River Erriff – Aasleagh Falls and salmon

Overview

Aasleagh Falls is a modest drop on the River Erriff, right before the river empties into Killary Harbour – Ireland’s only fjord. In a dry June it isn’t much. Come after a couple of days of rain and it’s a different animal: the Erriff is a spate river, quick to respond to rainfall, and the falls go from a step to a roar you can hear from the road. This is where Jim Sheridan shot the fight scene in The Field (1990), and where David Attenborough once perched to film the life story of the European eel.

The river itself runs 33 km from its source in Glennacally – where the Owenree and Owenmore meet – down the valley to the sea, following the N59 for much of the way. The whole valley sits under the “Devil’s Mother”, the mountain that dominates the skyline from Aughagower down to Leenane.

One real warning: the two small car parks sit on a sharp bend of the R335 and you have to cross the road to reach the falls. Cross with care. Then give it half an hour – the falls, the short muddy path to the base, and the start of the Western Way if the legs want more.

Aasleagh Falls

The falls sit about a kilometre north of the Galway–Mayo border, where the river drops over rock ledges into a plunge pool. There’s no formal footpath, so expect a short walk over uneven, often muddy ground. Both car parks are free but small, and shared with anglers and walkers. The falls are free to visit year-round; the surrounding valley has quiet spots for photography and a picnic if the midges relent.

Fishing the Erriff

The Erriff is a fly fishery run in beats, nine of them, allocated to anglers on a rotating daily basis. Fly-fishing is the standard method, with the fishery manager permitting spinning, worm or prawn under specific conditions. The salmon season runs 1 April to 30 September; sea trout 1 June to 30 September; and note that for 2026 both must be released alive.

Beat 9, which takes in the Falls Pool, carries the higher early-season rate for its popularity. Anglers can also fish two loughs, Tawnyard and Derrintin. Tawnyard runs to 250 acres and holds brown trout and sea trout, though sea-trout stocks there have thinned over the past thirty years; it’s fly-fishing and dapping only, with boats and outboards arranged through the lodge. Permits come from the Fishery Manager at Aasleagh Lodge (095 42382); book ahead for peak summer weeks, and a gillie can be hired.

Walking and kayaking

The Western Way uses the Erriff valley for its opening 5 km, starting at Aasleagh and heading east past Houston Bridge into the Coillte-managed Tawnyard forestry, with a short detour to Tawnyard Lough and its ancient crannóg. From there it climbs Sheeffry Pass and, on a clear day, opens up a view to Croagh Patrick.

Paddlers get the lower kilometre, a grade 2–4 run that ends in the 12-foot drop at the falls. Access is generally allowed outside the fishing season, October to March. The river holds water well, but the drop has a cauldron with a strong tow-back in low water, and there’s a concrete bridge to read carefully – this is a run for people who know what they’re doing, not a first descent.

Practical information

Getting there: Leenane is the nearest village, about 5 km east of the falls. Bus Éireann route 450 links Westport and Leenane, and the N59 between them runs alongside the river with plenty of pull-offs.

Access and parking: two small free car parks on the R335, on a sharp bend – see the warning above. Ground to the falls is unpaved and slippery after rain. Aasleagh Lodge itself is wheelchair-accessible; the riverbank is not.

Nearby:

• Killary Harbour – Ireland’s only fjord, with boat trips and shore walks.
• Ben Gorm – the ridge on the valley’s north side, a solid hillwalk.
• Ballycroy National Park – Wild Nephin’s bog and mountain trails.

Water level is everything here. On a spate river the falls, the fishing and the paddling all depend on recent rain, so check the forecast – and, if you’re fishing, ring the manager on the day.