Abhainn

Rivers are more than just a geographical feature in our landscapes – for thousands of years rivers have been part of who we are and what we have become. Rivers have taken on magical, religious, mythical qualities in ancient times. They’ve been the major transportation routes of old, which opened up the country to newcomers both welcome and unwelcome – they’re the motorway network of ancient times. As natural barriers rivers are and have traditionally marked the borders of tribal territories – often fiercely defended. River crossings have been the venue for many a battle. In later centuries the energy of our rivers have been captured by watermills and hydro electric plants but this intrinsic life force and energy has always been recognised in ancient Irish cultures for whom the rivers were living goddesses.

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