Overview
The Owenmore is Sligo’s quiet river: slow, limestone-fed water with no rapids and no crowds. It rises in the far south of County Sligo, near Gorteen (you will also see it spelled Gurteen) and Lough Gara, and drops through a catchment of 655 km² to meet the Unshin near Collooney. From that junction it becomes the Ballysadare River and runs out to Ballysadare Bay. Its Irish name, An Abhainn Mhór, means ‘the big river’, which undersells it. This is flat, gentle water, and that is exactly its character.
Near Templehouse, the river and connected loughs form part of a wetland landscape. The NPWS designation describes the protected Templehouse and Cloonacleigha loughs.
History and landscape
The valley is classic Sligo drumlin country: low, rolling hills under pasture, edged with native woodland, the whole thing underlain by limestone that keeps the river slow and rich. The main historic feature along its course is the Templehouse estate, whose old demesne walls now blend quietly into the hedgerows. A little further along, the Schoolhouse at Annaghmore, built in the 1860s and surrounded by mature woodland, sits by the water and is a fair marker of how long people have lived along these banks.
What to do
Angling
This is a coarse fisherman’s river first. It holds bream, perch, pike, rudd and eel, with small trout as well. The river is managed as a fishery by stretch, so rules and access differ along its length.
Check Inland Fisheries Ireland’s regional guide and the current rules for the exact stretch you plan to fish. Use authorised access points and check any permit requirements before you set up. Leave private banks, fields and entrances clear.
Riverside wildlife
The riverbanks include private land, so plan any visit around authorised access points and public roads rather than assuming you can follow the water. Reed-lined margins along rivers like this give cover to otters and the occasional kingfisher, and the wetlands around Templehouse are the part of the river with formal protection.
Getting there and practical information
The Owenmore is reached from the Gorteen area in south Sligo; follow the roads toward Templehouse. Public transport is thin, and the nearest town on the river’s course is Collooney, a few kilometres to the north. The ground beside the water is often soft, so waterproof boots or sturdy shoes are sensible, and levels can rise after heavy rain.
Check the Met Éireann forecast before going out. Confirm angling rules, permits and where you may park or enter with Inland Fisheries Ireland or locally, as the river is fished and managed by stretch.
Nearby
Collooney is a working market town a few kilometres north, with independent shops, pubs and the preserved ruins of its old railway station. Ballysadare, a little further down the system, stands on the river beside a waterfall. The Owenmore is a slow counterpoint to Sligo’s showier sights, a river to appreciate for its quiet, steady water rather than for drama.