Brief River Description

This river is a fun paddle but needs a fair bit of rain to make it worthwhile. This river is rarely run but is worthwhile if there has been a lot of rain. It combines man made weirs and natural rapids. It is short and close to the Bunhowna so the two could be done in the same evening.

Directions to the Put-in

From Westport or Castlebar follow the road to Achill island. About 10 minutes after going through the town of Newport you will pass a pub on the right called Nevins Newfield in. About 100metres after this you come to the bridge. This is the put in. There is room for a few cars here but there is more parking at the pub.

Directions to the Take-out

Follow the road on from the put in and there is a small crossroads its not really obvious but take the left turn there is a blue house there and a cul de sac sign so you will know if you are in the right place. This leads down an unpaved road to the sea and a bridge over the river. There is enough room here for probably only 1 car. It is unsure if this road is used by farmers as parts of it are quite overgrown so be aware of where you park. Alternatively you can leave your car at the main road and it is a few hundred meters of a walk back to it.

River Description

This river is a fun paddle but needs a fair bit of rain to make it worthwhile. After it has been raining for a few hours is the perfect time to hit it. The level can be gauged from the bridge if the first weir is flowing well then the rest of the river will be up. It is an easy walk down to inspect the first 2 weirs to get a better idea of the level.There are 4 weirs in total with the first being the biggest and in between are some rapid sections.There are no major hazards on the river maybe a couple of snagged cags on overhanging trees . The chance of pinning decreases as the water level increases

When I paddled this river first the water was just over the top of the first weir and this level is too low. It makes for a really bumpy and scrapey run.

Local issues

There doesn't seem to be any access issues on this river. But be sure you Leave your car off the unpaved road so as not to piss off any farmers or locals. The blue house has a perfect layby for parking at but it really pisses of the owner. They now have a no parking sign in place.

River level gauge

The river level can be gauged from the bridge. It is an easy walk down to the first 2 weirs to inspect further. There needs to be a good flow over the first weir to make it worthwhile. In low water the weirs dry up and you can walk across them so 1ft of water over the concrete would be good.

River Hazards

No major hazards bar the chance of snagging your cag on overhanging trees. the risk of pinning decreases as the river level increases.

Author(s)

Original Author: Tom O

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