River Bandon
The River Bandon is a river forty-five miles long in County Cork. Its name in the Irish language is given as Abhainn na Bandan, said to be from ban-dea, meaning "goddess"[1]
The Bandon rises at Nowen Hill (one of the Shehy Mountains), to the north of Drimoleague. The river then flows to Dunmanway, before turning eastward towards the twin villages of Ballineen and Enniskean. It then makes its way through the centre of Bandon town, and on to Innishannon and Kilmacsimon, before draining into Kinsale Harbour on Ireland's south coast.
Tributaries include the Sally River and the Brewery River at Dunmanway, the "Small Blackwater" near Ballineen, and the Bridewell River at Bandon. The river is crossed by a total of 15 bridges (including two footbridges). There were also four railway bridges, one of which is still intact (on farmland near Dunmanway). The remains of the others - near Murragh, Bandon, and Innishannon - consist only of abutments and/or piers, with the spans having been removed.
Angling
The River Bandon is famous for its Atlantic salmon fishing: the biggest recorded salmon caught in Ireland since 1991 was landed by Bill Canning of Goresbridge, County Kilkenny on 7 July 2008. Mr Canning's salmon weighed 28 lbs 3 oz (12.8 kg) and is on display in the Munster Arms hotel in Bandon town.
Floods
On 19 and 20 November 2009 the river burst its banks for the first time in many years, causing large-scale flood damage to Bandon town and at other points along the river.
In December 2015, Bandon experienced further flooding as a result of Atlantic storms.
Location
- Location map: 51°40’41"N, 8°30’12"W