page_title: Wicklow Mountains
section_title: Hydrology
hierarchical_section_title: Wicklow Mountains / Hydrology
caption_attribution_description: English: View of Powerscourt Deerpark and Waterfall at Ride Rock, Crone Woods near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland. At 121 metres, the waterfall is the tallest in Ireland. It is fed by the River Dargle which rises in the Glensoulan valley near Djouce mountain, which can be seen in background.
context_page_description: The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains. The highest peak is Lugnaquilla at 925 metres.
  The mountains are primarily composed of granite surrounded by an envelope of mica-schist and much older rocks such as quartzite. They were pushed up during the Caledonian orogeny at the start of the Devonian period and form part of the Leinster Chain, the largest continuous area of granite in Ireland and Britain. The mountains owe much of their present topography to the effects of the last ice age, which deepened the valleys and created corrie and ribbon lakes. Copper and lead have been the main metals mined in the mountains and a brief gold rush occurred in the 18th century.
  Several major river systems have their source in the mountains, such as the Liffey, Dargle, Slaney and Avoca rivers. Powerscourt Waterfall is the tallest in Ireland at 121 metres.
context_section_description: The Wicklow Mountains are the source of several major river systems. Since the thin blanket bog peats cannot hold great quantities of water, many of these rivers exhibit a flashy hydrography, filling rapidly after heavy rain.
  The River Liffey rises between the mountains of Kippure and Tonduff at Liffey Head Bog. One of the major tributaries of the Liffey, the River Dodder, rises nearby on slopes on Kippure. The King's River rises on Mullaghcleevaun and joins the Liffey near Blessington.
  The River Vartry rises on the slopes of Djouce mountain. Nearby, the River Dargle rises between Tonduff and War Hill, falling as the Powerscourt Waterfall, Ireland's tallest waterfall at 121 metres (397 feet), over a cliff formed by a glacier at the contact point between the granite and mica-schist of the Wicklow Mountains. The waterfalls at the heads of the valleys of Glendalough, Glenmacnass and Glendasan also occur approximately at the schist-granite junctions, as does the Carrawaystick waterfall in Glenmalure.
  The River Slaney rises in the North Prison of Lugnaquilla mountain and winds through the Glen of Imaal where it is joined by the Leoh, Knickeen and Little Slaney. Another of its tributaries, the River Derreen, rises on Lugnaquilla's southern side.
  Each of the main branches of the River Avoca – the Avonmore, the Avonbeg and the Aughrim rivers – have their origins in smaller tributaries, many of which rise in the Wicklow Mountains. The Glenealo, Glendasan and Annamoe rivers meet to form the Avonmore near Laragh. The Annamoe rises near Sally Gap and is joined by Cloghoge Brook between Lough Tay and Lough Dan and by the River Inchavore in Lough Dan. The Avonbeg rises on Table Mountain and the Three Lakes. The Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers join to form the River Avoca at the Meeting of the Waters in the Vale of Avoca, celebrated in the song The Meeting of the Waters by Thomas Moore. The Avoca is joined by the River Aughrim at Woodenbridge, sometimes referred to as the "Second Meeting of the Waters". The Aughrim is formed at the junction of the Derry Water and the River Ow, the latter of which rises on Lugnaquilla.
caption: The River Dargle falls as Powerscourt Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Ireland
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