River Nore
The River Nore (Irish: An Fheoir [ə ˈn̠ʲoːɾʲ]) is one of the principal rivers (along with the River Suir and River Barrow) in the South-East Region of Ireland. The 140-kilometre-long (87 mi) river drains approximately 2,530 square kilometres (977 sq mi) of Leinster and Munster, that encompasses parts of three counties (Tipperary, Laois, Kilkenny). Along with the River Suir and River Barrow, it is one of the constituent rivers of the group known as the Three Sisters.
| River Nore | |
|---|---|
River Nore in the City of Kilkenny. | |
Map of the Nore's course | |
| Etymology | Old Irish: Eoir |
| Native name | An Fheoir (Irish) |
| Location | |
| State | Republic of Ireland |
| Region | Leinster |
| Counties | Tipperary, Laois, Kilkenny, Waterford |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Devil's Bit Mountain |
| • location | County Tipperary |
| Mouth | River Barrow |
• location | New Ross, County Wexford |
| Length | 140 km (87 mi) |
| Basin size | 2,595 km2 (1,002 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 42.9 m3/s (1,510 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Three Sisters |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | River Suir |
Starting in the Devil's Bit Mountain, County Tipperary, the river flows generally southeast, and then south, before its confluence with the River Barrow at Ringwood, and the Barrow railway bridge at Drumdowney, County Kilkenny, which empties into the Celtic Sea at Waterford Harbour, Waterford.
The long term average flow rate of the River Nore is 42.9 cubic metres per second (m3/s) The river is home to the only known extant population of the critically endangered Nore freshwater pearl mussel, and much of its length is listed as a Special Area of Conservation.