Overview
The Avonbeg is a spate river, which is the first thing to know about it. It rises on the northern flank of Camenabologue and runs southeast down the deep, V-shaped Glenmalure valley, and after a couple of days of rain it goes from a clear mountain stream to a brown torrent in a matter of hours. In a dry spell it can be little more than a trickle over the stones. The Irish name, Abhainn Bheag, just means ‘small river’.
It passes Greenan and Ballinaclash before meeting its larger sister, the Avonmore, at the Meeting of the Waters. From that confluence the combined river becomes the Avoca, which reaches the Irish Sea at Arklow. Unlike many Irish rivers that were straightened for drainage, the Avonbeg keeps its original course, and the catchment holds some of the most intact riverside woodland in County Wicklow.
If you have an afternoon, the best of it is the walk into upper Glenmalure from the Baravore car park: the valley head, the old hostel, and the start of the climbs onto Lugnaquilla and Mullacor. The Meeting of the Waters is the easy, ten-minute stop for everyone else.
The walk into Glenmalure
Forest and riverside paths run up the valley alongside the water, and the Wicklow Way crosses the area along with the Miner’s Way. From Baravore at the head of the glen you can pick up the routes onto Lugnaquilla, Wicklow’s highest mountain, or the gentler shoulder of Mullacor. The walking is genuinely uneven underfoot: steep climbs, narrow paths and ground that turns to mud after rain, so this end of the valley suits walkers in proper boots rather than families with small children.
Maps for the waymarked trails are available at the National Park Information Office near the Upper Lake at Glendalough, where staff can point you to a route that matches the legs you’ve brought.
The Meeting of the Waters, and the mines
The confluence of the Avonbeg and Avonmore is where Thomas Moore (1779–1852) wrote ‘The Meeting of the Waters’ around 1807, sitting under a tree on the spot. A bust of Moore and a small memorial park mark it now, and it remains a popular pause for walkers and day-trippers. A short stroll leads to Avoca village and the Avoca Handweaving Mill, Ireland’s oldest working mill, for crafts and a coffee.
The valley’s other history is industrial. Documented copper mining in the Avoca valley dates to at least the 1720s, with some evidence of much earlier, possibly Roman-era, working. The mines closed long ago, but at the Avoca Mines site you can still see the remains of engine houses, spoil heaps and a bridge from the workings.
Glenmalure itself holds the rebel history. During the 1798 Rebellion the steep, wooded glen was a stronghold for United Irishmen, among them Michael Dwyer, and the British built the Military Road afterwards to push troops through the mountains and break the hold of men like him.
Fishing
The Avonbeg is a spawning tributary for wild brown trout. Sections are heavily overgrown and the current runs fast, so light tackle and small flies are the sensible approach. The catch here: much of the river is privately controlled, so anglers need a valid national licence and prior permission from the riverside landowners, not just one or the other. The season runs 15 March to 30 September.
Wildlife
The river corridor supports peregrine falcons over the gorge, kingfishers along the quieter pools, and otters on sheltered stretches. Red-deer stags can be seen and heard during the autumn rut. Red kites, reintroduced to Wicklow, have established well and gather in the broadleaf trees near Avoca in the colder months, making winter a good time for kite-watching even when the trails are at their muddiest. The surrounding woodland of oak, birch and hazel carries wild garlic and primrose in spring and bluebells into summer.
Conservation
The East Wicklow Rivers Trust runs the river’s recovery work with local groups: tree-planting along the banks in the Glenmalure valley, river clean-ups and water-quality monitoring across the Avoca catchment. Event dates and volunteer sign-ups are on the Trust’s website.
Getting there
- Access and parking – The main trailhead is Baravore car park at the head of Glenmalure, with space for around twenty vehicles; it fills early on fine summer weekends, so come before mid-morning. There are additional lay-bys along the valley road, and the approach to Baravore is narrow and single-track in places.
- Admission – Free. The wider Wicklow Mountains National Park has no entry fee, though charges of roughly €4–€6 apply at some of the busier car parks.
- Public transport – This is awkward without a car. Bus Éireann route 133 stops in Greenan; from Dublin, take the rail line to Rathdrum and connect by local bus or taxi.
- Seasonality – Open year-round. Paths are muddiest after heavy rain, and the river is at its most dramatic in the day or two following it, so time a visit to the weather if you want to see it run.