The falls
The Ballysadare, also spelled Ballisodare, is short, about 6 km from Collooney down to the village, but it carries a lot of water. Its three upland tributaries, the Unshin, the Owenmore and the Owenbeg, drain a catchment that reaches back to Lough Arrow and Templehouse Lake, all of it funnelling over the falls near Ballysadare village and out into the tidal lagoon at Ballysadare Bay. The Irish name, Baile Easa Dara, means the town of the waterfall of the oak.
It doesn’t take much rain to bring the river up, and the falls are at their best after heavy rain; a dry spell shrinks them to a modest step over the rock. Keep off private banks and out of the water near the falls.
Yeats, and a river that used to work
‘Down by the Salley Gardens’ is said to have grown out of a ballad W.B. Yeats heard sung at the fair in Ballisodare, and the willow-lined banks give the song its setting (‘salley’ is an old word for the sallow willow).
The river was working long before it was scenic. The falls turned mill wheels and later generated the village’s electricity before the national grid reached this part of Sligo, and a hydroelectric station has operated nearby.
Fishing
The deep pools below the falls have long held spring salmon and a run of grilse in summer. The Inland Fisheries Ireland guide says Ballisodare Fishing Club manages the salmon fishery. The club’s 2026 season report confirms that the season has ended.
The system had a difficult year in 2024, when fishing was suspended after a large salmon die-off, and rules have changed since. Rules for a future trip are not fixed here: check the current salmon and sea trout regulations and contact the club for a permit and approved fishing access before you go. Most of the banks are private, so do not fish or walk them without permission.
Walks nearby
For a walk, use the waymarked paths and designated car park at Coillte’s Union Wood. It is the managed option in the area and avoids the private banks along the river.
Nearby
The river sits in one of the densest patches of prehistory in the country. Carrowmore megalithic cemetery and the great cairn on Knocknarea, said to hold Queen Maeve, are both a short drive off, and Lough Gill, Union Wood, the Knoxpark sculpture trail, St Féichín’s Abbey and Tobernalt Holy Well are all within easy reach.
The falls look their best a day or two after heavy rain. Come in a dry week and you may wonder what the fuss was about.