River Feale
The River Feale rises near Rockchapel in the Mullaghareirk Mountains of County Cork and flows north-westwards for 47 miles[1] through Abbeyfeale in County Limerick and Listowel in County Kerry before finally emptying into Cashen Bay, a wide estuary north of Ballyduff (52°28’59"N, 9°41’21"W). The waters entering the Shannon's estuary in time reach the Atlantic Ocean
The river, along with its tributaries, combine to add to over 100 miles of waterways.
For the final six-mile stretch, the Feale is known as the Cashen River. The river contains a large salmon and sea trout population.
The headwaters of the Feale rise approximately two and a half miles north-east of the village of Rockchapel between the townlands of Rockhill West, Rockhill East and Tooreenmacauliffe on the southwestern slopes of Mullaghareirk Mountain (52°19’6"N, 9°6’9"W)
Name
According to Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (compiled in the 1630s), the river takes its name from a legendary woman:[2][3]
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 Co Limerick and north Co 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 Co Cork and generally flow north or northwest into the Shannon Estuary. The other two rivers being the 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'.
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