Overview
The most useful thing to know about Lough Iron is that it is not a visitor site. There is no public access point along the shore, and the banks, fields and reed beds around it are not open to the public. That keeps it quiet, which is exactly why the birds like it. Lough Iron (Irish: Loch Iarainn) is a long, narrow lake in County Westmeath, on the River Inny, downstream of Lough Derravaragh and close to Lough Owel. The lake and surrounding wetlands are protected for waterbirds, including whooper swans, and the NPWS page for the Lough Iron Special Protection Area is the place to read about the designation.
History and folklore
The name has nothing to do with mineral deposits. In the 1680s the antiquarian Sir Henry Piers recorded a story of a farmer who dropped his plough-irons into a brook, which became ‘Iron-brook’ and then ‘Iron-lake’. Piers also noted that the northern end still showed the old banks of the River Inny, from before the water flooded the low ground.
There was once more here than birds. The medieval settlement of Kilbixy had a dock on the shore of Lough Iron before it went into decline in the 15th century after a run of attacks. The lake you see now is lower than the one Kilbixy knew: drainage works on the Inny dropped the water level, exposing the freshwater marshes that are now its most important habitat. That shift is what earned it protection, as a Ramsar site and later as a Special Protection Area (site code 004046) in the EU’s Natura 2000 network.
Wildlife and conservation
Lough Iron is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive and a Ramsar wetland, protections aimed at its wintering wildfowl and the marshland they depend on. The National Parks & Wildlife Service publishes the site’s conservation objectives. The shallow margins make easy feeding for waterbirds, and the birds depend on being left undisturbed. Roughly how the year runs:
- Winter (November–February): the main season for wintering waterbirds, including whooper swan, teal, golden plover and Greenland white-fronted goose.
- Spring (March–May): breeding season, when disturbance does the most harm.
- Summer (June–August): higher water and better cover for the birds that stay.
- Autumn (September–October): golden reeds and few other people.
Birdwatching
The Special Protection Area is listed for whooper swan, teal, coot, golden plover, Greenland white-fronted goose, wigeon and shoveler. Because the site is protected and the surrounding land is private, the responsible way to enjoy it is from a distance, without entering fields or reed beds. This page does not promote fishing or boat launching here; keep off the water around feeding and roosting birds and leave the banks undisturbed.
Getting there and practical information
There is no visitor access point, no parking beside the lake and no facilities. The lake lies on the River Inny, and Mullingar is the natural base for the wider area. Leave the reed beds, fields and banks undisturbed, and do not cross farmland to reach the water.
For a walk with signed public access elsewhere in the county, use a marked section of the Royal Canal Greenway.
Nearby
- Fore – the Seven Wonders of Fore and a medieval abbey, a good short walking circuit.
- Hill of Uisneach – the ancient ceremonial centre of Ireland, with wide views over the midlands.
- Lough Owel and Lough Derravaragh – both far easier to reach than Lough Iron, and both good for birdwatching.
- Mullingar – the nearest town for beds and food.
If you want to see wildfowl in comfort, one of the roadside lakes nearby or a signed greenway will suit better than hunting for access to a lake that has none.