf|title=Long-term effects of hydropower installations and associated river regulation on River Shannon eel populations: mitigation and management|website=nuigalway.ie|access-date=2020-01-03|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191259/http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/zoology/mccarthy/documents/mccarthy_et_al_2008.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Foreshore/FileDownLoad,30279,en.pdf|title=SFPC Maintenance Dredging Application: Table 3-7|access-date=14 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208233846/http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Foreshore/FileDownLoad,30279,en.pdf|archive-date=8 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> are added to the discharge at Limerick, the total discharge of the River Shannon at its mouth at Loop Head reaches {{convert|300|m3/s|abbr=on}}. Indeed, the Shannon is a major river by the time it leaves [[Lough Ree]] with an average flow rate (at [[Athlone]] weir) of {{convert|98|m3/s|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shannoncframstudy.ie/docs/River%20Shannon%20Level%20Operation%20Review%20Report.pdf|title=Shannon Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study|page=6|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805113034/http://shannoncframstudy.ie/docs/River%20Shannon%20Level%20Operation%20Review%20Report.pdf|archive-date=2018-08-05}}</ref> larger than any of the other Irish rivers' total flow (apart from the [[River Corrib]] at [[Galway City|Galway]]).
===Distributaries===
The main flow of the river is affected by some [[distributaries]] along its course, many of which rejoin it downstream. The [[Abbey River, Limerick|Abbey River]] flows around the northeastern, eastern, and southern shores of [[King's Island, Limerick|King's Island]], [[Limerick]] before rejoining the Shannon at ''Hellsgate Island''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Simms|first=J.G.|date=1986|title=War and Politics in Ireland, 1649-1730|url=https://archive.org/details/warpoliticsinire0000simm|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/warpoliticsinire0000simm/page/22 22]|___location=London|publisher=Hambledon Press|isbn=978-0907628729|access-date=23 October 2013|quote=The Shannon divides at Limerick; a branch, called the Abbey river, makes an island which was called the King's Island.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-2141679&fid=1641&c=ireland|title=Abbey River, Ireland|date=5 May 1998|website=Geographical Names|publisher=National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bethesda, Maryland, US|access-date=23 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193202/http://www.geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-2141679&fid=1641&c=ireland|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Protected areas==
The [[Shannon Callows]], areas of lowland along the river, are classified as a [[Special Area of Conservation]].
==Settlements==
Settlements along the river (going upriver) include [[Kilrush]], [[Tarbert, Kerry|Tarbert]], [[Glin, County Limerick|Glin]], [[Foynes]], [[Askeaton]], [[Shannon, County Clare|Shannon Town]], [[Limerick]], [[Castletroy]], [[Castleconnell]], [[O'Briensbridge]], [[Montpelier, County Limerick|Montpelier]], [[Killaloe, County Clare|Killaloe]], [[Ballina, County Tipperary|Ballina]], [[Portumna]], [[Banagher]], [[Athlone]], [[Lanesborough–Ballyleague|Lanesborough]], [[Carrick-on-Shannon]], [[Leitrim, County Leitrim|Leitrim village]] and [[Dowra]].
==Historical aspects==
[[File:Clonmacnoise - geograph.org.uk - 585622.jpg|thumb|left|River Shannon at [[Clonmacnoise]], County Offaly]]The river began flowing along its present course after the end of the [[last glacial period]].
[[Ptolemy]]'s ''[[Geography (Ptolemy)|Geography]]'' (2nd century AD) described a river called Σηνος (''Sēnos'') from PIE *''sai''-/''sei''- 'to bind', the root of English ''sinew'' and Irish [[Wiktionary:sin#Irish|''sin'']] ‘[[wikt:collar|collar]]’, referring to the long and sinuous [[estuary]] leading up to Limerick.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.romaneranames.uk/essays/ireland.pdf |title=Ireland |website=romaneranames.uk |access-date=2020-01-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402180652/http://www.romaneranames.uk/essays/ireland.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.proc-int-cartogr-assoc.net/1/1/2018/ica-proc-1-1-2018.pdf|title=Ptolemy's Britain and Ireland: A New Digital Reconstruction|first1=Corey|last1=Abshire|first2=Anthony|last2=Durham|first3=Dmitri A.|last3=Gusev|first4=Sergey K.|last4=Stafeyev|publisher=[[International Cartographic Association]]|date=2018|journal=Proceedings of the ICA|volume=1|page=1|doi=10.5194/ica-proc-1-1-2018|bibcode=2018PrICA...1....1A|access-date=7 October 2020|archive-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721014951/https://www.proc-int-cartogr-assoc.net/1/1/2018/ica-proc-1-1-2018.pdf|url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref>
[[Vikings]] settled in the region in the 10th century and used the river to raid the rich monasteries deep inland. In 937 the Limerick Vikings clashed with those of [[Dublin]] on Lough Ree and were defeated.
In the 17th century, the Shannon was of major strategic importance in military campaigns in Ireland, as it formed a physical boundary between the east and west of the country. In the [[Irish Confederate Wars]] of 1641–53, the Irish retreated behind the Shannon in 1650 and held out for two further years against [[Parliament of England|English Parliamentarian]] forces. In preparing a [[Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652|land settlement]], or [[Plantations of Ireland|plantation]] after his [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland|conquest of Ireland]] [[Oliver Cromwell]] reputedly said the remaining Irish landowners would go to "Hell or Connacht", referring to their choice of [[forced migration]] west across the river Shannon, or death, thus freeing up the eastern landholdings for the incoming English settlers.
In the [[Williamite War in Ireland]] (1689–91), the [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]] also retreated behind the Shannon after their defeat at the [[Battle of the Boyne]] in 1690. [[Athlone]] and Limerick, cities commanding bridges over the river, saw bloody sieges (see [[Sieges of Limerick (disambiguation)|Sieges of Limerick]] and [[Siege of Athlone]]).
As late as 1916, the leaders of the [[Easter Rising]] planned to have their forces in the west "hold the line of the Shannon". However, in the event, the rebels were neither well enough armed nor equipped to attempt such an ambitious policy.
==Navigation==
[[Image:ShannonRiversml.png|thumb|right|Course of River Shannon]]
===1755 to 1820===
Though the Shannon has always been important for navigation in Ireland, there is a fall of only {{convert|18|m|abbr=on}} in its first {{convert|250|km|abbr=on}}. Consequently, it has always been shallow, with {{convert|0.5|m|abbr=on}} depths in various places. The first serious attempt to improve navigability came in 1755 when the [[Commissioners of Inland Navigation]] ordered [[Thomas Omer]], a new immigrant from England, possibly of Dutch origin, to commence work.<ref name="Ruth Delaney 2004">{{cite book|author=Ruth Delaney|title=Ireland's Inland Waterways|publisher=Appletree Press|year=2004}}</ref> He worked at four places between [[Lough Derg (Shannon)|Lough Derg]] and [[Lough Ree]] where natural navigation was obstructed, by installing lateral canals and either [[pound lock]]s or [[flash lock]]s. He then continued north of Lough Ree and made several similar improvements, most notably by creating the first [[Jamestown Canal]] which cut out a loop of the river between [[Jamestown, County Leitrim|Jamestown]] and [[Drumsna]], as well as lateral canals at [[Roosky]] and [[Lanesborough, Longford|Lanesborough]].<ref name="Ruth Delaney 2004"/>
The lower Shannon between [[Killaloe, County Clare|Killaloe]] and [[Limerick]] had a topography quite different from the long upper reaches. Here the river falls by {{convert|30|m|abbr=on}} in only {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}}. William Ockenden, also from England, was placed in charge of works on this stretch in 1757 and spent £12,000 over the next four years, without fully completing the task. In 1771 parliament handed over responsibility to the [[Limerick Navigation Company]], with a grant of £6,000 to add to their subscriptions of £10,000. A lateral canal, {{convert|8|km|0|abbr=on}} long with six locks, was started but the company needed more funds to complete it. In 1791, [[William Chapman (engineer)|William Chapman]] was brought in to advise and discovered a sorry state of affairs – all the locks had been built to different dimensions and he spent the next three years supervising the rebuilding of most of them. The navigation was finally opened in 1799, when over {{convert|1000|LT|t|abbr=off}} of corn came down to Limerick, as well as [[slate]]s and [[Peat|turf]]. But even then, there were no [[tow path]]s in the river sections and there were still shoals in the summer months, as well as a lack of harbour facilities at Limerick, and boats were limited to {{convert|15|-|20|LT|t|abbr=off}} load, often less.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
With the approaching opening of the [[Grand Canal (Ireland)|Grand Canal]], the Grand Canal Company obtained permission from the [[Directors General of Inland Navigation]], and asked [[John Brownrigg (surveyor)|John Brownrigg]] to do a survey which found that much of Omer's work had deteriorated badly, so they started repairs. After protracted negotiations on costs and conditions, the work was completed by 1810, so that boats drawing {{convert|5|ft|9|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} could pass from [[Athlone]] to [[Killaloe, County Clare|Killaloe]]. Improvements on the lower levels were also undertaken, being completed by 1814.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
When the [[Royal Canal]] was completed in 1817 there was pressure to improve the navigation above Lough Ree. The Jamestown Canal was repaired, harbours built and [[John Killaly]] designed a canal alongside the river from [[Battlebridge, County Roscommon|Battlebridge]] to [[Lough Allen]], which was opened in 1820.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
===1820s to Independence===
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = {{visible anchor|Shannon Navigation Act 1830}}
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title = An Act for the improvement of the Shannon Navigation from the City of Limerick to Killaloe, by rebuilding the Bridge called Baal's Bridge, in the said City.
| year = 1830
| citation = [[11 Geo. 4 & 1 Will. 4]]. c. cxxvi
| introduced_commons =
| introduced_lords =
| territorial_extent =
| royal_assent = 17 June 1830
| commencement =
| expiry_date =
| repeal_date =
| amends =
| replaces =
| amendments =
| repealing_legislation =
| related_legislation =
| status =
| legislation_history =
| theyworkforyou =
| millbankhansard =
| original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo4and1Will4/11/126/pdfs/ukla_18300126_en.pdf
| revised_text =
| use_new_UK-LEG =
| UK-LEG_title =
| collapsed = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = Shannon Navigation Improvement Act 1835
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title = An Act for the Improvement of the Navigation of the River Shannon.
| year = 1835
| citation = [[5 & 6 Will. 4]]. c. 67
| introduced_commons =
| introduced_lords =
| territorial_extent =
| royal_assent = 9 September 1835
| commencement =
| expiry_date =
| repeal_date =
| amends =
| replaces =
| amendments =
| repealing_legislation = {{ubli|[[Statute Law Revision Act 1874]]}}
| related_legislation =
| status = repealed
| legislation_history =
| theyworkforyou =
| millbankhansard =
| original_text =
| revised_text =
| use_new_UK-LEG =
| UK-LEG_title =
| collapsed = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = {{visible anchor|Shannon Navigation Act 1839}}
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title = An Act for the Improvement of the Navigation of the River Shannon.
| year = 1839
| citation = [[2 & 3 Vict.]] c. 61
| introduced_commons =
| introduced_lords =
| territorial_extent =
| royal_assent = 17 August 1839
| commencement =
| expiry_date =
| repeal_date =
| amends =
| replaces =
| amendments =
| repealing_legislation =
| related_legislation =
| status =
| legislation_history =
| theyworkforyou =
| millbankhansard =
| original_text =
| revised_text =
| use_new_UK-LEG =
| UK-LEG_title =
| collapsed = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = {{visible anchor|Shannon Navigation Act 1847}}
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title = An Act to provide for the Repayment of Sums due by the County of the City of Limerick for Advances of public Money for the Improvement of the Navigation of the River Shannon.
| year = 1847
| citation = 10 & 11 Vict. c. 74
| introduced_commons =
| introduced_lords =
| territorial_extent =
| royal_assent = 22 July 1847
| commencement =
| expiry_date =
| repeal_date =
| amends =
| replaces =
| amendments =
| repealing_legislation = {{ubli|[[Statute Law Revision Act 1875]]}}
| related_legislation =
| status = repealed
| legislation_history =
| theyworkforyou =
| millbankhansard =
| original_text =
| revised_text =
| use_new_UK-LEG =
| UK-LEG_title =
| collapsed = yes
}}
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2024}}
[[File:Boats on shannon rally.JPG|thumb|left|2012 Shannon Boat Rally]]
In the latter part of the 1820s, trade increased dramatically with the arrival of paddle-wheeled [[steamboat|steamers]] on the river which carried passengers and goods. By 1831 14,600 passengers and {{convert|36000|LT|t|abbr=off}} of freight were being carried. This put new pressure on the navigation and a commission was set up resulting in the [[Shannon Navigation Improvement Act 1835]] ([[5 & 6 Will. 4]]. c. 67) appointing five commissioners for the improvement of navigation and drainage who took possession of the whole navigation. Over the next 15 years, many improvements were made but in 1849 a railway was opened from Dublin to Limerick and the number of passengers fell dramatically. Freight, which had risen to over {{convert|100000|LT|t|abbr=off}} per year, was also halved.
But the work the commissioners carried out failed to solve the problems of flooding and there were disastrous floods in the early 1860s. Given the flat nature of most of the riverbank, this was not easily addressed and nothing much was done until the 20th century.
===Ardnacrusha and passenger use===
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2024}}
[[File:Shannon at Limerick.jpg|thumb|right|River Shannon at [[Limerick]], where it flows into the [[Shannon Estuary]]]]
One of the first projects of the [[Irish Free State]] in the 1920s was the [[Shannon hydroelectric scheme]] which established the Ardnacrusha [[power station]] on the lower Shannon above Limerick. The old Killaloe to Limerick canal with its five locks was abandoned and the head race constructed from Lough Derg also served for navigation. A double lock was provided at the dam.
In the 1950s traffic began to fall and low fixed bridges would have replaced opening bridges but for the actions of the [[Inland Waterways Association of Ireland]] which persuaded the [[Tánaiste]] to encourage passenger launches, which kept the bridges high enough for navigation. Since then the leisure trade has steadily increased, becoming a great success story.
==Canals==
There are also many [[Canals of Ireland|canals]] connecting with the River Shannon. The [[Royal Canal]] and the [[Grand Canal (Ireland)|Grand Canal]] connect the Shannon to Dublin and the [[Irish Sea]]. It is linked to the [[River Erne]] and [[Lough Erne]] by the [[Shannon–Erne Waterway]].
[[Ballinasloe]] is linked to the Shannon via the [[River Suck]] and canal, while [[Boyle, County Roscommon|Boyle]] is connected via the Boyle canal, the [[Boyle River (Ireland)|river Boyle]] and [[Lough Key]]. There is also the Ardnacrusha canal connected with the Ardnacrusha dam south of Lough Derg. Near Limerick, a short canal connects [[Plassey, County Limerick|Plassey]] with the [[Abbey River, Limerick|Abbey River]], allowing boats to bypass the Curraghower Falls, a major obstacle to navigation. [[Lecarrow]] village in [[County Roscommon]] is connected to Lough Ree via the Lecarrow canal. [[Jamestown Canal]] and the [[Albert Lock]] form a link between the River Shannon, from south of [[Jamestown, County Leitrim|Jamestown]], to Lough Nanoge to the south of [[Drumsna]].
==Etymology and folklore==
===Sionnann===
[[File:Myths and legends; the Celtic race (1910) (14760458156).jpg|thumb|upright|An illustration, titled "Sinend and Connla's Well", from ''Myths and Legends; the Celtic Race'' (1910) by [[T. W. Rolleston]] ]]
According to [[Irish mythology]], the river was named after a woman (in many sources a member of the [[Tuatha de Danaan]]) named Sionann (older spelling forms: Sínann or Sínand), the granddaughter of [[Manannán mac Lir]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Mícheál O Súilleabháin |title=Global aspirations and the reality of change |editor=Harry Bohan and Gerard Kennedy |chapter=Listening to difference: Ireland in a world of music |chapter-url=http://www.catholicireland.net/books-a-media/193-moral-issues-a-values/443-global-aspirations-and-the-reality-of-change |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404074405/http://www.catholicireland.net/books-a-media/193-moral-issues-a-values/443-global-aspirations-and-the-reality-of-change |archive-date=4 April 2012}}</ref> She went to [[Connla's Well]] to find wisdom, despite having been warned not to approach it. In some sources she, like [[Fionn mac Cumhaill]], caught and ate the [[Salmon of Knowledge|Salmon of Wisdom]] who swam there, becoming the wisest being on Earth, in others, she merely drank from the well. At any rate, the waters of the well are said to have burst forth, drowning Sionann, and carrying her out to sea.<ref name=":0">Monaghan, Patricia. ''The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore''. Infobase Publishing, 2004. p.420</ref> Notably, a similar tale is told of [[Boann]] and the [[River Boyne]]. It is said that Sionann thus became the goddess of the river. Patricia Monaghan notes that "The drowning of a goddess in a river is common in Irish mythology and typically represents the dissolving of her divine power into the water, which then gives life to the land".<ref>Monaghan, p.27</ref>
A small myth about Sionann tells that the legendary hunter-warrior [[Fionn mac Cumhaill]] was attacked by a number of other warriors at Ballyleague, near north Lough Ree. It is said that when Fionn was near to defeat, Sionnan rescued him, and he arrived with the Stone of Sionann, threw the stone, and the warriors were immediately killed. It further says that Fionn was afraid of the power of the stone and threw it into the river, where it remains at a low [[Ford (crossing)|ford]], and that if a woman named Be Thuinne finds it, then the world's end is near.<ref name=":0" />
===Creatures===
The Shannon reputedly hosts a river monster named Cata, the first known mention being in the medieval [[Book of Lismore]]. In this manuscript, we are told that [[Senán mac Geirrcinn|Senán]], patron saint of [[County Clare]], defeated the monster at [[Inis Cathaigh]].<ref>[http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/folklore/folklore_survey/chapter8.htm A Folklore Survey of County Clare: Supernatural Animals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907080705/http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/folklore/folklore_survey/chapter8.htm |date=7 September 2011 }}. Clarelibrary.ie. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.</ref> Cata is described as a large creature with a horse's mane, gleaming eyes, thick feet, nails of iron, and a whale's tail.<ref>Cata The Monster of Shannon Waves : A true Story by Shane Mac Olon</ref> Another story has an [[oilliphéist]] flee its home in the Shannon, upon hearing that [[Saint Patrick]] has arrived to remove its kind from Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4649686/4647061|title=The Schools' Collection, Volume 0210, Page 152|website=Duchas.ie|access-date=19 March 2020|archive-date=25 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025192426/https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4649686/4647061|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Economics==
[[File:Shannonbridge.jpg|thumb|left|[[Shannonbridge]], County Offaly]]
Despite being {{convert|360.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, it rises only {{convert|76|m|abbr=on}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]], so the river is easily navigable, with only a few locks along its length. There is a [[Ardnacrusha power plant|hydroelectric generation plant]] at [[Ardnacrusha (village)|Ardnacrusha]] belonging to the [[Electricity Supply Board|ESB]].
Shipping in the Shannon estuary was developed extensively during
==Flora and fauna==
===Shannon eel management programme===
A trap and transport scheme is in force on the Shannon as part of an [[eel]] management programme following the discovery of a reduced eel population. This scheme ensures safe passage for young eels between [[Lough Derg (Shannon)|Lough Derg]] and the Shannon estuary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/nr/rdonlyres/3a6f7001-9bed-4fad-8e00-fbe2f7aea042/0/shirbd191208.pdf|title=Shannon International River Basin District Eel Management Plan|access-date=2014-02-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214023514/http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/nr/rdonlyres/3a6f7001-9bed-4fad-8e00-fbe2f7aea042/0/shirbd191208.pdf|archive-date=14 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.esb.ie/main/sustainability/eel-trap-and-transport.jsp|title=Eel traps & transport|website=esb.ie|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804194225/http://www.esb.ie/main/sustainability/eel-trap-and-transport.jsp|archive-date=2014-08-04}}</ref>
==Fishing==
Though the Shannon estuary fishing industry is now depleted, at one time it employed hundreds of men along its length. At [[Limerick]], fishermen based on Clancy's Strand used the [[Gandelow]] to catch [[Salmon]].<ref>McInerney, Jim (2005) "The Gandelow: a Shannon Estuary Fishing Boat" A.K. Ilen Company Ltd, {{ISBN|0-9547915-1-7}}</ref> The Abbey Fishermen used a net and a boat type known as a Breacaun to fish between Limerick City and Plassey until 1929.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://limerickslife.com/abbey-fishermen/|title=The Abbey Fisherman of the Abbey area in Limerick city, Ireland|date=1 July 2012|website=Limerick's Life|access-date=11 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412075416/http://limerickslife.com/abbey-fishermen/|archive-date=12 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1929, the construction of a dam at [[Ardnacrusha]] severely impacted salmon breeding and that, and the introduction of quotas, had by the 1950s caused salmon fishing to cease.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/heritage/pdfs/clare_traditional_boat_and_currach_project_2008.pdf|title=Clare Traditional Boat and Currach Project 2008|author=Darina Tully|access-date=2020-01-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923204739/http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/heritage/pdfs/clare_traditional_boat_and_currach_project_2008.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> However, recreational fishing still goes on. Further down the [[Shannon Estuary]] at [[Kilrush]] the [[Currach]] was used to catch [[herring]] as well as drift netting for salmon.
==Water extraction==
[[File:Athlone.jpg|thumb|[[Athlone]], County Westmeath]]
[[Dublin City Council]] published a plan in 2011 to supply up to 350 million litres of water a day from Lough Derg to Dublin city and region. In 2016 the [[Parteen]] Basin to the south of lough was chosen as the proposed site of extraction. Water would be pumped to a break pressure tank [[Knockanacree]] near [[Cloughjordan]] in County Tipperary and gravity fed from there by [[River Shannon to Dublin pipeline|pipeline]] to Dublin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.watersupplyproject.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/appendix_g_break_pressure_tank.pdf|title=Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region: Appendix G Break Pressure Tank|date=November 2016|access-date=2020-01-03|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108195425/http://www.watersupplyproject.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/appendix_g_break_pressure_tank.pdf|archive-date=8 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0731/106457-water/|title=Warning over Shannon water extraction|date=31 July 2008|via=rte.ie|access-date=3 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103120738/https://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0731/106457-water/|archive-date=3 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/196725/Shannon-water-extraction-a-concern-for.html|title=Shannon water extraction a concern for Limerick councillors|website=limerickleader.ie|date=7 August 2015 |access-date=3 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228092425/https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/196725/Shannon-water-extraction-a-concern-for.html|archive-date=28 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/committees/environmenttransportcultureandthegaeltacht/8november/River-Shannon-Protection-Alliance-Position-Paper.pdf|title=River Shannon Protection Alliance: Why we say the Dublin Region Water Supply Project is a bad scheme|website=oireachtas.ie|date=2011-10-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108195819/http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/committees/environmenttransportcultureandthegaeltacht/8november/River-Shannon-Protection-Alliance-Position-Paper.pdf|archive-date=2016-11-08}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[
* [[
==
{{reflist|group=n}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051204093359/http://www.iwai.ie/nav/shannon.html Information, maps, etc. on The Shannon Navigation (from Inland Waterways Association of Ireland)]
*{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/538586/River-Shannon|title=River Shannon|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica}}
*[https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/irelands-wild-river-trailer-irelands-wild-river/8720/ Ireland's Wild River (2014 "Nature" episode on the River Shannon by wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson)]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon}}
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[[Category:Rivers of County Cavan]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Clare]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Galway]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Leitrim]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Limerick]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Longford]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Offaly]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Roscommon]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Westmeath]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Tipperary]]
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