A quote taken from Page 493 of

The Penny Cyclopaedia of The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Volume III

Athanaric – Bassano, C. Knight, 1835

The scenery all along is highly beautiful and picturesque, and a recent tourist has lately pronounced the decent of the Blackwater from Mallow to Lismore equal to that of any other river of its size in Europe.

Blackwater Valley - Photo by Maurice Whelan

A quote taken from page 1 of

The River Blackwater In Munster by J.R. O’Flanagan

There are few localities in the British Islands so rich in picturesque scenery, historical associations, and monumental remains, as the valley of the Blackwater; and there is probably none possessing an equal variety of attractions for the geologist, the artist, the antiquarian, and the political economist.

Another interesting story in this book is the story that the Blackwater Valley…

…was one of the fair vales of Ireland, coveted by the wife of Heber, which produced the war ending in the loss of her husband’s life and kingdom.

It is thought that the name Hibernia derived from Heber (also known as Hiber). This was a war of two brothers, Heber and Heremon, sons of Milesius, King of Spain. Mallow Library has a copy of this book and many more reference books on the area.

The Lombardstown to Mallow Canal

In the 1700s a canal from Lombardstown to Mallow was planned which would feed into the Blackwater River. Read more about it here on the History of Irish Waterways.

Wikipedia on:

Millstreet
Kanturk
Fermoy
Mallow