Dripsey River

Dripsey River (Irish: Abhainn na Druipsí)^[1] is a tributary of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland.^[2] It rises near the Boggeragh Mountains and flows through several villages,^[3] including the eponymous Dripsey (Irish: An Druipseach, meaning 'the muddy river'),^[4][5] before joining the River Lee near the Inniscarra Reservoir.^[6][7]

Dripsey River
Bridge over Dripsey River to the west of Dripsey village
Native name	Abhainn na Druipsí (Irish)
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	County Cork, Ireland
Mouth	Confluence with River Lee at Inniscarra Lake
• coordinates	51.91°N 8.71°W / 51.91; -8.71

Crossings

See also: Luskin's Bridge and Leader's Aqueduct

Dripsey River is crossed by Luskin's Bridge and Leader's Aqueduct and Athnanangle Bridge, each in Clonmoyle East townland. The bridge at Athnanangle (from Irish Áth na nAingeal 'ford of the angels'), 2.6 km (1.6 mi) north-east of Aghabullogue village, is at the meeting point of Clonmoyle East and Killeenleigh. The Ordnance Survey name book of c. 1840 names it as Athnanagul. The bridge, which had been constructed by the beginning of the twentieth century, replaced a former river ford which is depicted as 'Athnanangle Ford' and 'Stepping Stones' on the OS 1841 surveyed map.

Milner (1975) describes Athnanangle as an ancient ford associated with St. Olan of Aghabullogue and St. Lachteen of Donoughmore, marking the meeting place and dividing line between their respective parishes of Aghabullogue and Donoughmore.^[8] The Irish Tourist Association survey of 1944 gives some local folklore, as to a 'misunderstanding' between the two saints on the question of division of parochial territories. St. Lachteen, believing a portion of his territory to be wrongfully obtained by St. Olan, is said to have remarked 'there will always be a robber at Aghabullogue', with St. Olan, considering his neighbour difficult to deal with, replying that 'Donoughmore will always have its mad dogs'.^[9]

References

1. "Abhainn na Druipsí / Dripsey River". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
2. Farrington, A. (1960). "The Lee Basin: Part 2, the Drainage Pattern". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (Section B: Biological, Geological, and Chemical Science). 61: 242. JSTOR 20494830.
3. Cody, Bryan A. (1859). The River Lee, Cork, and the Corkonians. Dublin: Charles Mitchell. p. 29. Not far from the hamlet of Dripsey [..] the waters of the important tributary commingle with those of the Lee. The Dripsey has its source in the Boera mountains, on the borders of Muskerry
4. "An Druipseach / Dripsey". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
5. Joyce, P. W. (1920). The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places (Volume 3) (PDF). Dublin: Educational Company of Ireland. p. 310.
6. "Waterway - River Dripsey". infowing.ie. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
7. Bolster, Evelyn (1972). A History of the Diocese of Cork from the Earliest Times to the Reformation (Volume 1). p. 14.
8. Milner, Liam (1975). The River Lee and its tributaries. Cork: Tower Books. ISBN 9780902568013.
9. Murphy, C, ed. (1944), Irish Tourist Association Topographical and General Survey, Irish Tourist Association