Dublin's municipal authorities used to list around fifty watercourses, and the County authorities more again. The undisputed leader in the Dublin region is the Liffey, followed by major tributary, the Dodder, and by the Tolka. While others carry a fair volume of water, notably the Wad River system, the Mayne, the Santry and the Poddle, some of the other "rivers" are really just streams and the majority are culverted for some or even all of their lengths. In the greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study, seven of the lesser rivers were considered, with the Tolka added later; the Dodder and Liffey were not included.
The River Dodder (An Dothra in Irish) rises on the northern slopes of Kippure in the Wicklow Mountains. From there it flows for some 20 km through Tallaght and the Dublin suburbs ofRathfarnham, Templeogue, Milltown, Clonskeagh, Donnybrook, and Ballsbridge before entering the Liffey at Ringsend.
