View source for River Avoca

{{short description|River in County Wicklow, Ireland}}
{{for multi|the river in Australia|Avoca River|the rivers in New Zealand|Avoca River, New Zealand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2020}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox river
| name              = River Avoca<br>''Abhainn Abhóca''
| image             = Avoca River at Arklow - aerial - 2025-07-13 03.jpg
| image_caption     = River Avoca entering the sea at [[Arklow]].
| mapframe = yes
| map               = 
| source1_location  = The Meeting of the Waters, [[County Wicklow]].
| mouth_location    = [[Irish Sea]] at [[Arklow]]
| discharge1_avg    = {{convert|18|m3/s|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_right = [[River Aughrim]]
| name_etymology         = From the ''Oboka'', which appears in [[Ptolemy]]'s ''[[Geography (Ptolemy)|Geography]]''
}}
[[File:Meeting of the waters ovoca ireland wh bartlett scenery antiquities of ireland vol2.jpg|thumb|The view in Moore's time.]]
[[File:TommyMoore5016w.jpg|thumb|[[Thomas Moore]] at the ''Meeting of the Waters''.]]
The '''Avoca''' ({{langx|ga|Abhainn Abhóca}}) is a [[river]] in [[County Wicklow]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. It is contained completely within the county. Its length is 35 miles (56.3&nbsp;km).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fishinginireland.info/trout/east/wicklow/avoca.htm|title=Fishing in Ireland. An angler's guide to the best fishing in Ireland.|work=fishinginireland.info}}</ref>

The Avoca starts life as two rivers, the [[River Avonmore|Avonmore]] ({{irish place name|Abhainn Mhór|Big River}}) and the [[River Avonbeg|Avonbeg]] ({{irish place name|Abhainn Bheag|Small River}}). These join at a spot called the ''Meeting of the Waters'' (''Cumar an dá Uisce'') in the ''Vale of Avoca'', which is considered a local beauty spot, and was celebrated by [[Thomas Moore]] in his song of the same name.
{{Cquote|
There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet,<br />
As the vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet;<br />
Oh, the last rays of feeling and life must depart,<br />
Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart.}}

The village of [[Avoca, Ireland|Avoca]] is situated on the river.

The Avoca flows into the [[Irish Sea]] at [[Arklow]] where it widens into a large estuary, giving Arklow its Irish language name ''an t-Inbhear Mór'' (the big inlet).{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}
The catchment area of the Avoca is 652&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name=":0" />
The long term average flow rate of the Avoca is 20.2 cubic metres per second (m<sup>3</sup>/s)<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.serbd.com/MultiDownloads/Creport/Chapters/Physical%20Description%20Ch3.pdf|title=South Eastern River Basin District Management System Initial Characterisation Report: Physical Description|website=South Eastern River Basin District|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222354/http://www.serbd.com/MultiDownloads/Creport/Chapters/Physical%20Description%20Ch3.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-03|url-status=dead|access-date=2015-03-02}}</ref>

==Name==
The Avoca was originally called Abhainn Mhór / Abhainn Dé (great river/God's river); the present name was derived from ''Oboka'' ({{Langx|el|Οβοκα}}),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.romaneranames.uk/essays/ireland.pdf|title=Ireland|date=1 June 2018|website=Roman Era Names|access-date=11 August 2018}}</ref> the name of a river in [[Ptolemy]]'s ''[[Geography (Ptolemy)|Geography]]'', which was thought to correspond to the Avoca (Ovoca). However, ''Oboka'' more likely refers to the [[River Liffey|Liffey]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.logainm.ie/en/1416542|title=Abhóca/Avoca|website=Logainm.ie|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-08-11}}</ref>

==Industry==
The valley of the Avoca has a large copper mine, and further downstream was the NET fertiliser factory (closed since 2002). These are said to have contributed greatly to pollution in the lower reaches of the river.

==Transport==
The [[rail transport in Ireland|railway line]] from [[Dublin]] to [[Rosslare Europort|Rosslare]] also passes along the Vale of Avoca, cutting inland from its mainly coastal route and the [[R752 road]] tightly follows the west bank of the Avoca from ''The Meetings'' to Arklow.

==See also==
*[[Rivers of Ireland]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Avoca, Vale of|volume=3|page=66}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Avoca River, Ireland}}

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222354/http://www.serbd.com/MultiDownloads/Creport/Chapters/Physical%20Description%20Ch3.pdf R.O.I. Rivers Table 3.10 P.38] (PDF)

{{Rivers of Ireland}}
{{County Wicklow}}

{{coord|52|52|59|N|6|13|47|W|region:IE_type:river_source:kolossus-nlwiki|display=title}}

[[Category:River Avoca| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of County Wicklow|Avoca]]
[[Category:Arklow]]