Overview
The Clodiagh is a shallow spate river, which is another way of saying it needs rain. In a dry summer it’s barely a trickle over gravel and not worth carrying a boat to; give it a few days of Comeragh rain and the grade 1-3 run comes alive. It rises at Lough Coumduala in the Comeragh Mountains, gathers Hunts Stream and Aughtnawilliam Stream on the way down, and runs through Rathgormack, Clonea-Power and Whitestown West to join the River Suir just outside Portlaw. The Irish Whitewater guide lists it at 28 km. You’ll also see it written Clodagh (Irish: An Chlóideach), especially in older records and in the news reports of the 2010 drownings – more on those below.
Kayaking and canoeing
Grade 1-3 makes the Clodiagh a reasonable river for beginners building flatwater skills and for stronger paddlers after gentle rapids, but only with water in it. Because it’s so shallow, levels swing with the weather: check the gauges at the Clonea and Portlaw bridges before you commit to a shuttle.
The real reason to read this section is the weir. At the site of the old tannery on the run-out to Portlaw sits a concrete-walled weir with high sides and a strong undertow. It is not runnable. Two kayakers drowned there in April 2010. Portage well upstream, and don’t wander down “just to have a look”. The tannery also left machinery in the riverbed, and between the mountains and Portlaw the channel is crossed by low bridges and the odd farm fence – all of them worse in high water, which is exactly the water you’d be paddling.
Fishing
The Clodiagh holds wild brown trout, some sea trout, and a late run of salmon in its lower reaches. Unlike the better-known Clodiagh in Tipperary, it isn’t run by a single angling club: the fishing rights belong to the landowners along the banks, so ask locally before crossing private ground. It sits in the River Suir catchment, which Inland Fisheries Ireland manages under conservation byelaws, and the lower water near Portlaw is traditionally fly-only. The brown trout season runs 1 March to 30 September. Check the current byelaws and bag limits on fishinginireland.info before you cast.
Walking, wildlife and photography
You don’t need a boat to get the best of the river. The stone bridge at Rathgormack and the span at Clonea-Power are the obvious photo stops, best when the river is up and loud. Kingfishers and grey herons are regular; otters turn up on the quieter upper reaches; and in autumn you’ll see salmon working the shallow riffles. Dogs are fine along the banks on a short lead – there’s livestock and ground-nesting birds about.
The Malcolmsons’ Portlaw
The quiet farmland hides one of Ireland’s earliest planned industrial towns. It was the Clodiagh’s steady flow that drew the Quaker Malcolmson family to Portlaw in the early 19th century, where they built a cotton mill and, later, a large tannery. The tannery’s concrete weir and foundations still line the bank near the village, and the Portlaw Heritage Trail links the ruins to the town’s Quaker meeting house and canal locks. The river runs on through the Curraghmore estate, seat of the Marquis of Waterford; the banks are private, though the estate road is open to visitors.
Practical tips
Entry is free and there are no facilities on the bank – the nearest toilets and coffee are in Portlaw. Informal lay-bys sit along the R677, with the most reliable parking near the Clonea-Power turn-off and at the Portlaw bridge. Bus Éireann route 370 serves Portlaw from Waterford and Dungarvan.
- After rain (autumn to spring): the river’s at its best for paddling and the salmon are running; it can rise fast, so watch the gauges.
- Dry summer: low and calm, better for a trout evening or a bankside walk than a paddle.
- Winter: heavy rain floods the low bridges; cold water, proper gear, and stay well clear of the weir.
Nearby
Curraghmore House and Gardens, on the same estate, opens Friday to Sunday and bank holidays from May to September, 10am to 4pm – worth timing a visit around if the gates are open. Upstream, the Coumduala Loop is a 7 km circuit of the source lake with seasonal waterfalls and views across the Comeraghs, and the Colligan River offers more paddling nearby. Whatever you’re here for, check the Clonea and Portlaw gauges first: on the Clodiagh, everything depends on how much rain has fallen.