River Bann (County Wexford)

The River Bann (Irish: An Bhanna) is a large river in County Wexford, in the southeast of the Republic of Ireland.

Course
The river rises in the southern slopes of Croghan Mountain in north Wexford on the County Wicklow border. It flows south and is joined by the Blackwater Stream near the village of Hollyfort. Veering southwest it passes under the R725, then continuing southwestwards it flows beneath the N11 national primary route at the village of Camolin.

It is crossed by the Dublin - Wexford railway four times as it flows past the town of Ferns before joining the River Slaney north of Enniscorthy.

History
In the 1950s a reservoir was built at Ballythomas to supply water to the town of Gorey, County Wexford. Before that, its banks regularly spilled over and made a lot of swamp land on its route.

Wildlife
Varied and plentiful wildlife can be found in the environs of the river. In Wicklow and North Wexford, herds of deer can be seen, as well as swans, dippers, wild ducks, herons and kingfishers. At dusk, bats, owls and otters may be seen, while the mudflats of the Slaney estuary are favoured by black-headed gulls, redshanks and oystercatchers. In season, salmon and trout and occasional pike are fished. It is primarily a Sea Trout fishery, with the best fishing from mid-April to October. The upper reaches are known for good Brown Trout fishing from March to October.