Harbour to Headwaters
Arklow Harbour
The Avoca River catchment is comprised of three main tributaries – Aughrim, Avonbeg and Avonmore Rivers.
The catchment is the largest river in Co. Wicklow and drains a vast area of 669kms before it enters the Irish Sea at Arklow Harbour.
Heritage Information
There have been boats of one kind or another using this Avoca River and Estuary for thousands of years, but the present harbour infrastructure was only constructed 200 years ago. Until the 1820s, the estuary was a delta of shallow channels, rather than the single outlet we see today.
Feature Creature: Cormorant
Over 3,500 Cormorants were shot dead in the three years prior to being protected under the Wildlife Act in 1976.
Cormorants are often seen along the Avoca Estuary and regularly stand with their wings outstretched in order to dry them. They nest locally in trees by the river and along the coastline, so they are always close to water.
