Lough Derryclare – the Pine Island lake

Overview

Lough Derryclare holds one of the most photographed views in Connemara: a single pine-covered island, low and dark against the water, with the peaks of the Twelve Bens rising straight behind it. On a still morning the whole scene doubles in the lake. On a grey, breezy day it’s a plain brown sheet of water and the reflection is gone – this is a place that rewards calm air and low light, so aim for early or late in the day.

The lake (Irish: Loch Dhoire an Chláir) sits at the mouth of the Inagh Valley, east of Clifden, with the Twelve Bens to the west and north and the Maumturks to the east. It runs about 4 km, fed by hill streams and draining through the Owenmore system towards Bertraghboy Bay. A bridge on the R344 links it to neighbouring Lough Inagh.

Nature and wildlife

A 19-hectare strip of the shore is the Derryclare Nature Reserve, set up by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1980 to protect one of Ireland’s best surviving stands of sessile oak. Spring brings bluebells, wood anemones and primroses under the canopy; robins, wrens and treecreepers work the branches, and badgers, foxes and pine martens move through the undergrowth. Red squirrels were reintroduced in 2005 and are sometimes seen among the oaks, and red deer come down to the shoreline, most often in the early light.

The island at the centre, known as Pine Island for the Scots pines that crown it, is the landmark in every photograph. It sits offshore and is best left to the camera; the view of it from the bank is the whole point.

Walking and hiking

Short paths run along the shore and into the oak wood from the car park on the R344. The going varies – some of it level and easy, some steeper and rocky, and it turns boggy after rain, so wear boots. For a full day on the hills, the Glencoaghan Horseshoe is a demanding 16 km ridge route rated among the finest hill-walks in the country, circling the valley over the high Bens; walkers also use the area as a launch point for Benbaun, the highest of the Twelve Bens.

Fishing

Derryclare is a fly-fishery for spring salmon, grilse, sea trout and brown trout. The fishing is done from fixed stands – ‘butts’ – at Derryclare, Glendollagh and Greenpoint; no boats are allowed and it’s all shore-based. Spring salmon show in April and May, grilse in June, and the first sea trout towards the end of June, with fishing hours generally 9.30am to 7pm. The water is managed privately by the Inagh Valley lodges, which issue a limited number of day permits to protect the stock, so arrange one in advance rather than turning up on spec.

Photography and when to go

The surface shifts from green to slate-blue through the day, and the pine island gives you a reliable focal point. Early morning and late afternoon carry the best light, especially when cloud is draped low over the Bens. Spring gives the freshest woodland colour and the first salmon; autumn colours the surrounding hills; summer brings the longest days and the clearest reflections. It’s open all year, but winter walking here means waterproofs and sturdy boots.

Practical information

Getting there and nearby

From Galway city, take the N59 west to Recess, then the R344 north into the Inagh Valley; the car-park turn-off is signposted, about an hour and a quarter out. There is a bus from Galway (roughly an hour to Derryclare), but it’s infrequent, so a car gives you far more freedom, especially for catching the light. Clifden and Letterfrack are the nearest bases for beds and food, and it’s easy to pair the lake with Ballynahinch Lake or the scenic Lough Inagh loop.

There’s nothing at the lake itself, so fill up in Clifden first – and if the water is flat and the Bens are clear, don’t wait, because in Connemara that combination rarely lasts the hour.