Fowley’s Falls Rossinver
Co. Leitrim, Ireland
Fowley’s Falls is a picturesque 3km walk along the Glenaiff River in Rossinver, north Leitrim. This particular section of the river features several small waterfalls over the exposed limestone bedrock as it makes its way towards Lough Melvin’s southern shore.
According to locals, Fowley’s Falls got its name from a north Leitrim landowner, and at one time the river was used by locals for poaching as well as the site of a mass rock.
On this particular November weekend, I was looking up walks that were within an hour’s drive from my home in Belleek, and Fowley’s Falls popped up on my google search. We jumped in the car and in no time at all, we had arrived at this hidden gem.
At Fowley’s Falls, a small parking area on the side of the road is located opposite the steps down to the walk. Once you reach the trail, you take a narrow gravel path along the river where there are some small steps to navigate as well.
Along the walk, plenty of areas that have been cleared, so you get an excellent view of the river, falls and bedrock.
As you walk westerly along the upwards slope of the river, you notice a whole range of waterside vegetation from ferns to trees. This riverside is also a good place to catch a glimpse of the brown spotted Kingfisher and the elusive Otter. Unfortunately, I didn’t spot any rare wildlife on this occasion, but the beautiful falls more than made up for that.
At the western end of the trail, you find a wonderful clearing with picnic tables. It’s a very serene setting and would be a lovely place to enjoy a picnic with family and friends during the summer months.
As you make your way back along the path, make sure to walk to the easternmost end of the trail. Here, a steel bridge over a tributary that you can walk across has great views of ferns and other vegetation below it. Unfortunately, when we were there the path beyond this bridge had been closed due to landslides.
We loved this walk, it is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace to take in the beautiful falls. Along the way, we met a runner and a guided group of adventurers who were making their way down the centre of the falls. We still had loads of time to ourselves on this walk with no one else in sight, and it was more than worth the short drive to get there.
For more information visit: https://leitrimtourism.com/treasured-landscapes/fowleys-falls/
