This page welcomes visitors to the site and provides information about the Lough Derg Branch Events and our catchment area.

IWAI CIC Riverfest 2023 Video

Special Welcome for New Members

Dear New Members,

We warmly welcome you as a new member of the Lough Derg Branch of IWAI, our community of passionate boating enthusiasts.  We are thrilled to have you on board and eager to get to know you.  As a new member, we want to ensure you feel included and informed about our upcoming events and activities.  There will be many events, some large and some small.

Derg Rally  (Booking open on the Rally page)

We invite you to join our famous Lough Derg rally later in the year, from the 8th to the 16th of July, an event you won’t want to miss!  Rally booking information will go live on our website as soon as it is ready https://branch.iwai.ie/derg/.  During the rally, we’ll navigate various harbours and run competitions and training events allowing you to meet members from different branches who will likely become familiar faces to you on the water.

Our committee comprises passionate individuals committed to making your experience enjoyable. 

• Brian Leahy (Honourable Branch Secretary)
• Davy Sounders (Branch Treasurer)
• Brendan McGrath (Vice Chair)
• Joe Treacy (Council Representative)
• Lana Leonard and Maria Daniels (Child Protection Officers)
• Anna Burke (Public Relations Officer)
• Matthew Daniels (Branch Chairperson)

Should you need to reach any of the committee members, please send an email to LoughDerg@iwai.ie.

We encourage you to join our Lough Derg Announcements WhatsApp group to stay updated on branch-related activities.  This is where we’ll share information about plan changes, impromptu events, event itineraries, and other branch-related news.  Scan the QR code with your smartphone displayed on the sidebar to receive messages from the Derg Branch Committee.

Once again, welcome to the Lough Derg Branch of IWAI.  We’re excited to have you in our community and look forward to sharing many wonderful boating experiences!

Matthew Daniels (Lough Derg Chairperson)

 

The Derg Branch Catchment Area

The Lough Derg catchment area is a breathtakingly beautiful region that spans several counties in Ireland, namely Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Galway, and Offaly. The journey begins at Meelick, where the borders of Tipperary, Offaly, and Galway meet. It takes you downstream to Lough Derg and Portumna Bridge, heading south on the Derg to Killaloe/Ballina.  Stop at beautiful and well-equipped harbours to enjoy many fine pubs, restaurants and cafes.  Exiting Lough Derg, you can continue under the Killaloe bridge to Parteen Weir and the Guillotine gate. Moving further down the river, you’ll reach the Headrace area stretching to Cloonlara Bridge and passing under O’Briens Bridge.

One of the journey’s highlights is just after the Blackwater Bridge, where you’ll witness the spectacular drop lock at the Ardnacrusha Power Station. This impressive structure descends through two chambers, the first dropping 70ft and the second dropping another 30ft, before entering the Tailrace area on the lock’s south side. The remaining part of the navigation is subject to tidal changes impacting air and depth drafts. Careful planning and caution are advised past this point.

Shortly after the Tailrace, the navigation leaves the Shannon River at the Shannon Railway Bridge that links Limerick with Ennis. You’ll then travel along the Abbey River, passing Kings Island and under O’Dwyers Bridge, the Abbey Bridge, Baal’s Bridge, and the Matthew Bridge. Finally, you’ll reach an iron footbridge known locally as the Blue Bridge, where the navigation re-enters the Shannon River. Pontoons are located on the Abbey River at Georges Quay, adjacent to Barrington’s Hospital.

The journey through the Lough Derg catchment area ends at the Sarsfield Bridge, and the sea lock takes you to the Shannon Estuary next to the Shannon Rowing Club in Limerick City.

Click here to see our catchment area on Google Maps

BE INFORMED – To know about IWAI events and news, Join today. IWAI members receive the Inland Waterways News (IWN) published quarterly and mailed to members directly.