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Illustration: a cruiser crossing Lough Derg towards a wooded island with a round tower and ruined churches, limestone and reeds on the shore.

The Shannon Lake Ireland

Lough Derg

Ireland's third-largest lake: almost 40 km of open water, wooded shores and harbour villages between Portumna and Killaloe, with no locks at all.

  • 39 km long
  • No locks
  • 19 stops
  • 15 public moorings
  • 12 private marinas
  • 1 hire base
  • ≈ 5.3 hours end to end

Days and hours are our estimate: 7.5 km/h and 15 minutes a lock, about six hours a day.

Plan your cruise

Start from a ready-made trip, or plan your own day by day: distances, locks and overnight moorings.

Plan “Portumna round Lough Derg” Plan your own trip Open on the map

Overview

Lough Derg is the southernmost of the Shannon's great lakes, a long, narrow sheet of water running for almost 40 km from Portumna in Co. Galway to the twin towns of Killaloe and Ballina. Galway, Tipperary and Clare share its shores, and there is not a single lock on the way: just open water, wooded islands and a string of harbours, from busy town quays to small stone piers, club harbours and private marinas. Cruising days are short. A hire boat covers Portumna to Killaloe in about five hours, so a week leaves plenty of time to linger. Ashore you will find Portumna's castle and forest park, the monastic island of Inis Cealtra off Mountshannon, music pubs at Garrykennedy and Terryglass, and Brian Ború's old capital at Killaloe. This is big water, though. It can turn rough within an hour when the wind rises, above all from the south, so check the lake forecast before every crossing, keep to the marked channel and pick a sheltered harbour for the night. Each stop below says who may moor there and what is ashore.

Stops, in route order

19 stops around the lake.

Desk research, not yet checked on site

The swing span of Portumna Bridge turned open for boats, with a cruiser in the foreground and a small boat waiting beyond.

Bridge · Co. Galway

Portumna Bridge

The swing bridge at the head of Lough Derg: it opens for boats only at fixed times, so plan your arrival around the timetable.

Next opening Sat, 31 Oct at 10:00 Public

Photo: JP · CC BY-SA 2.0

Wind-bent reeds and a concrete ramp on the Lough Derg shore near Portumna, with the open lake under a grey sky.

Town · Co. Galway

Portumna

Lough Derg's northern gateway: a Galway market town with a restored castle, a large forest park, a workhouse museum and both lake and river harbours.

Public

Photo: David P Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0

Marina · Co. Galway

Cloondavaun Marina

A small, owner-run private marina in a quiet Galway bay south-west of Portumna, with a boatyard, lift and winter storage; visitors phone ahead.

By arrangement
Cruisers and sailing boats moored along the paved quay of Terryglass inner harbour under a dramatic blue and white sky.

Village · Co. Tipperary

Terryglass

A quiet north-shore village with a 6th-century monastic past, a 13th-century castle and two pubs a short walk from the harbour.

Public

Photo: David P Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0

Two white sailing yachts at anchor on the blue water off Kilgarvan Quay, with reed beds, trees and distant hills behind.

Quay · Co. Tipperary

Kilgarvan Quay

An old barley quay on the Tipperary shore below Terryglass, now a quiet mooring; much of the harbour is private, so ask before tying up.

By arrangement

Photo: David P Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0

The concrete quay at Rossmore beside choppy blue water, with an old boathouse among the trees along the wooded shore.

Harbour · Co. Galway

Rossmore Quay

A quiet Galway-shore harbour at the mouth of the Woodford River, popular for summer swims and the way into a winding, reed-lined river.

Not yet checked

Photo: P L Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0

Williamstown harbour seen from the lake against the afternoon sun, with cruisers moored behind the stone pier and trees along the Clare shore.

Harbour · Co. Clare

Williamstown Harbour

A historic private harbour near Whitegate, once the Dublin Steam Packet Company's Lough Derg base and now a small marina for berth holders.

Private · not yet checked

Photo: JP · CC BY-SA 2.0

Harbour · Co. Clare

Dromaan Harbour

A sheltered council harbour near Whitegate on the Clare shore, with a stone wall, finger berths and a small service block.

Public
Mountshannon Harbour on a breezy day, with cruisers at the floating jetty, a red-and-white boat by the harbour wall and yachts on moorings across the bay.

Village · Co. Clare

Mountshannon

A tidy 18th-century village above a busy harbour: the gateway to Holy Island, with a Blue Flag bathing area beside the moorings.

Public

Photo: P L Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0

Motor cruisers and a yacht moored at the floating jetties of Dromineer harbour in evening light, with the ruined castle behind.

Village · Co. Tipperary

Dromineer

A lively little Tipperary-shore village with a public marina, a yacht club founded in 1835, a private marina with diesel, a beach and the lake's lifeboat.

Public

Photo: David P Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0

St Caimin’s Church on Inis Cealtra, a roofed stone church with a round-arched doorway, with the island’s round tower rising behind it under a cloudy sky.

Island · Co. Clare

Holy Island (Inis Cealtra)

An uninhabited monastic island 2 km from Mountshannon, with a round tower, ruined churches and more than a thousand years of history.

Not yet checked

Photo: Deadstar · CC BY-SA 3.0

Village · Co. Clare

Scarriff

A small East Clare market town at the head of the winding Scarriff River, with a well-serviced public harbour, shops and pubs.

Public
The paved breakwater at Garrykennedy, with motor cruisers at the floating jetties on one side and the open lake on the other.

Village · Co. Tipperary

Garrykennedy

A tiny Tipperary harbour village with three places to moor, an O'Kennedy castle ruin, two well-known pubs and woodland walks.

Public

Photo: Nicesunnyday19 · CC BY-SA 4.0

A small sailing yacht moored at the stone quay of Tuamgraney on the tree-lined Scarriff River, with a dog on the quayside.

Village · Co. Clare

Tuamgraney

A small Clare village on the Scarriff River with Ireland's oldest church in continuous use and a quiet stone quay below the village.

Not yet checked

Photo: Oliver Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0

The old stone quay at Youghal with benches, a swimming ladder and a diving board above the choppy lake.

Harbour · Co. Tipperary

Youghal Bay

A quiet bay on the Tipperary shore between Dromineer and Garrykennedy, with an old turf quay that is now a local swimming spot.

Not yet checked

Photo: P L Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0

Village · Co. Tipperary

Castlelough

A lakeshore amenity near Portroe, between Garrykennedy and Killaloe, with toilets and showers listed by Waterways Ireland.

The lakeside lawn at Ballycuggaran, with a bench at the water's edge and Lough Derg stretching away under a bright sky.

Harbour · Co. Clare

Ballycuggaran

A Blue Flag lakeshore beach and water-sports amenity under Crag Hill, a few kilometres north of Killaloe on the Clare shore.

Photo: Colin Park · CC BY-SA 2.0

A cruiser moored at the Ballina quay, looking across the Shannon to the old stone bridge, the tower of St Flannan's Cathedral and the houses of Killaloe.

Town · Co. Clare

Killaloe & Ballina

Twin towns joined by an old 13-arch bridge at Lough Derg's southern tip, steeped in Brian Ború history, with moorings on both banks and plenty of pubs.

Public

Photo: David P Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0

Four stone arches of the old Killaloe bridge over the Shannon, with its steel span on the left and houses beyond.

Bridge · Co. Clare

Killaloe Bridge

The old 13-arch stone bridge between Killaloe and Ballina: the lowest crossing anywhere on the main Shannon route, now for walkers and cyclists only.

Photo: Jonjobaker · CC BY-SA 4.0

Show all 19 stops Show fewer stops

Services along the way

10 stops

Pump-out, water, fuel, shore power, showers and laundry where a listing says so, in route order. Tap a stop for who runs it and when.

  1. Portumna Pump-out · summer only Shore power · summer only Showers Toilets
  2. Cloondavaun Marina Drinking water Shore power
  3. Terryglass Shore power Showers Toilets
  4. Dromaan Harbour Showers Toilets
  5. Mountshannon Pump-out Shore power Showers Toilets
  6. Dromineer Pump-out Fuel Shore power Showers Toilets
  7. Scarriff Pump-out Drinking water Shore power Showers Toilets
  8. Garrykennedy Pump-out · summer only Shore power · summer only Showers Toilets
  9. Castlelough Showers Toilets
  10. Killaloe & Ballina Pump-out · summer only Shore power · summer only Showers Toilets

A stop not listed here may still have them: nobody has checked yet. Know better? Report a change

Practical rules

Mooring limits, locks, speed and hazards, in our own words with links to the sources.

Mooring

Public harbours follow the Shannon bye-laws: all year round you may stay at most five consecutive days, or seven days altogether in any one month (Waterways Ireland). Tying up at a public harbour costs nothing; private marinas, club harbours and hire bases set their own rules, so phone ahead. From November to March power and water at public moorings are switched off, and the five-day rule still applies unless you hold a paid winter mooring (€63.50 for 2026/27, booked online) (Marine Notice 107/2026).

Smart Card

Showers, pump-outs and shore power at the public harbours run on a Waterways Ireland Smart Card (€6.35 for 10 units in the WI shop); hire bases sell them too. Dromineer's new service building takes contactless payment.

No locks, two bridges

There are no locks on the lake. Portumna Bridge at the north end swings open only at set times. Killaloe's old bridge at the south end is the lowest on the main Shannon, about 3.85 m air draft at normal summer level. Ardnacrusha locks below Killaloe are closed until 31 March 2027 (Marine Notice 106/2026).

Weather and hazards

The lake is exposed, especially to southerly winds, and waves build fast. Read the Met Éireann inland lakes forecast and the warnings before a crossing, keep to the marked channel and give rocky points and harbour entrances a wide berth: several harbours are entered between marks.

Speed and registration

5 km/h near infrastructure and moored vessels: bridges, jetties, harbours and boats alongside (Special Marine Notice 1/2026). Registration with Waterways Ireland is free and needed for every boat except an open, undecked one under 15 bhp.

Emergency

Call 112 or 999 and ask for the Coast Guard. The RNLI lifeboat is stationed at Dromineer.

This is a travel guide, not a navigation aid.

Conditions on the water

Forecast, warnings and water levels

Weather and water

Loading the latest conditions…

Locks & bridges

No locks on this waterway. The times below are worked out on this device. They change with the season: always read the notice.

  • Portumna Bridge Bridge · Opened by a bridge-keeper · Clearance 1.82 m
    Next opening Sat, 31 Oct at 10:00

All lock and bridge times Check the Waterways Ireland marine notices

Hire bases

Hire companies with a base on this waterway.

All hire companies

Itineraries

Ready-made trips that start here or pass through.

All itineraries

Events

  • Regatta International 420 Munster Championship Championship for the two-person 420 sailing dinghy, hosted by Lough Derg Yacht Club at Dromineer over the May bank holiday weekend. Expect racing fleets off Dromineer and a busy harbour: cruisers should slow down and keep clear of the race area.
  • Usually over five days ending on the first Sunday of July Festival Féile Brian Ború A five-day festival in the twin towns of Killaloe and Ballina, at the southern tip of Lough Derg, celebrating the high king Brian Ború with music, family events and happenings by the water. It runs in the first week of July (1 to 5 July in 2026), so expect busy moorings.
  • Usually early July Rally IWAI Lough Derg Rally A week-long rally around Lough Derg’s harbours run by the IWAI’s Lough Derg branch, with a different harbour every night or two and a night at anchor. The 49th rally in 2026 ran from 4 to 11 July via Dromaan, the Black Lough, Mountshannon and Garrykennedy; the 2027 programme is still to come.
  • Event Gaelforce Great Lake Swim Open-water swim on Lough Derg that starts and finishes at Portumna’s bathing place, with three distances for swimmers with and without wetsuits. Boats should keep well clear of the course and follow the safety crews on the day.

All events Tell us about an event

Marine notices

Current Waterways Ireland marine notices for this waterway. The one-line summaries are ours: read the notice itself.

Show 5 more

Source: Waterways Ireland · All marine notices on Waterways Ireland

Our marketplace buz.ie

Boats for sale: Lough Derg

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On buz.ie by county: Co. Clare Co. Tipperary Co. Galway

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More on the map, from OpenStreetMap

Places on the map that are not near one of our stops. Listed on OpenStreetMap, not checked by us. © OpenStreetMap contributors

Food & drink (1)
Shops (1)
Locks & bridges (1)
Things to do (6)
Services (3)