Clashganny Lock

At Clashganny the Barrow valley turns dramatic: steep wooded slopes close in, and the river pours over curved weirs popular with white-water paddlers, while the navigation slips past in its lock cut. Waterways Ireland describes a swimming area here with lifeguards in summer, so in season expect swimmers and canoes around the lock. For boaters that means slow speed, a sharp lookout and keeping strictly to the cut; never go near the weirs, and remember the current gets strong after rain. The lock is worked by the crew with a lock key, lifejackets on; the patroller for the locks from Ballingrane to St Mullins is on +353 87 951 6600. Clashganny Forest has looped walks, and the towpath continues south past Ballykeenan Lock to Graiguenamanagh beneath Brandon Hill, about 4 km away.