Locations Suitable for Anglers with a Disability or Restricted Mobility:

AN ANGLING GUIDE FOR ANGLERS WITH DISABILITY OR RESTRICTED MOBILITY:

Inland Fisheries Ireland, Blackrock

3044 Lake Drive,
Citywest Business Campus, 
Dublin 24.
Email: dublin@fisheriesireland.ie 
Tel: +353 1 2787022

Disabled Angling Facilities in the Eastern River Basin District

Dublin

1. Corkagh Park Fishery, Corkagh Park, Clondalkin
2. Carp and Rainbow Trout fishery – Two Lakes           

Cavan

1. Big disabled Stand with ramp and protective railing, Castle Lake, Virginia, Co Cavan

Monaghan

• Carrickmacross: Capragh Lake, Monalty Lake, Lough Nagarnaman
• Castleblaney: Lough Muckno (Gas Lake), Lough ross
• Peter’s Lake, Monaghan Town, Co Monaghan

Inland Fisheries Ireland – Clonmel

Anglsea Street,
Clonmel,
Co. Tipperary,
Ireland.
Email: clonmel@fisheriesireland.ie 
Tel: +00 353 52 6180055

Oaklands Lake – New Ross, Co. Wexford

Ideal for coarse fishing. We have used this ourselves during National Angling Awareness Week when we had members of the Waterford and Wexford Branches of the Wheel Chair Association fishing at the lake. The lake has ramps, appropriate stands and toilet facilities.

Ballyshunnock Reservoir – Kilmeaden Co. Waterford

This is a mixed coarse and trout fishery with angling access for individuals with disabilities. Permits are available in the Centra Shop in Kilmeaden, however there are no toilet facilities available at present on site.

Gill’s Pond – Ballinakill, Co. Laois

Mixed Coarse Fishery, 2 disabled stands present. Easy access for all anglers. No toilet facilities present.

River Blackwater (Munster)

Wheel chair accessible boats are available in the club waters in both Fermoy and Cappoquin.

For more information on the wheelyboat at Cappoquin contact:
Jeremy Nicholson, Cappoquin Salmon and Trout Anglers Association.
Tel: + 353 (0)58 52302

For more information on the wheelyboat at Fermoy contact:
Chris O’Donovan, Fermoy Town & District Angling Club.
Tel: +353 (0)89 4135120

The following is a passage from the Waterways brochure on disabled angling facilities on the River Barrow in the southern Region.

There are two wheelchair accessible angling stands and a car park at Athy (map 3), on the Barrow Line of the Grand Canal. The angling stands arelocated at the southern end of a major match angling section. This section plays host to a large number of local and provincial coarse angling competitions, run by the Athy and District Angling Club.

The Barrow Line at Ballyteague and Athy is between 12 and 15 metres wide and averages 1.75 m deep. The canal corridor supports a wide diversity of aquatic and marginal plants that harbour myriads of fish-food insects. This aquatic vegetation also acts as a spawning and nursery habitat for a variety of coarse fishes. This may explain the large quantity of healthy fish that is resident in this productive canal. The vegetation is carefully managed and does not pose an obstruction for anglers.

Barrow Navigation

On the Barrow Navigation at Bagnelstown (map 2),Waterways Ireland has developed a quality angling section with wheelchair accessible stands. Five state-of-the-art stands with adjacent car parking are located on the banks of the river, downstream of Rathelin Lock. A dedicated tarmac towpath services the section.

The Barrow Navigation adjacent to the stands at Bagenalstown is aproximately 40m wide. The flow is slow and the water is between 3 and 4 m deep. The margins of the Barrow Navigation support moderate stands of reeds and yellow water lilies. The density of boat traffic through the area is low.

Inland Fisheries Ireland – Macroom

Sunnyside House,
Macroom, 
County Cork,
Ireland. 
E-mail: macroom@fisheriesireland.ie 
Tel: +353 26 41221

This region can boast of many disabled angling facilities covering Game, Coarse, Pike and Sea.

1. There are a number of stands on the Innisleena section of Inniscarra Lake for good Coarse and Pike fishing.

Inland Fisheries Ireland – Limerick

Ashbourne Business Park,
Dock Road,
Limerick, 
Ireland. 
Email: limerick@fisheriesireland.ie 
Tel: +353 61 300238

Boats

There are 2 IFI disabled angler boats for lake angling; one is based in Drumsna, Co. Leitrim and one is based in Mullingar

Fisheries

Fishery	Centre/Location	Type of Facilities	Midland Fisheries Group Fishing Permit	Type of Fishing
Lough Errill	Mohill, Co Leitrim	One wheelchair friendly stand	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse angling and pike.
Lough Bran	Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim	One wheelchair friendly stand	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse angling and pike.
Lough Mc Hugh	Mohill, Co Leitrim	One wheelchair friendly stand	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse angling and pike.
Cavetown Lake	Boyle, Co Roscommon	One  wheelchair friendly stand	Check with local Angling Club	Mostly trout fishing with coarse fish and pike present
Lanesboro Hotwater stretch	Lanesboro,  Co Longford	Easy access to a concrete ribbon with three custom built stands and WC facilities	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
River Suck Valley	Donamon, Co Roscommon	30 custom built stands with dedicated parking bays	ShRFB Permit Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
Cloonahee Lake	Strokestown, Co Roscommon	Three custom built   wheelchair friendly stands	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
Lough na Blaithi	Strokestown, Co Roscommon	Four custom built   wheelchair friendly stands	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
Upper Lough Gara	Ballaghadereen , Co Roscommon	One  wheelchair friendly stand	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
River Lung	Aughalustia Bridge, Co Roscommon	One  wheelchair friendly stand	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
Slevin’s Lake	Mullingar, Co Westmeath	Double wheelchair friendly stand & dedicated parking bays	Permit Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling
Royal Canal Mullingar	Mullingar, Co Westmeath	Easy access to open bank fishing	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling
Royal Canal Abbeyshrule	Abbeyshrule, Co Longford	Easy access open bank fishing	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling
Grand Canal Banagher/Ferbane	Banagher, Co Offaly	Easy access open bank fishing	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling
Lough an Dochais	Boora Parklands, Co Offaly	Nine custom built stands and car park	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse angling with some trout
Kilgory Lake	East Clare Lakes	One  wheelchair friendly stand	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
Lough Bridget	East Clare Lakes	One  wheelchair friendly stand & parking	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
Clondorney Lake	East Clare Lakes	Easy access to stands and parking	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
Lower River Shannon Annacotty	Annacotty, Limerick	Easy access to stands and parking	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout and salmon
Lough Derg West – Scariff	Scariff	Easy access to piers and parking	Permit not Required	Good trout, coarse and pike angling
Lough Derg East –  Dromineer	Dromineer	Easy access to piers and parking	Permit not Required	Good trout, coarse and pike angling
Lough Derg South  West – Killaloe	Killaloe, Twomilegate	Easy access to stands and parking at Twomilegate	Permit not Required	Good trout, coarse and pike angling
Lough Derg Tuamgraney – Killaloe	Scariff, Tuamgraney Pier	Easy Access to fishing pier	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout
Scariff  River Harbour	Scariff, Harbour Section	Easy Access access to fishing pier	Permit not Required	Mostly coarse and pike angling with some trout

Western Regional Fisheries Board

The Weir Lodge,
Earl’s Island,
Galway,
Ireland.
Email: galway@fisheriesireland.ie
Tel: +353 91 563118

1. At Ballyquirke Lake near Moycullen there are two concrete disabled stand with guard rails for Coarse and Pike fishing.

Inland Fisheries Ireland – Ballyshannon

Station Road,
Ballyshannon,
Co. Donegal,
Ireland.
Email: ballyshannon@fisheriesireland.ie 
Tel: +353 71 9851435

Co. Leitrim

1. Kesh Lake, Keshcarrigan, Co. Leitrim.  One concrete stand for coarse and Pike
2. Shannon/Erne Waterway, Keshcarrigan, Co. Leitrim. There is a plastic stand with guard rail and car parking – Coarse fishing.
3. Garadice Lake, (Haughton’s Shore), Co. Leitrim. Suitable for wheelchairs with assistance along the shoreline from the lake shore road.
4. Kiltybarden Lake, Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. Suitable for wheelchairs with assistance along the shoreline from the lake shore road.
5. Rockfield Lake in Carrigallen from the lake side road and car park with assistance.
6. Gulladoo Lake Carrigallen – A floating jetty with guard rail and parking – Coarse fishing

Co Cavan

1. Town Lake, Killeshandra, Co. Cavan. A floating jetty with guard rail and parking – Coarse fishing
2. Holy Lake, Belturbet, Co. Cavan.     Put & Take Trout – specially adapted boat will be operative for the 2002 season. There is a wheelyboat with ramp where the wheelchair can fish this productive Trout fishery.
3. Lough Gowna Co.Cavan – Dernaferst Shore north and south from the shore near car park with assistance.
4. Cuillaghan Lake Ballyconnell, Co.Cavan – A floating jetty with guard rail and parking – Coarse fishing

Co. Monaghan

1. Lough Major, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan. A floating jetty with guard rail and parking in the town in Ballybay – Coarse fishing
2. Mullanary Lake, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan – operative 2002. There is a stand with guard rail alongside road with parking.
3. Gortnawinny Lake, Clones Co.Monaghan- A floating jetty with guard rail and parking – Coarse fishing

Northern Ireland

Co Fermanagh

Lower Lough Erne: A disabled hoist is available for boat angling at Garvary and Innishclare to enable wheelchair users or other disabled anglers to fish from boats. (Tel: +44 (0) 28 6634 3136 for details). Access is generally good elsewhere around the lough for anglers with walking difficulties although there are no special wheelchair facilities. There are a number of areas with level paths close to car parks. These are at Cornagrade, Trory, Ely Lodge and Dolans ring. There are also six stands suitable for wheelchairs at Queen Elizabeth Road, Enniskillen.

Upper Lough Erne: A disabled stand suitable for wheelchairs is provided at Corradillar. For those with walking difficulties access is generally good. There are areas with level paths close to the carparks at Broadmeadow. There are also 6 fishing stands suitable for wheelchairs at the Queen Elizabeth Road, Enniskillen. There is a car park at Corradillar quay with a shoppers car park 40 metres from the Queen Elizabeth Road site. Scolban Not wheelchair accessible but it is otherwise accessible to anglers with walking difficulties.

Co Tyrone

Creeve Lough: There are 4 wheelchair accessible fishing stands close to the first car park coming from Holland’s crossroads. The car park is hardcore and it is also possible to park beside these two stands.

Co Antrim

Movanagher: Access is possible for anglers with walking difficulties from the car park at the lock gates. It is not accessible to wheelchairs but 3 wheelchair accessible fishing stands are provided near parking areas.