River Feale

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title: "River Feale" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-county-kerry", "rivers-of-county-cork"] description: "River in southwestern Ireland, flowing to the Shannon Estuary" topic_path: "general/rivers-of-county-kerry" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Feale" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in southwestern Ireland, flowing to the Shannon Estuary ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	River Feale
native_name	ga
name_etymology	Fial, a mythical woman
image	River Feale Finuge Crossing 1.JPEG
image_size	240
image_caption	River Feale at Finuge Crossing, County Kerry
subdivision_type1	Country
subdivision_name1	Ireland
subdivision_type4	Counties
subdivision_name4	Cork, Limerick, Kerry
subdivision_type5	Towns
subdivision_name5	Abbeyfeale, Listowel
length_km	75
discharge1_avg	34.6 m3/s
source1	Mullaghareirk Mountains
source1_location	County Cork
mouth	Shannon Estuary
mouth_location	Ballyduff, County Kerry
mouth_coordinates
basin_size_mi2	445.2
::

| name = River Feale | native_name =ga | name_other = | name_etymology = Fial, a mythical woman | image = River Feale Finuge Crossing 1.JPEG | image_size = 240 | image_caption = River Feale at Finuge Crossing, County Kerry | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Ireland | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = Counties | subdivision_name4 = Cork, Limerick, Kerry | subdivision_type5 = Towns | subdivision_name5 = Abbeyfeale, Listowel | length_km = 75 | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = 34.6 m3/s | discharge1_max = | source1 = Mullaghareirk Mountains | source1_location = County Cork | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = | mouth = Shannon Estuary | mouth_location = Ballyduff, County Kerry | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = | basin_size_mi2 = 445.2 | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = thumb|Image of beach fishing for salmon in the River Feale near the town of Ballybunion in 1975. The River Feale (An Fhéil or Abhainn na Féile in Irish) rises near Rockchapel in the Mullaghareirk Mountains of County Cork in the southwest of Ireland and flows northwestwards for 75 kilometres through Mountcollins and Abbeyfeale in County Limerick and Listowel in County Kerry before finally emptying into Cashen Bay, a wide estuary north of Ballyduff. It merges into the River Shannon's estuary, which joins with the Atlantic Ocean with a flow rate of 34.6 m2/s. The river, along with its tributaries, combine to add to over 160 km (100 miles) of waterways. For the final 10 km (6 miles) stretch it is also known as the Cashen River. The river contains a large salmon and sea trout population.

The headwaters of the Feale rise approximately 4.3 km northeast of the village of Rockchapel between the townlands of Rockhill West, Rockhill East and Tooreenmacauliffe on the southwestern slopes of Mullaghareirk mountain. For 65 kilometers the Feale flows through County Kerry, or forms part of its boundary, which makes it the longest river flowing through Kerry.

Name

According to Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (compiled in the 1630s), the river takes its name from a legendary woman: In County Limerick and north Kerry, the Feale is also referred to as one of the Three Sisters. These are three rivers which all rise close to each other in the Mullaghareirk mountains in north County Cork and generally flow north or northwest into the Shannon Estuary (the others being the rivers Maigue and Deel). This term is not to be confused with three of Ireland's larger rivers, the Nore, the Suir and the Barrow, which are also collectively referred to as The Three Sisters.

References

References

1. [http://www.fishinginireland.info/salmon/shannon/feale.htm] Fishing in Ireland.info
2. [http://www.diadfish.org/maj2006_fichiers/maj_11_06_slime/shannon.pdf] {{Webarchive. link. (27 November 2014 Case Study Report - Shannon River Basin)
3. (29 January 2021). ""Google Maps coordinates 52.31841305806651, -9.102413274665476". Google Maps. Google Maps".
4. "Part 32 of The History of Ireland (BOOK I-II)".
5. "Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (Book I-II)".

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