https://cuilcaghlakelands.org/geosite/shannon-pot/
Please note works have begun on the Shannon Pot Cavan Burren Park Project. Visitor access to the Shannon Pot will therefore be provided on an intermittent basis from Monday 22nd July 2024 due to construction works associated with the project as funded under Fáilte Ireland Platforms for Growth Programme and Cavan County Council.
Ongoing updates will be provided on access in the coming weeks as Cavan County Council works with the appointed contractor to permit visitor access to the Shannon Pot during construction of the interpretative centre adjacent to the existing car park. The Cavan Way and Cavan Burren Park will remain open.
The Shannon Pot is a glistening, beautifully oval shaped pool, along the Cavan Way, which is a long-distance walking route that starts in Blacklion and ends in Dowra. It is an aquifer-fed pool, which is the traditional source of the idyllic River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. The site is a paradise of tranquillity and holds great magic and stories within it’s waters.
Facilities: include car parking, interpretation, picnic area, and playpark.
Shannon Pot
As the surface rising of Ireland’s longest river, the Shannon Pot’s fame can be traced back to the legendary Finn MacCool and the Fianna, the great warriors of Irish mythology. Legend has it that Síonnan, the daughter of Lodan (a son of the Celtic God of the Sea, Lír), came to Shannon Pot in search of the great Salmon of Wisdom. The great salmon was angered at the sight of Síonnan and caused the pool to overflow and drown the maiden. Thus, the Shannon was created and still bears her name today.
The Shannon Pot is around 16m in diameter, and divers have explored up to 9 meters in depth. The spring flows year-round and is linked to streams that disappear into limestone rock higher up in the Geopark.
The site is extremely peaceful and perfect for a visitor seeking some tranquillity. It is fringed with beautiful trees, including the wonderful species, Blackthorn. Because of this, it is easy to see why the site has been saturated with stories of mythology and magic. We can see why our ancestors would have revered this sparkling, circular pool, which is indicative of peacefulness, harmony and sanctuary.
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Distances are from Shannon Pot
This is a cooperation project between Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Cavan County Council.
This element of the project is part funded under Priority 6 (LEADER) of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the European Union. We would like to acknowledge the assistance of County Cavan Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), Cavan County Council, Breffni Integrated CLG, Department of Rural and Community Development, the EU and EAFRD in part-funding this project. Funded by the Irish Government Under the Leader Programme 2014-2020.
