Why goodly? The Barrow has been called many other names by the people along its banks. One Carlow reference, 'the sulky old river,' better fits with the fearful respect and deathly ancient beliefs that echo the length of Barrow valley. The goodly reference was first used in a 1568 blurb by an agent touting the lands of Idrone to prospective planters. It was later echoed in a 1596 Edmund Spencer poem that dedicates a paragraph to each of the main rivers in Britain and Ireland.  There's no evidence either actually visited the Barrow. But the ‘Goodly Barrow’ name was made irresistible by the allusion to it in the title of Tadhg O’Sullivan’s wonderful book, with a trip down the Barrow providing the spine around which his learned historical perspectives meander. Our shout out seemed especially apt for the fact that the Goodly book did not mention Goresbridge - we hope to catch the eye of the next historiographer-poet who passes this way!

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Come view our panels on the ancient history of the river. To find out more about the museum or the restoration and conservation project, please leave your contact details with the team or use the form below

‘Goodly Barrow – A voyage on an Irish river,’ T.R. O’Sullivan, 1983, Ward River Press – we hope to have the book back in print and available here soon.