River Roe (Northern Ireland)

River Roe
River Roe flowing through The Roe Valley Country Park, Limavady
Native name	Abhainn na Ró
Etymology	róe, 'withe'/'rope'
Basin features
Main source	Glenshane, Sperrins
River mouth	North Channel via Lough Foyle
Physical characteristics
Length	34.25 miles (55.12 km)

The River Roe (Irish: Abhainn na Ró) is a river located in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It flows north from Glenshane in the Sperrin Mountains to Lough Foyle, via the settlements of Dungiven, Burnfoot, Limavady and Myroe. The River Roe's length is 34.25 miles (55.12 km)

The origin of the name 'Roe' is unclear. Suggestions include a Viking origin in the 8th/9th century, and the Irish 'rua', meaning 'red', i.e. the Red River. This may be a reference to the high amounts of iron found in some places along the river.

The Irish government's placenames database, held by Dublin City University, identifies the Irish version of the name as Abhainn na Ró. This roughly translates into English as "The River of Rowing", possibly due to common passage by oar-powered boat craft in earlier times.

The Roe Basin (or Roe Valley) is a wide, glacial valley. The river flows most of the way to Limavady through an open, grassy, pastoral farmland landscape before narrowing through a metamorphic rock gorge within the Roe Valley Country Park. Beyond Limavady the river widens and meanders to an estuary feeding into Lough Foyle at Myroe Levels. Due to the wide, open nature of the upper reaches of the Roe, heavy rainfall can result in large surges of water. Many lower lying fields have earth defences to prevent flooding when the river rises above its natural banks. The estuary is a feeding ground of many birds and nesting area for Lapwing.

The Roe Valley Country Park is a popular area for fishing, with stock of salmon, sea trout and brown trout.