the shannon river

The west of Longford is bordered by the Upper River Shannon. Rising in County Cavan, the river flows 250 km to the sea at Limerick, the longest river in the British Isles. Throughout Ireland's turbulent history the mighty Shannon figures prominently, a great natrual barrier dividing Leinster from Connaught, east from West. The river is named for the mythical Sionan. She was supposed to have drowned whilst feeding on the famous 'Salmon of Knowledge', a privilege that was denied to all females. The importance of the Shannon has long been understood. In Celtic times the fords were jealously guarded by the rival Provinces and the Shannon acted as a natural defensive boundary for both. the Vikings sailed their longboats up its navigable waters, probing ever deeper into the heart of the country. The Normans, unable to control Connaught fortified the river to protect the rich plains of Leinster. Following his victorious campaign in Ireland Cromwell sent the defeated Irish 'to hell or to Connaught'; for thousands the crossing of the Shannon meant the surrendering of their lands and eviction from their homes. In more recent times it was used as a great system of transport and communication. The Shannon traces the complete history of Ireland through the ages, from the earliest neolithic settlements, through the glories of Clonmacnois and the monastic era and the turbulent times of the Viking, Norman and English invasions. It now serves more productive purposes, a giant hydro-electric plant having been opened at Ardnacrusha in 1929 and a power station at Shannonbridge uses peat harvested nearby. The Shannon acts as a focal point for the whole of the country. Its gentle flowing waters and broad expansive lakes have become acclaimed recreational and tourist resources. With superb coarse and game angling facilities as well as being navigable by pleasure craft and inter-linked with the Grand Canal network, the delights of the Shannon are being sampled by ever- increasing numbers annually.