Overview
Lough Allua is less a lake than a wide, slow stretch of the young River Lee, strung out for about three miles below the village of Inchigeelagh in west County Cork. Look out across the water for a small clump of trees rising from it: that marks a crannóg, an early-medieval island dwelling, and there’s a standing stone on the shore that pushes the human story back to the Bronze Age.
Covering roughly 1.36 square kilometres, the lough lies in a steep, forested valley under the Sheehy Mountains, its level raised over the years by the hydro-electric dam downstream at Carrigadrohid. A minor road hugs the northern shore and the R584 runs along the south, so the water’s edge is easy to reach from either side, between Inchigeelagh and Ballingeary.
This is a fishing and walking lake, not a swimming one – the Environmental Protection Agency rates its water quality as ‘poor’. If you’re not casting a line, the reason to come is the quiet north-shore road: next to no traffic, and long open views across the water to the hills.
Fishing
Lough Allua is best known to anglers. Its fish include pike, salmon, Arctic char – a cold-water species left behind by the last Ice Age – and brown trout. Pike are the main quarry, and fishing for them here needs no permit, which is unusual; for salmon or trout, check the rules locally before you cast. A few fishing lodges in the area cater to anglers.
Walking and the shore
The ground around the lake is mostly flat, and the low-traffic road along the northern shore makes an easy walk or cycle with the Sheehy Mountains filling the view. Climb into the hills, though, and the terrain quickly turns steep and rough, so bring proper footwear. Dogs are welcome but keep them on a lead – this is grazing country, with livestock in the fields alongside.
Getting there
Access is free, with parking in lay-bys along the R584 on the south shore and the minor road on the north. There are no cafés or visitor centres at the lake, so bring what you need; Inchigeelagh village has shops and a couple of traditional pubs. Public transport is limited, though some bus routes serve the wider area – Moovit lists current times.
Nearby attractions
Ballingeary is a short drive on, an Irish-speaking village with a few good pubs. Within walking distance is the Farranahineeny stone row, a line of prehistoric standing stones in a quiet field. Further west, Gougane Barra has forest-park trails and the much-photographed oratory of St Finbarr on its own small island in the lake.