Avoca
South of Rathdrum, the Avonmore and Avonbeg Rivers join to form the Avoca River, about 3 miles north of Avoca village; this is the famous Meeting of the Waters. Overlooking the scene is Castle Howard, situated on a cliff by the river's eastern bank. Nearby is Tom Moore's tree, where the poet is said to have spent long hours in contemplation. Now it is a stark skeleton, railed off to save it from souvenir-hunters.
The Vale of Avoca is especially lovely in late spring, when drifts of white blossom from the wild cherry trees are in stark contrast to the green foliage. On either side of the valley, the ground rises in little hills, culminating on the western side in a background of mountains. Valuable deposits of pyrites lie in the valley They contain ores of copper, lead, zinc and sulphur (no longer mined). In Avoca village a weaving centre is open to the public; its products are internationally renowned.
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