The Inny is a fishing river before it is anything else. It runs from the slopes of Slieve na Calliagh, near Oldcastle in County Meath, down through a chain of midland lakes to Lough Ree on the Shannon. If you are not carrying a rod, the one thing worth the detour is the Whitworth Aqueduct at Abbeyshrule, where the Royal Canal crosses the river on a single stone span.
The river’s course
The Inny starts as a stream sometimes called the Upper Inny or Ross River, marks the boundary between Meath and Cavan for a short stretch, then enters Lough Sheelin at the meeting point of Cavan, Meath and Westmeath. From there it threads Lough Kinale, Lough Derravaragh and Lough Iron, gathering volume as it goes. For much of its lower course it forms the boundary between Longford and Westmeath before emptying into Lough Ree at Inny Bay.
Fishing
The Inny is a coarse fishery. The River Inny angling guide maps managed fishing stretches. Check current rules, and use only authorised access points. Land beside the river includes private farmland, so do not cross it without permission. Local clubs manage particular stretches, so it is worth asking before you set up, and you should check current licence and permit requirements before you fish.
The Whitworth Aqueduct
At Abbeyshrule the Royal Canal crosses the Inny on the Whitworth Aqueduct, built in 1817 to a design by John Killaly. It carries the canal 165 feet across the river, and a plaque on the south parapet records its construction. Waterways Ireland maps the Royal Canal Greenway beside Abbeyshrule. Follow the signed towpath over the aqueduct and take care near the water. The aqueduct pairs neatly with a flat walk or cycle along the towpath.
History and the name
The Inny once turned mills, most notably a pair at Tenelick near Abbeyshrule, along with a sawmill and generator at Newcastle whose weir fed a small waterfall at Ballymahon. Land-drainage works in the 1960s removed the Newcastle weir and silenced the Ballymahon millrace after roughly a century of use. The name comes from the Irish Abhainn Eithne, Eithne’s river: local tradition holds that Princess Eithne drowned in the rapids at Tenelick, and the river was named in her memory.
This is working farmland country rather than dramatic scenery. The real draw is the fishing and the canal crossing, not the views.
Practical information
- Access and cost: the Greenway towpath and the aqueduct are public routes; check signs for any local restrictions.
- Fishing: check licence and permit requirements in the angling guide and with local clubs, and use only authorised access points.
- Safety: take care near the water, and wear sturdy footwear for towpaths and banks.
For a fuller midland day, the Corlea Trackway visitor centre, built over a preserved Iron Age bog road, is a short drive from Abbeyshrule.