River Swilly
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| River Swilly An tSúileach |
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| Origin | Glendore Mountain, County Donegal |
| Mouth | Atlantic ocean at Lough Swilly |
| Basin countries | Ireland |
| Length | ~41.8 km (26 miles) |
| Source elevation | ~15.2 m (50 ft) |
| Avg. discharge | N/A |
| Basin area | N/A |
The River Swilly (Irish: An tSúileach) is a river in the Republic of Ireland, which flows in an eastern direction through Letterkenny, County Donegal. Letterkenny, the largest town in County Donegal, is built on the river.
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[edit] Course
The River Swilly rises near Glendore, a mountain in County Donegal, and flows for around 41.8 km (26 miles) through Letterkenny before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean at Lough Swilly.
[edit] Navigation and use
The river is nearly 26 miles long and is considered one of the best fishing rivers in the north west of Ireland.[citation needed] A shipping industry once operated on the Swilly. The river was extremely hard for larger ships to navigate, as it was narrow and has many bends near Letterkenny. The port in Letterkenny was closed to commercial shipping in the 1960s and its warehouses were demolished in 2001. The coal yard still remains on the old site opposite the Mount Errigal Hotel. Newmills Corn and Flax Mills is powered by the waters of the river.
[edit] Crossings
The Swilly is spanned by numerous bridges mostly open to road traffic. In the town itself there are four bridges across the river:
| Bridge | Image |
|---|---|
| Oldtown Bridge |  |
| Port Bridge | |
| Rail Bridge |  |
| Devlin Way |  |
[edit] Devlin Way
Devlin Way was the first pedestrian bridge built over the River Swilly. The bridge was installed on October 25, 2006 in Letterkenny. The bridge connects the suburban Oldtown area with the town centre. It was designed by TS McLaughlin Structural Engineers and the ironwork was constructed by Bonnar Engineering. The bridge cost €100,000 to construct. A maroon-coloured cambered steel structure which measures 28 metres long and 2.2 metres wide, the new bridge proves a major impact on the safety of pedestrians, especially OAPs and school-going children. It is lit by lamp cast from iron and it also contains a commemorative stone seat with a plaque. The bridge is neighbour to the much older and well known Oldtown Bridge.
The bridge was officially opened on November 14, 2006 by local councillor Ciaran Brogan. The bridge is named in honour of the Devlin family who live beside the bridge.[1]
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
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