Parteen Weir & headrace intake

About 6.5 km below Killaloe the river widens into a reservoir held back by Parteen Weir, where the Shannon Scheme was officially opened on 22 July 1929. The weir now sets the level of Lough Derg. Just above it the navigation turns west into the headrace, a canal about 90 m wide that runs some 12 km to Ardnacrusha. The weir has no lock, so the old river below it, past O’Briensbridge and Castleconnell, cannot be reached by boat from here; keep well clear of the structure. Book Ardnacrusha before you leave Killaloe: the lock-keeper tells the weir staff when to expect you. In the headrace the current runs with you towards the power station and grows when several turbines are working. There is nowhere to moor, but a 5 km loop walk from O’Briensbridge has good views of the weir.