right|thumb|300px|The River Boyne and Boyne Valley as seen from the [[Knowth passage tomb of Brú na Bóinne]]

The River Boyne ( or ) is a river which flows through Leinster, Ireland. It is about long. The Boyne rises near Carbury, County Kildare and flows north-east along the border with County Offaly before entering County Meath to reach the Irish Sea between Mornington, County Meath and Baltray, County Louth.

The River Boyne is famously known for being the location of the Battle of the Boyne. The events seen Protestant King William III beat Catholic King James. This dramatically shaped the political and religious future of Britain and Ireland.

Names and etymology

This river has been known since ancient times. The Greek geographer Ptolemy drew a map of Ireland in the 2nd century that included the Boyne, which he called (Bouwinda) or (Boubinda), which in Celtic means "white cow" (). During the High Middle Ages, Giraldus Cambrensis called it the Boandus. In Irish mythology it is said that the river was created by the goddess Boann and Boyne is an anglicised form of the name. (the 'marrow of Fionn Feilim'). The tidal estuary of the Boyne, which extends inland as far as the confluence with the Mattock River, 'the curly hole', had a number of names in Irish literature and was associated as a place of departure and arrival in the ancient legends and myths, such as The Tragedy of the Sons of Tuireann, Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, &c. In the Acallam na Senórach the estuary has the name Inber Bic Loingsigh, abounding in ships. Inber Colpa or Inber Colptha was the principal name for the mouth of the Boyne in early medieval times. The townlands and civil parish of Colp, or Colpe on its southern shore preserve the name. It was associated in myth with Colpa of the Sword, a son of Míl Espáine, in the Milesian origin of the Irish, who drowned in the attempt to land there and is by tradition buried in the ringfort behind Colpe church. An alternative Dindsenchas tradition associates the name with the Máta, a massive aquatic creature, which having been killed was dismembered at Brú na Bóinne was thrown in the Boyne. Its shinbone (colptha) reached the estuary giving name to Inber Colptha.

Course and geography

The Boyne is a lowland river, surrounded by the Boyne Valley. Near Donore Castle, it is joined by the River Deal, which transports water from Lough Lene. Much a stronger tributary, also from the left, is Kells Blackwater, which discharges into the Boyle in Navan, County Meath.

West of Drogheda, the Boyne is crossed by the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge, which carries the M1 motorway, and by the Boyne Viaduct, which carries the Dublin–Belfast railway line to the east. The catchment area of the Boyne is 2,695&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. The long-term average flow rate is per second.

History

Boyne Canal

right|thumb|200px|Section of the Boyne canal that runs parallel to the main river around the Battle of the Boyne site west of Drogheda

The Boyne Navigation is a series of canals running roughly parallel to the main river from Oldbridge near Drogheda to Navan. The navigation, owned by An Taisce and mostly derelict, is being restored to navigable status by the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. The canal at Oldbridge, which runs through the Battle of the Boyne site, was the first to be restored.

Prehistoric art

A rock that showed indications of being prehistoric art was found in August 2013. Cliadh O'Gibne reported through the Archaeological Survey of Ireland that a boulder with geometric carvings had been found in Donore, County Meath.

Ancient log-boat

Workers from the Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and Recovery Service (BFRRS), near Drogheda, were performing one of its regular operations to remove shopping trolleys from the Boyne, in May 2013, when they discovered an ancient log-boat, which experts believe may be 5000 years old. Initial examination by an underwater archaeologist suggested that it could be very rare because, unlike other log-boats found here, it has oval shapes on the upper edge that could have held oars. Investigations were ongoing as of 2013.

Viking ship

In 2006, the remains of a Viking ship were found in the river bed in Drogheda during dredging operations. The vessel is to be excavated as it poses a hazard to navigation.

Annalistic references

  • AI770.2 The battle of Bolg Bóinne [gained] against the Uí Néill, by the Laigin.

Flora and fauna

Several species of trout inhabit the Boyne: brook trout, brown trout and introduced rainbow trout. There is also a steelhead in the spring, and naturally reproducing salmon in the fall.

See also

  • Anthony Holten, author of The River Boyne: Hidden Legacies, History and Lore Explored on Foot and by Boat ()

References

<!-- Please ensure that any links added here conform to the guidelines in WP:LINKS and WP:COI -->

  • Salmon fishing on the River Boyne, from Salmon Ireland
  • A canoeing and kayaking guide to the River Boyne, from Irish Whitewater

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