Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird

Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird
The waterfall from Glencar Lough
Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird location in Ireland
Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird location in Ireland
Location in Ireland
Map
LocationCounty Sligo & County Leitrim, Ireland
Coordinates54°20′52″N 8°23′35″W / 54.347654°N 8.393123°W / 54.347654; -8.393123
TypePlunge
Total height150 m (490 ft)
Number of drops2

Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird (Irish for "stream against the height"),[1][2] sometimes called The Devil's Chimney,[3] is Ireland’s highest waterfall, with a height of 150 metres (490 ft).[2][4] It is in the Dartry Mountains in the west of Ireland, marking part of the border between County Sligo and County Leitrim.

It flows for around 200 days a year,[5] from the southern side of the Darty Mountains plateau, into Glencar Lough. The waterfall's Irish name comes from the phenomenon where southerly winds sometimes blow the water backwards up and over the cliff edge.[1][2][6] A public hiking trail has been established allowing access close to the base of the falls.[2][3]

The waterfall is a prominent landmark, visible for many miles, and it formerly marked the ancient boundary of the túath of Cairbre Drom Cliabh, now the boundary between County Sligo and County Leitrim in the northern part of Connacht, the western province in Ireland.

References

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  1. ^ a b Hendroff, Adrian (2010). From High Places: A Journey Through Ireland's Great Mountains. The History Press Ireland. p. 61.
  2. ^ a b c d O'Gorman, Eddie (16 January 2021). "Visit Ireland's highest waterfall". The Sligo Champion. Retrieved 18 August 2022 – via Irish Independent.
  3. ^ a b "Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird – The Devil's Chimney". Sligo Walks. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird". World Waterfall Database. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  5. ^ Gallagher, Emma (28 May 2016). "Couple's dream shared". The Sligo Champion. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Irish Independent.
  6. ^ Wood-Martin, William Gregory (1892). History of Sligo ; county and town ; with illustrations from original drawings and plans. Dublin: Hodges, Figgis & Co. p. 275. OCLC 1046562082.