Overview
The most useful thing to know about Lough Iron is that you can’t drive to it. There’s no road along the shore and no public access point, so the only practical way onto the water is by boat down the River Inny. That keeps it quiet, which is exactly why the birds like it. Lough Iron (Irish: Loch Iarainn) is a long, narrow lake about four kilometres from end to end in County Westmeath, downstream of Lough Derravaragh and close to Lough Owel. It’s a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar wetland of international importance, fringed by the shallow marshes that make it such good ground for wildfowl.
History and folklore
The name has nothing to do with mineral deposits. In the 1680s the antiquarian Sir Henry Piers recorded a story of a farmer who dropped his plough-irons into a brook, which became ‘Iron-brook’ and then ‘Iron-lake’. Piers also noted that the northern end still showed the old banks of the River Inny, from before the water flooded the low ground.
There was once more here than birds. The medieval settlement of Kilbixy had a dock on the shore of Lough Iron before it went into decline in the 15th century after a run of attacks. The lake you see now is lower than the one Kilbixy knew: drainage works on the Inny over the past half-century dropped the water level sharply, exposing the freshwater marshes that are now its most important habitat. That shift is what earned it protection – a Ramsar site (number 850) from 7 June 1996, and later a Special Protection Area (site code 004046) in the EU’s Natura 2000 network.
Wildlife and conservation
Lough Iron is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive and a Ramsar wetland – protections aimed squarely at its wintering wildfowl and the marshland they depend on. The National Parks & Wildlife Service manages the site and publishes conservation objectives for it. The shallow margins are the draw: they make for easy feeding, and easy watching with binoculars or a scope, best early or late when the water is calm. Roughly how the year runs:
- Winter (November–February): the main event, with peak numbers of whooper swan, teal, golden plover and Greenland white-fronted goose.
- Spring (March–May): breeding season, so keep well off nesting birds and go easy with any motor.
- Summer (June–August): higher water and better cover for coarse fishing – bream, roach, perch and pike.
- Autumn (September–October): golden reeds and few other people.
Birdwatching and fishing
The birds are the reason to come. The Special Protection Area is listed for whooper swan, teal, coot, golden plover, Greenland white-fronted goose, wigeon and shoveler, and because so few people make it out here, you often have them to yourself. For anglers, the lake holds bream, roach, perch and pike; there’s no lodge or facilities on the shore, and you’ll need a valid Irish fishing licence from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Getting there and practical information
This is a boat trip, not a car stop. There’s no road to the shore and no parking beside the lake, so you launch a small craft on the River Inny – canoe, kayak or a modest motorboat – and work your way to the water. Mullingar, about 10 km north-east, is the natural base, with Ballinalack the handiest village on the Inny; check water levels before you set off, as the drained river can run low. There are no toilets, cafés or trails once you’re there, so bring what you need and take it all home again.
Entry is free, with no fee or permit for birdwatching, though anglers still need an Inland Fisheries Ireland licence. Because it’s a Special Protection Area, give nesting birds a wide berth in the breeding season, go easy on the motor, and leave the dog at home – the whole value of the place is that nothing disturbs the birds, and that includes you.
Nearby
- Fore – the Seven Wonders of Fore and a medieval abbey, a good short walking circuit.
- Hill of Uisneach – the ancient ceremonial centre of Ireland, with wide views over the midlands.
- Lough Owel and Lough Derravaragh – both far easier to reach than Lough Iron, and both good for fishing and birdwatching.
- Mullingar – the nearest town for beds, food and a tackle shop.
Birdwatchers need patience, a pair of binoculars, and a willingness to travel quietly by water. If that doesn’t sound like you, one of the roadside lakes nearby will suit better – no shame in knowing that before you go hunting a lake with no road to it.