[2] However, by the time of early Ordnance Survey work in the 19th century, the common name had become the Garavogue, at least for the river from Lough Gill to below the bridge in the town of Sligo.

[3] The source of the name Garavogue is uncertain, but may be based on "garbh," meaning "rough" or "gritty."

[1] Another interpretation is that the Garavogue takes its name from the local 'landscape goddess', a hag or witch who is said to have built megaliths in the region by dropping stones, and to have lived on a nearby hill with a mad king named Sweeney.

[5] This pre-tidal course is less than two miles (3.2 km) long, making it possibly the shortest significant river in Ireland.

[9] The Garavogue is mentioned in Early Medieval texts as one of the "nine royal rivers" of Ireland.