River Foyle (Foyle Basin), 15 March 2024 DSC_1354-2
The River Foyle, from the Irish, An Feabhal is a river in west Ulster in the northwest of the island of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. From here it flows to the city of Derry, where it discharges into Lough Foyle and, ultimately, into the Atantlic Ocean. The total length of the River Foyle is 32 km (20 miles). The river separates part of County Donegal from parts of both County Londonderry and County Tyrone. the border runs down the middle of the river. The district of County Donegal that borders the western bank of the River Foyle is traditionally known as the Laggan. This district includes the villages of St Johnston and Carrigans, both of which are nestled on the banks of the river.
The Burn Dale (also known as the Burn Deele or the River Deele) flows into the River Foyle on the northern outskirts of Lifford, while the Swilly Burn flows into the Foyle near Porthall, a hamlet between St Johnston and Lifford. St Johnston Burn flows into the Foyle at St Johnston, while Flushtoun Burn flows into the river on the southern outskirts of St Johnston. Carrigans Burn flows from Port Lough, and enters the Foyle on the southern outskirts of Carrigans. Both the Burn Dennet (River Dennet) and the Glenmornan River flow into the Foyle just to the north of Ballymagorry, entering the river a short distance to the north of Corkan Island.
The River Foyle is also the fastest-flowing river in Europe for its size, making the construction of bridges across the river, very difficult. In Derry, the main crossing points are three bridges. The southernmost bridge, the oldest of the three, is Europe's only road traffic double-decker bridge and is officially known as the Craigavon Bridge (occasionally referred to colloquially as the Blue Bridge). The northern most bridge, known as the Foyle Bridge, is a much larger bridge and was built to accommodate tall ships at a time when it was envisaged that the city would need to accommodate such vessels. However, this proved unnecessary as the main port was moved several miles north of the city and the large vessels it was designed for never had to come so far south. The Foyle Bridge was planned originally by the Londonderry Development Commission and was intended to alleviate the traffic congestion on the existing Craigavon Bridge and in the city centre. However, political prevarication meant that it was not constructed until the 1980s. Derry's third bridge, the Peace Bridge, is situated behind the Guildhall Square, north of the Craigavon Bridge. The pedestrian and cycle bridge was opened in 2011, intended as a symbol of union between the two sides of the city, the "Bogside" on the west bank and the "Waterside" on the east bank.
The area now known as the Bogside was originally underwater. The Foyle flowed round the island of Derry, and was first settled as the river diverted. It dried out into marshland: hence the name Bogside. The first known reference to it by name came in a report from Sir Henry Docwra, the commander of an English force who arrived in Derry in 1600.
Outside Derry, the only bridge to cross the River Foyle is Lifford Bridge, which was built in the 1960s between Lifford, the county town of County Donegal, on the western bank of the river, and Strabane, a major town in County Tyrone, on the eastern bank.
Due to the presence of three bridges over the river in Derry, some people choose to attempt suicide by jumping into the deep and fast-moving river Foyle. 'Foyle Search and Rescue' was established as a charity in July 1993 and has adopted the role of protecting human life on the River Foyle from the Craigavon Bridge, Foyle Bridge and the newly opened Peace Bridge. Between 1993 and 2008 it has dealt with more than 1000 people in distress.
Prior to the Plantation of Ulster the fishing rights on the River would have been owned by the O’Neills and the O’Donnells, the Chieftains of Tír Eoghain and Donegal respectively. When the Plantation of Ulster started in 1609 a body called The Honourable The Irish Society had been set up by Royal Charter in 1613 to administer the affairs of the Plantation. The Society was then given the rights to the fishing on the river and on the River Bann, all except the parts of the rivers owned by the Bishop of Derry. In 1944 an action for trespass was taken by the Society against a fisherman from Porthall who they deemed to be fishing illegally. The case was heard by Mr Justice George Gavan Duffy in the high court in Dublin during 1947–48. The case was dismissed against the man. The Society then appealed the decision and also appealed to both Northern and Southern Governments at losing the case. Both Governments agreed to buy the fishing rights for the sum of £110,280 on condition that they drop the appeal. This led to the establishment of a commission to oversee the fishing on the river and on Lough Foyle. The body set up was called the Foyle Fisheries Commission and was established by a Bill passed simultaneously by the Governments of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on 25 March 1952. The Foyle Fisheries Commission was disestablished on 10 April 2007 with the signing of the Foyle & Carlingford Fisheries Act 2007. The Foyle is believed to have been one of the best Atlantic Salmon rivers in Ireland. However, with the depleating of north atlantic salmon stocks.
Climate change is the most likely cause of the decline in salmon numbers. Changing ocean conditions mean poor marine survival is affecting all populations, and higher river temperatures in winter and summer affect spawning and juvenile survival in many rivers.“Local impacts such as water and habitat quality is also have an adverse effect on fish numbers as evidenced by the variation in neighbouring populations.”
Over harvesting of the salmon stocks on the Foyle system over many years has also had a significant impact both legal and illegal fishing methods. Drift net fishing at sea along the Irish coastline has added to the decline, in latter years an increase demand in aquaculture for farmed salmon has fueled an increase number of salmon farms, most of which are located close to river estuaries or inland waterways where wild salmon migrate. Some fish biologists maintain that farmed salmon has a negative impact on wild salmon numbers. In particular, they highlight that farmed fish are often infested with parasitical sea lice, which they pass onto the wild salmon in such numbers that it proves fatal.
Interestingly, most salmon anglers like to see a few sea lice on a freshly caugh salmon, indicating that it has just entered the river from the sea. If your ever catch a fresh salmon just in from the sea it will have a crisp, fresh ocean smell.
Details of the fishing regulations are available from the Loughs Agency. The village of St Johnston, which lies on the County Donegal bank of the river, is a major fishing settlement on the Foyle.
River Foyle (Foyle Basin), 15 March 2024 DSC_1354-2
The River Foyle, from the Irish, An Feabhal is a river in west Ulster in the northwest of the island of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. From here it flows to the city of Derry, where it discharges into Lough Foyle and, ultimately, into the Atantlic Ocean. The total length of the River Foyle is 32 km (20 miles). The river separates part of County Donegal from parts of both County Londonderry and County Tyrone. the border runs down the middle of the river. The district of County Donegal that borders the western bank of the River Foyle is traditionally known as the Laggan. This district includes the villages of St Johnston and Carrigans, both of which are nestled on the banks of the river.
The Burn Dale (also known as the Burn Deele or the River Deele) flows into the River Foyle on the northern outskirts of Lifford, while the Swilly Burn flows into the Foyle near Porthall, a hamlet between St Johnston and Lifford. St Johnston Burn flows into the Foyle at St Johnston, while Flushtoun Burn flows into the river on the southern outskirts of St Johnston. Carrigans Burn flows from Port Lough, and enters the Foyle on the southern outskirts of Carrigans. Both the Burn Dennet (River Dennet) and the Glenmornan River flow into the Foyle just to the north of Ballymagorry, entering the river a short distance to the north of Corkan Island.
The River Foyle is also the fastest-flowing river in Europe for its size, making the construction of bridges across the river, very difficult. In Derry, the main crossing points are three bridges. The southernmost bridge, the oldest of the three, is Europe's only road traffic double-decker bridge and is officially known as the Craigavon Bridge (occasionally referred to colloquially as the Blue Bridge). The northern most bridge, known as the Foyle Bridge, is a much larger bridge and was built to accommodate tall ships at a time when it was envisaged that the city would need to accommodate such vessels. However, this proved unnecessary as the main port was moved several miles north of the city and the large vessels it was designed for never had to come so far south. The Foyle Bridge was planned originally by the Londonderry Development Commission and was intended to alleviate the traffic congestion on the existing Craigavon Bridge and in the city centre. However, political prevarication meant that it was not constructed until the 1980s. Derry's third bridge, the Peace Bridge, is situated behind the Guildhall Square, north of the Craigavon Bridge. The pedestrian and cycle bridge was opened in 2011, intended as a symbol of union between the two sides of the city, the "Bogside" on the west bank and the "Waterside" on the east bank.
The area now known as the Bogside was originally underwater. The Foyle flowed round the island of Derry, and was first settled as the river diverted. It dried out into marshland: hence the name Bogside. The first known reference to it by name came in a report from Sir Henry Docwra, the commander of an English force who arrived in Derry in 1600.
Outside Derry, the only bridge to cross the River Foyle is Lifford Bridge, which was built in the 1960s between Lifford, the county town of County Donegal, on the western bank of the river, and Strabane, a major town in County Tyrone, on the eastern bank.
Due to the presence of three bridges over the river in Derry, some people choose to attempt suicide by jumping into the deep and fast-moving river Foyle. 'Foyle Search and Rescue' was established as a charity in July 1993 and has adopted the role of protecting human life on the River Foyle from the Craigavon Bridge, Foyle Bridge and the newly opened Peace Bridge. Between 1993 and 2008 it has dealt with more than 1000 people in distress.
Prior to the Plantation of Ulster the fishing rights on the River would have been owned by the O’Neills and the O’Donnells, the Chieftains of Tír Eoghain and Donegal respectively. When the Plantation of Ulster started in 1609 a body called The Honourable The Irish Society had been set up by Royal Charter in 1613 to administer the affairs of the Plantation. The Society was then given the rights to the fishing on the river and on the River Bann, all except the parts of the rivers owned by the Bishop of Derry. In 1944 an action for trespass was taken by the Society against a fisherman from Porthall who they deemed to be fishing illegally. The case was heard by Mr Justice George Gavan Duffy in the high court in Dublin during 1947–48. The case was dismissed against the man. The Society then appealed the decision and also appealed to both Northern and Southern Governments at losing the case. Both Governments agreed to buy the fishing rights for the sum of £110,280 on condition that they drop the appeal. This led to the establishment of a commission to oversee the fishing on the river and on Lough Foyle. The body set up was called the Foyle Fisheries Commission and was established by a Bill passed simultaneously by the Governments of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on 25 March 1952. The Foyle Fisheries Commission was disestablished on 10 April 2007 with the signing of the Foyle & Carlingford Fisheries Act 2007. The Foyle is believed to have been one of the best Atlantic Salmon rivers in Ireland. However, with the depleating of north atlantic salmon stocks.
Climate change is the most likely cause of the decline in salmon numbers. Changing ocean conditions mean poor marine survival is affecting all populations, and higher river temperatures in winter and summer affect spawning and juvenile survival in many rivers.“Local impacts such as water and habitat quality is also have an adverse effect on fish numbers as evidenced by the variation in neighbouring populations.”
Over harvesting of the salmon stocks on the Foyle system over many years has also had a significant impact both legal and illegal fishing methods. Drift net fishing at sea along the Irish coastline has added to the decline, in latter years an increase demand in aquaculture for farmed salmon has fueled an increase number of salmon farms, most of which are located close to river estuaries or inland waterways where wild salmon migrate. Some fish biologists maintain that farmed salmon has a negative impact on wild salmon numbers. In particular, they highlight that farmed fish are often infested with parasitical sea lice, which they pass onto the wild salmon in such numbers that it proves fatal.
Interestingly, most salmon anglers like to see a few sea lice on a freshly caugh salmon, indicating that it has just entered the river from the sea. If your ever catch a fresh salmon just in from the sea it will have a crisp, fresh ocean smell.
Details of the fishing regulations are available from the Loughs Agency. The village of St Johnston, which lies on the County Donegal bank of the river, is a major fishing settlement on the Foyle.