Overview
Fowley’s Falls is not one big drop but a run of them – the Glenaniff River breaking over ledges of blue limestone as it falls through a steep wooded valley near Rossinver in County Leitrim towards Lough Melvin. Leitrim keeps it quiet. While Glencar Waterfall to the west pulls the crowds, Fowley’s is the one locals point you to, and most days you will have the river to yourself. It is reputedly named after a landowner who once held ground in the Rossinver area.
Because it is a series of cascades rather than a single sheer fall, the water is only as impressive as the weather has been. After a few days of rain the whole valley roars; in a dry spell it drops back to a modest series of steps. Time your visit accordingly.
The walk
The main route is a 3km path along the river between the falls and the Organic Centre at Rossinver – a linear walk, not a loop, so you either turn back or arrange a pick-up at the far end. The lower entrance sits just a few hundred yards from the Organic Centre, which makes a natural start or finish with a café at one end.
The path was built to sit lightly on the valley: narrow gravel tracks, viewing points marked along the way, and stiles made from stone drawn out of the riverbed. It is easy going for the most part, moderate in a few places. The one real caution is the stone underfoot near the falls, which turns slick after rain – wear boots with grip and mind the wet rock. It is not a route for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Further down the river from the falls is a Mass Rock, where people gathered to hear Mass in secret during Penal times.
A community-built trail
The walk exists because local people kept rebuilding it. A path was first cleared to the falls in the early 1980s, then fell into disrepair once the original scheme wound up. In 2003 the Rossinver Community Development Company restored it in keeping with the first vision. A landslide in 2021 blocked part of the route, and the repaired and improved trail was officially reopened in July 2022 by Minister Heather Humphreys.
Practical information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Admission | Free |
| Trail | 3km linear walk (falls to Organic Centre), out-and-back unless you arrange a pick-up |
| Difficulty | Easy, moderate in places; slippery stone near the falls |
| Surface | Narrow gravel paths, stone steps and stiles |
| Parking | Small roadside car park at the trailhead; overflow in Rossinver village, about 2km away |
| Facilities | Picnic tables at a rest area with views of the falls; no toilets at the trailhead – nearest in Rossinver |
| Accessibility | Not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs |
Getting there – Head for Rossinver and follow the brown tourist signs for Fowley’s Falls; the car park is signposted a short distance from the village. Fowley’s Falls is also Stop 3 on the Manorhamilton–Glenade Valley scenic looped drive, if you are making a day of the north Leitrim back roads.
Nearby
Fowley’s Falls pairs well with other quiet stops in north Leitrim. A short drive takes you to Creevelea Abbey, a 13th-century friary ruin in open farmland, or to the shore of Lough Melvin, where the Glenaniff eventually empties. For a change of pace, the Acres Lake floating boardwalk near Drumshanbo carries you out over open water.
Go after a wet spell to see the falls at full force, and start early – Leitrim’s weather turns fast, and the river is clearest before the day’s rain comes in.