The Abbert River

 

Abbert Bridge

Courtesy of OPW

Abbert River.

The Abbert river can be found flowing through Kilbeg, Killaclogher, Clooncurreen and on through Abbeyknockmoy to join the Clare river at Anbally leaving the Abbert River a tributary to the River Clare. It looks like a typical, sluggish lowland river. However, when the river channel was being enlarged by blasting in 1955, the river suddenly disappeared down a hole in its bed. Flow was only restored when the newly opened swallow holes were blocked. Later, an extensive cave system was discovered at a depth of only a few metres below the surface and extending beneath the bed of the Abbert River. River water leaks into the cave at only a few points; the bed of the channel presumably being clogged with glacial clays. Although a shallow river trout are taken in the deeper sections. Hatches of olives in the spring are great. Best fishing is in April and September.