Overview
The River Eske (Irish: An Iascaigh, from iasc, “fish”) runs the last few kilometres from Lough Eske down through the middle of Donegal Town and out into Donegal Bay. It’s short, but it’s the reason the town is where it is: Donegal Castle sits on a bend near the river’s mouth, and the ruins of the Franciscan friary founded in 1474 stand just across the water.
If you’ve an hour in town and no rod, walk it. The riverside Bank Walk takes in the castle, the friary ruins and most of the bridges, and it’s flat and easy the whole way.
The bridges
Six road bridges cross the Eske, and between them they tell the town’s history. Coming down from the lake you pass Lough Eske Bridge, the 19th-century Thrushbank Bridge, and the modern concrete span on the N56 bypass. In the town itself the river is crossed three more times: Kennedy Bridge, rebuilt in 2004 on a crossing used since the 1830s; the iron Tyrconnell Bridge, first built in 1895 and substantially rebuilt in 2018–19; and the three-arch Bridge Street crossing, on the Record of Protected Structures since 2003.
Before that three-arch bridge there was a six-arch one just upstream. The traveller Richard Twiss noted it in 1775, and it appears on Taylor and Skinner’s 1777 road map; it was replaced by the current bridge around 1855, with the two briefly standing together.
History
The Eske has run through the story of Donegal Town for centuries – the rise of the O’Donnell clan, the building of Donegal Castle in 1474, and the destruction of the friary in the upheaval that followed the Flight of the Earls in 1607. Much of what a visitor comes to see in the town stands within sight of the water.
Fishing
The Eske is a spring salmon and sea-trout river, with char and brown trout as well; the season runs 1 March to 30 September, and the better salmon and sea-trout runs tend to come in summer. Anglers favour named lies like Timony’s Turn down to the Mill Pool, the water below Miss Jenny’s Bridge, and the Eel Weir Turn below Lough Eske Bridge. Both fly and spinning are used, with local flies like the Fiery Brown, Jacob’s Ladder and Donegal Blue. A permit is required.
Walking and wildlife
The Bank Walk follows the western bank as the river nears the bay – a short, tree-lined path (accounts of its length vary, but it’s an easy stroll, not a hike) dotted with “fairy doors” for children to spot. It looks across to the friary ruins and back at the castle. Kingfishers work the shallows and grey herons stalk the edges; otters have been reported on the quieter stretches, so early morning is your best chance of one.
Practical information
Fishing permits and boat hire. Permits are sold through the Inland Fisheries Ireland portal or at Doherty’s Tackle Shop on Main Street (Tel: (074) 972 1119).
- Daily adult €35 / juvenile €17; weekly adult €155 / juvenile €65.
- On Lough Eske, five boats are available (two anglers each): one angler with boat, engine and petrol €55; two anglers €90. Flotation devices are required and private launches are not allowed.
Access and parking. The handiest entry points on foot are Kennedy Bridge and the Mill Pool. There’s a pay-and-display car park by the river (9am–6pm Monday–Saturday), more parking at The Diamond, and spaces down at the Quay. The catch: the riverside and Quay car parks are low-lying, and the Eske rises fast after heavy rain, so they can flood at high tide or in a wet spell – check before you leave a car there overnight.
Nearby. The town centre’s cafés and craft shops are a few minutes’ walk; the Bluestack Mountains rise just to the north for longer walks, and the monastic site at Assaroe is a short drive.
Check the tide before heading to the mouth – low water opens up the rock pools and the lower river for photographers and birdwatchers.