Overview
On the night of 30 January 1925, a gale gusting to something like 120 mph lifted two carriages of the Derry-to-Burtonport train clean off the Owencarrow Viaduct and dropped them into the ravine below. Four people died. The viaduct still spans the river valley near Creeslough, and its story is the main reason most people stop here.
The Owencarrow River itself is short and clear, draining Lough Veagh (also spelled Lough Beagh) through Glenveagh National Park in County Donegal and running on to Glen Lough. It holds salmon, sea trout, eel and otter, and the rare freshwater pearl mussel lives in its gravels. Two very different things carry its name: a lakeside walk inside the park, and the viaduct downstream.
Walking the lakeside trail
The easiest way to see the river is the Glenveagh Lakeside Walk, a 3.5 km path (7 km there and back) that takes about 40 minutes each way on flat gravel. It starts at the bus shelter near the Glenveagh Visitor Centre (Grid Ref C 039231) and follows the shore of Lough Veagh, through stands of mature Austrian pine and native holly, rowan and birch. You pass a shingle-roofed boathouse before reaching the footbridge over the Owencarrow itself.
One thing to plan for: the walk is linear, not a loop. You either turn round and walk back, or continue to Glenveagh Castle and buy a ticket at reception for the shuttle bus to the visitor centre. Glenveagh, founded in 1984 as Ireland’s third national park, runs that shuttle on a timetable rather than on demand, so check the last departure before you set off.
The footbridge was built by park staff from seasoned larch with recycled-plastic decking, and it is the best spot to look straight down into the river’s clear water. Beyond it the ground opens into blanket bog and wet heath, largely treeless but home to specialised bog plants.
The 1925 viaduct disaster
Downstream, the valley is crossed by the Owencarrow Viaduct, built in 1903 by the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway Company as part of the narrow-gauge Letterkenny-to-Burtonport line. For decades it was the link that carried West Donegal’s passengers, goods and migrant workers out to hiring fairs and the Scottish harvest. It spans over 400 metres, and its exposed position in the wind-funnel of the valley was its undoing.
That night in January 1925, with winds estimated at 106 to 120 mph, the mail train crossed at around 8pm doing perhaps 10 mph when a gust flipped two carriages off the rails. One somersaulted, its roof breaking apart and throwing passengers into the rocky gorge some 40 feet below. Four were killed: Philip and Sarah Boyle of Arranmore Island, Una Mulligan of Falcarragh, and Neil Duggan of Meenbunowen. Eight more were badly hurt.
The train’s fireman, John Hannigan, climbed over the wreckage and ran more than two miles in the dark to Creeslough to raise the alarm. Doctors, priests and neighbours worked the ravine by hurricane lamp to reach the survivors. The inquiry that followed brought in hard rules: ballast weights on every train using the line, and a wind gauge that stopped traffic once gusts passed 80 mph.
Memorial and heritage plans
A memorial to the four victims was opened in 2021 by Ben McFadden. The volunteer Owencarrow Viaduct Committee is working in phases to protect the site and improve access; with the help of local landowner Joe Sweeney, they have already cleared a path from the nearby picnic area toward the viaduct. Longer-term ideas include a safe walkway along the old rail line and a small visitor centre near the Log Cabin pub to display recovered Swilly Railway memorabilia.
Fishing
The stretch between Lough Veagh and Glen Lough is well thought of by fly-anglers, with deep, slow pools that fish best when a breeze puts a ripple on the water. It is managed by Inland Fisheries Ireland at Ballyshannon under strict conservation rules:
- Catch and release: all salmon, and any sea trout of 40 cm or over, must be returned.
- Gear: single or double barbless hooks only; worm, shrimp and prawn are prohibited.
- Bag limit: up to three sea trout under 40 cm per day.
- One rod at a time, fishing top-of-pool down at one cast, one step, and a courteous distance from other anglers.
The season runs through summer to 30 September, but confirm the exact opening date with IFI Ballyshannon before travelling, as it can differ from the connected Lough Veagh fishery.
Practical information
- Fishing permits: Adult day permit €30, juvenile (under 16) €17 at the time of writing; buy in advance and carry it on the bank.
- Visitor centre and shuttle: the centre and shuttle run to seasonal hours (roughly 9am to 5pm in winter, 9.15am to 5.30pm in summer), with the last return bus in the late afternoon. Times change through the year, so confirm on the day at the centre.
- Contact: Glenveagh National Park +353 76 100 2537 (glenveaghbookings@ahg.gov.ie); IFI Ballyshannon +353 71 985 1435 (report illegal fishing on 0818 347424).
High winds sweep this valley without much warning, as the viaduct’s history makes plain. Check the forecast at the visitor centre before you start the lakeside walk.