River Cladagh (Swanlinbar)

The Cladagh River (Irish: An Chlaideach or "washing river"[1]) or Swanlinbar River is a moderately large river which forms from a number of small streams rising in Commas (Kinawley) townland on the south-eastern slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain, County Cavan and flows through the village of Swanlinbar, before crossing the border into County Fermanagh and eventually flowing into Upper Lough Erne. It is ultra-oligotrophic upstream before gradually becoming oligotrophic and oligo-mesotrophic through its middle and lower reaches.[2]

Cladagh River Swanlinbar River
Native name	An Chlaideach
Location
Country	Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom
Province	Ulster
Region	Northern Ireland
Counties	Co. Cavan, Co. Fermanagh
Village	Swanlinbar
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Cuilcagh Mountain, Co. Cavan
Source confluence
• location	H143 259 Irish Grid
• coordinates	54°10′54.90″N 7°46′54.23″W
• elevation	265 m (869 ft)
Mouth
• location	Upper Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh

Course

The river is formed from three rivers and a number of streams draining off the northern slopes of Cuilcagh mountain in County Cavan, which combine underground in the Marble Arch Cave system. On the surface, the River Cladagh emerges from one of the largest karst resurgences in the British Isles,[3] and flows through the village of Swanlinbar, before crossing the border into County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. It then passes Kinawley before entering Upper Lough Erne and becoming a tributary of the River Erne.[4]

Environment

This area is part of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark which includes Marlbank Forest, the Cladagh Glen and the Marble Arch National Nature Reserve. A loop from the Ulster Way traverses Glen Cladagh.[5] The river is a designated Special Area of Conservation.[2] The vegetation includes Ranunculetum fluitantis, Callitriche and Ranunculus peltatus. The river contains one of the largest surviving populations in Northern Ireland of the freshwater pearl mussel. The mussels, estimated to be a minimum of 10,000 in number, are confined to a 6 km (3.7 mi) stretch of undisturbed river in the middle section.[2]

See also

• Rivers of Ireland
• List of rivers of Northern Ireland

References

1. "Illustrations of Townlands in Maps". Ulster Placenames – Celebrating Ulster's Townlands. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
2. "Cladagh (Swanlinbar) River". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 2 August 2008. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. "Marlbank–Cuilcagh Mountain Region; Marble Arch Karst – Full Report". Earth Science Conservation Review. Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
4. Philip's (1994). Atlas of the World. Reed International. p. 19. ISBN 0-540-05831-9.
5. "Marlbank Forest". Norther Ireland Government. Retrieved 14 March 2020.