County Armagh Rivers

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND, 1837

THE two principal rivers are the Blackwater and the Bann, which chiefly flow along the north-eastern and north-western boundaries of the county, the former discharging itself into the western side of Lough Neagh, and the latter into the southern part of the same lough, at the Bannfoot ferry.

The Newry River, after flowing through a narrow valley between the counties of Down and Armagh, empties itself into Carlingford Bay, below Newry.

The Callan joins the Blackwater below Charlemont: the Cusher falls into the Bann at its junction with the Newry canal; and the Camlough, flowing from the lake of the same name, discharges itself into the Newry River.

This last named river, during its short course of five miles, supplies numerous bleach-works, and corn, flour, and flax mills: its falls are so rapid that the tail race of the higher mill forms the head water of the next lower.

The Newtownhamilton River is joined by the Tara, and flows into Dundalk Bay, into which also the Flurry, and the Fane, empty themselves.

The total number of main and branch streams is 18, and the combined lengths of all are 165 miles.

The mouths of those which flow into Lough Neagh have a fine kind of salmon trout, frequently 30lb in weight: the common trout is abundant and large, as are also pike, eels, bream, and roach.

AN inland navigation along the border of the counties of Armagh and Down, from Newry to Lough Neagh, by the aid of the Bann and the Newry River, was the first line of canal executed in Ireland.

Commencing at the tideway at Fathom, it proceeds to Newry, and admits vessels drawing 9 or 10 feet of water, having at each end a sea lock.

From Newry to the point where the Bann is navigable, a distance of 15 miles, is a canal for barges of from 40 to 60 tons, chiefly fed from Loughbrickland to Lough Shark, County Down.

The River Bann, from its junction with the canal to Lough Neagh, a distance of 11½ miles, completes the navigation, opening a communication with Belfast by the Lagan canal, and with the Tyrone collieries by the Coalisland or Blackwater canal.

The canal from Lough Erne to Lough Neagh, now in progress, enters this county near Tynan, and passes by Caledon, Blackwatertown, and Charlemont to its junction with the River Blackwater above Verner's Bridge, and finally with Lough Neagh.