The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at 360.5km. It drains the Shannon River Basin which has an area of 16,865km2, one fifth of the area of Ireland.

Sionnan is the Goddess of the River Shannon

Legend has it that Sionnan went to Connla’s Well – the Well of Wisdom in the Celtic Otherworld (the realm of the dead). As Sionnan lifted the cover off the well, it erupted and the water flowed down the mountain dividing the country in two. Her body was washed down the mountain and she transformed into the goddess of the River Shannon.

The River Shannon means ‘wise river’. It is named after Sionnan, the granddaughter of Manannán Mac Lir (Son of the Sea), a sea deity in Celtic mythology. Sionnan means “possessor of wisdom” and the Irish name for the River Shannon is Abhainn na Sionainne. Sionainn is a combination of the words ‘sion’ (wise) and ‘abhainn’ (river).

• The Shannon divides Ireland, with Connacht in the west and Leinster and Munster to the east and south.
• The river flows through 11 of the counties of Ireland.
• There are several lakes on the Shannon, including, Lough Allen, Lough Derg and Lough Ree.
• Many canals connect with the Shannon, including: the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal.
• The River Shannon has historically had great strategic importance attached to it in military encounters.
• There are only about 20 crossings of the River Shannon.
• The Shannon provides excellent opportunities for water sports and is a very popular tourist attraction in the summer months.
• The Shannon provided water for industry in the 1800s and was home to the famous Victorian Shannon steamers.
• The largest towns on the river are Limerick and Athlone.
• The river is relatively slow moving becasue it only falls 60 feet in the first 150 miles of its course.

The Counties of the River Shannon

The River Shannon flows through:

• Cavan
• Leitrim
• Longford
• Roscommon
• Westmeath
• Offaly
• Tipperary
• Galway
• Clare
• Limerick
• Kerry