The Six Mile Water is a river in southern County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is an indirect tributary of the River Bann, via Lough Neagh.
The Six Mile Water is a river in southern County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is an indirect tributary of the River Bann, via Lough Neagh.
The river was historically called the Ollarbha and is known in Irish as Abhainn na bhFiodh [1] ("river of the woods"), which was formerly anglicized 'Owenaview'. [2]
Accounts vary as to the origin of the name. The river is almost 26 miles (42 km) long rather than six. [3] It is said to be named from a crossing point six Irish miles from Antrim, on the road to Carrickfergus. [2] Another story is that it was named by English soldiers, who calculated that it was a six-mile march from Carrickfergus Castle to the ford at Ballyclare. [4]
It rises in the hills west of Larne and north of Carrickfergus and descends gently westward, flowing through or close to the communities of Ballynure, Ballyclare, Doagh, Parkgate, Templepatrick, Dunadry and Antrim into Lough Neagh. A weir exists at Ballyclare where water was diverted to the paper mill. The Six Mile Water Park was constructed around the river in Ballyclare, in order that the river's frequent floods would not affect houses in the area. It has a catchment of 117 square miles. [5]
The river is the subject of the song Six Mile Water, by the Metal band Therapy?. It appeared on their fifth full-length album Suicide Pact – You First released in 1999.
County Antrim is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 3,086 square kilometres (1,192 sq mi) and has a population of 651,321, as of the 2021 census. County Antrim has a population density of 211 people per square kilometre or 546 people per square mile. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland.
Ballyclare is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 10,850 according to the 2021 census, and is located within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. It is part of, and the principal settlement in the Ballyclare District Electoral Area.
Lough Neagh is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the United Kingdom. It has a surface area of 151 square miles and is about 19 miles (31 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide. According to Northern Ireland Water, it supplies 40.7% of Northern Ireland's drinking water. Its main inflows are the Upper River Bann and Blackwater, and its main outflow is the Lower Bann. There are several small islands, including Ram's Island, Coney Island and Derrywarragh Island. The lake bed is owned by the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury and the lake is managed by Lough Neagh Partnership. Its name comes from Irish Loch nEachach, meaning "Eachaidh's lake".
Antrim was a local government district in Northern Ireland. It was one of twenty-six districts created in 1973, and was granted borough status on 9 May 1977. The borough covered an area of some 220 square miles (570 km2) and had a population of 53,428 according to the 2011 census. It was situated about 19 miles (31 km) north-west of Belfast. It bordered the north and east shores of Lough Neagh, the largest fresh water lake in the United Kingdom, and included the towns of Antrim, Toomebridge, Crumlin, Randalstown, Parkgate and Templepatrick. The council headquarters were located on the outskirts of Antrim town. Although the borough was not within the Belfast Metropolitan Area, it housed the city's international airport and many commuter villages.
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). However, the total length of the River Bann, including its path through the 30 km (19 mi) long Lough Neagh is 159 km (99 mi). Another length of the River Bann given is 90 mi. The river winds its way from the southeast corner of Ulster to the northwest coast, pausing in the middle to widen into Lough Neagh. The River Bann catchment has an area of 5,775 km2. The River Bann has a mean discharge rate of 92 m3/s. According to C. Michael Hogan, the Bann River Valley is a settlement area for some of the first human arrivals in Ireland after the most recent glacial retreat.
Craigavon Borough Council was a local council in counties Armagh, Down and Antrim, in Northern Ireland. It merged with Armagh City and District Council and Banbridge District Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council.
Donegore is the name of a hill, a townland, a small cluster of residences, and a civil parish in the historic barony of Antrim Upper, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Donegore lies approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of Antrim town. 154 acres of the townland lies in the civil parish of Grange of Nilteen.
Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to the Irish Sea.
The River Finn is a river in the west of Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. The river mainly flows through County Donegal, part of the Republic of Ireland, while a short stretch of the river also partially flows through County Tyrone, part of Northern Ireland. From Lough Finn, the river goes to Ballybofey and Stranorlar before joining the River Mourne at Lifford and Strabane.
The River Blackwater or Ulster Blackwater is a river mainly in County Armagh and County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Its source is to the north of Fivemiletown, County Tyrone. The river divides County Armagh from County Tyrone and also divides County Tyrone from County Monaghan, making it part of the border between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Straid is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, about three miles east of Ballyclare, and about six miles inland from Carrickfergus. It lies at the centre of the townland of Straidlands, in the Civil Parish of Ballynure within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area, and in the former barony of Belfast Lower. The village has a congregational church, an Orange hall, and a primary school.
The Kells Water is a small river in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It flows through Moorfields and Kells and is a tributary to the River Main. The river rises above Glenwherry. It is a continuation of the Glenwhirry River and eventually joins the Main, which in turn flows into Lough Neagh. The hamlet of Kellswater is nearby. An old stone bridge crosses the Kells Water, separating Kells from the adjacent village of Connor.
The A6 road in Northern Ireland runs for 71.4 miles (114.9 km) from Belfast to Derry, via County Antrim and County Londonderry. While stretches of the road before Randalstown have now been superseded by a motorway, the A6 remains one of the most important arterial routes in Northern Ireland, connecting its two largest cities and urban areas. Between Randalstown and Derry, the road forms part of European route E16.
Ballinderry is a small civil and ecclesiastical parish on both sides of the County Londonderry / County Tyrone border in Northern Ireland. It is a rural parish of about 350 houses and lies on the western shores of Lough Neagh.
Dollaghan are a variety of brown trout native to Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland, and many of its tributaries. They are a potamodromous migratory trout spending much of the year in the lough, returning to the rivers in autumn to spawn. Dollaghan are much sought after by anglers in County Antrim, County Tyrone and County Londonderry due to their greater size in comparison to the non-migratory trout found in streams such as the Ballinderry River, Six Mile Water, Moyola River and River Main. They are often caught in the dark using methods very similar to that of fishing for sea trout, where it is surmised their name comes from an old Irish word for 'ghost'.. Many anglers regard them as an elusive species and call them 'sea trout of Lough Neagh'. Their weight varies greatly - from small fish of around 1/2 lb to large specimens of around 20 lb. There are three other strains of brown trout in Ireland: Gillaroo, Sonaghen and Ferox. The Dollaghan is thought to have evolved from sea trout which were land locked many years ago.
Gawley's Gate is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the south-eastern shore of Lough Neagh, seven miles to the north of Lurgan and ten miles west of Lisburn. It has a jetty and picnic areas, popular amongst many boating enthusiasts on the Lough. It consists of a small number of houses in close proximity; however, it is a focal point for much of the countryside on the shore of Lough Neagh from Glenavy to Aghagallon. The rural location means that much of the community is involved in farming in some capacity as well as fishing. The landscape is quite wet with marshland in places and dense woods giving way to cleared hillocks or 'islands' where settlements have developed. It also a popular destination with wildfowlers and birdwatchers due to the habitat which exists particularly around the RSPB sanctuary at nearby Portmore Lough.
Antrim, sometimes known as Antrim Borough to distinguish it from the former constituency of the same name, was a single-member county constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.
Antrim and Newtownabbey is a local government district in Northern Ireland. The district was created on 1 April 2015 by merging the Borough of Antrim with the Borough of Newtownabbey. The local authority is Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
Belfast Lower is a barony in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. To its east lies the east-Antrim coast and Belfast Lough, and it is bordered by four other baronies: Belfast Upper to the south, Carrickfergus to the east, Antrim Upper to the west; Glenarm Upper to the north. The Forth and Milewater rivers both flow through Belfast Lower, with Larne harbour also situated in the barony.
The River Main or Maine is a river in Northern Ireland, flowing through County Antrim.