River Mahon (Irish: an Mhachain)[1] rises in the Comeragh Mountains and enters the sea at Bunmahon in County Waterford, Ireland.
| River Mahon An Mhachain | |
|---|---|
 The mouth of the River Mahon at Bunmahon | |
 | |
| Location | |
| County | County Waterford |
| Country | Ireland |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
• location | Bunmahon |
• coordinates | 52°08′N 7°22′W / 52.133°N 7.367°W |
| Basin features | |
| Waterfalls | Mahon Falls |
Course
editRising on the plateau of the Comeragh Mountains the river flows 300m down the side of Coum Mahon which was formed in the Munsterian period of glaciation approximately 100,000 years ago.[2] The Mahon Falls are a series of cascading waterfalls[3] with the main drop 80m high.[4]
The river continues past a hawthorn "fairy tree" identified by ribbons tied to its branches (the tree was chopped down and replanted). Local lore talks of a Magic Road where a stopped car is said to roll backwards up a hill.[5]
The river then passes through the village of Mahon Bridge and onwards passed Flahavan's Mill and under the 8-arched rail bridge in Kilmacthomas.
The river is joined by the Ách Mór tributary river at Ballylaneen and ends its journey three miles further downstream at Bunmahon on Ireland's south coast. It drains into the region of the Atlantic Ocean known as the Celtic Sea.
Industry
editIn former times, the River Mahon powered five different mills along its course. This included one mill at Mahon Bridge, one at Ballylaneen and three at Kilmacthomas. One of the mills at Kilmacthomas, established in 1785, formed part of the Flahavan's oat-milling business.[6]
Sport and leisure
edit
There are a number of walking trails along the course of the river and the Mahon Valley.[2] These include the Mahon Falls Walk, through Coum Mahon, which is a paved 1.5km walk which runs from a car park and amenity area to the base of the falls.[7]
The Crough Wood Walk (pronounced locally as "Crew Wood"),[8] starts at Mahon Bridge and follows the river upstream through forest and open areas for approximately 2.7km.[9] The public walkway was developed by the Comeragh Community Development Group starting in 1996.[10][11] Crough Wood was among the winners of the RDS Forestry Awards in 2025.[10][12] In May 2026 Waterford County Council was asked to fund a proposed plan which would link the Comeragh Mountains to Bunmahon, from the Mahon Falls and Crough Wood, and linking with the Waterford Greenway.[13] At the Mahon Bridge end of the Crough Wood Walk is a large car park, children's playground, seating and bicycle parking.[14]
The Kilmacthomas River Walk opened in 2012.[15] A further 800m paved section of the trail, alongside the bank of the river, was opened in 2024 as part of a loop walk in Kilmacthomas.[15]
The river is also used by whitewater kayakers. There has been no known source-to-sea descent to date but the river has been paddled from Mahon Bridge to the sea at Bonmahon by an international team of B1 and B2 kayakers in August 2012. On 21 October 2005, Michael Reynolds, a kayaker from Tramore, County Waterford, performed the only known descent in a kayak of a vertical 55 foot drop at the top of Mahon Falls.[16][17]
References
edit- ↑ "An Mhachain / River Mahon". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Mahon Valley Walks". visitwaterford.com. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ https://gsi.geodata.gov.ie/downloads/Geoheritage/Reports/WD023_Comeraghs_Mahon_Falls.pdf
- ↑ "Guide 11: Mahon Falls Co. Waterford". Bleubird. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ Pocket, Waterford in Your (4 September 2016). "The Magic Road". Waterford in Your Pocket. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "Flahavans – Seven generations of milling oats in Kilmacthomas". stepsbackthrutime.ie. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Waterford Community Boosted With New Facilities". www.constructionireland.ie. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ Crough Wood, Co. Waterford | 2025 RDS Community Woodland Award Winner. The RDS. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2026 – via YouTube.
the area of Crough Wood is small (at only 4ha)
- ↑ "Crough Wood Walk – Visit Waterford". visitwaterford.com. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Woodland developed by community group in County Waterford wins prestigious award". Ireland Live. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ "Waterford woodlands shortlisted in coveted RDS Forestry Awards - Life - Waterford News & Star". waterford-news.ie. 13 March 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ "Community woodlands in Ireland - an alternative forest ownership model". Teagasc. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
the winner of the RDS Community Woodland Award for 2025 is Crough Wood in County Waterford
- ↑ Murphy, Darragh (25 May 2026). ""I'm telling you, this would be the biggest thing to ever happen in county Waterford"". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Councillors updated on rural development projects across Waterford - News - Waterford News & Star". waterford-news.ie. 31 July 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- 1 2 Foley, Kieran (9 February 2024). "Minister opens improved River Walk in Kilmacthomas". wlrfm.com. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "Canoe Kayak Photos | Pictures". Canoe and Kayak UK Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
- ↑ "Taking the plunge". The Irish Times. 15 November 2008.