County Antrim Rivers

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND, 1837

THE two largest rivers are the Lagan and the Bann, both of which rise in County Down: at Belfast the Lagan spreads into the wide estuary called the Bay of Belfast, or Belfast Lough, and above it, with the aid of several cuts, has been made navigable to Lisburn, forming part of the navigation [canal] between Belfast and Lough Neagh: the Bann flows through Lough Neagh and Lough Beg, and continues its course to Coleraine, below which it falls into the sea.

Most of the rivers strictly belonging to the county in the mountains on the coast, and owing to the rapidity and shortness of their currents, are unnavigable.

The Bush runs westward from the mountains of Lissanoure to Benvarden, and then northward to the sea at Portballintrae: the Maine [or Main] flows southward into Lough Neagh, and has three copious tributaries, the Ravel, the Braid, and the Glenwherry: the Six Mile Water also falls into Lough Neagh, at Antrim; and the Crumlin and Glenavy rivers at Sandy Bay.

The rapidity of these and the smaller rivers renders their banks peculiarly advantageous sites for bleach greens, cotton mills, and flour and corn mills, of which the last are especially numerous.

The only artificial line of navigation is the Lagan Canal: its construction was powerfully aided by the noble family of Chichester, and the expense amounted to £62,000 [about £10 million in 2023], raised by debentures.