Few counties in Ireland are defined by water quite as thoroughly as Leitrim. There is an old joke among locals that in Leitrim you do not buy land by the acre but by the gallon, and while it is said with a wry smile, it captures something true about the place. This is a county stitched together by lakes, rivers, canals and slow-moving streams, and for anyone basing themselves in a local bed and breakfast, the water is never far away. Understanding how these waterways shape the landscape will help you plan a stay that makes the most of what Leitrim does better than almost anywhere else.
A County Shaped by Water
Leitrim is often described as two counties in one, split by the great expanse of Lough Allen roughly halfway down its length. The northern half is mountainous and dramatic, with steep hills, waterfalls and narrow valleys. The southern half is a gentler patchwork of drumlins, small hills left behind by retreating glaciers, with countless little lakes tucked between them. These southern lakes are so numerous that many do not even have well-known names, appearing simply as pockets of still water reflecting the sky between fields of rushes.
The River Shannon, Ireland’s longest river, rises in the Shannon Pot on the slopes of Cuilcagh mountain and flows down through Leitrim, feeding Lough Allen before continuing south. Because of this, a great deal of the county’s life has always been oriented toward the water, from fishing and farming to the boat traffic that still passes through Carrick-on-Shannon, the busy county town and a hub for cruising the inland waterways.
The Shannon-Erne Waterway
One of the most remarkable features running through Leitrim is the Shannon-Erne Waterway, a restored canal that links the Shannon river system with Lough Erne in the north. Originally built in the nineteenth century and later abandoned, it was reopened in the 1990s and now forms one of the longest navigable inland waterways in Europe. It threads through Leitrim villages such as Ballinamore and Keshcarrigan, passing through a series of locks that boaters operate themselves with a simple electronic key.
For a bed and breakfast guest, the waterway offers more than just a place to hire a cruiser. The towpaths and lock cottages make for peaceful walking, and the villages along its course have quiet pubs where you can sit by the water and watch boats work their way through the locks. Several hosts in the area keep detailed local knowledge of the best stretches for a short stroll or a morning of angling, and it is worth asking them directly rather than relying on a map alone.
Lakes for Anglers and Quiet Days
Leitrim has long been a destination for coarse anglers from across Ireland, Britain and continental Europe. The county’s lakes are rich in bream, roach, tench, rudd and pike, and many of them see very little pressure compared with more famous fisheries elsewhere. Lough Allen, the largest lake wholly within a single county, is a serious water for pike fishing and also draws people simply for its scale and the way the Iron Mountains rise behind it.
Smaller lakes offer a different kind of pleasure. Places like Garadice Lake near Ballinamore, or the string of lakes around Carrigallen and Mohill, are the sort of spot where you can spend a whole morning without seeing another person. Even if you never pick up a rod, these lakes reward slow visits. Bring a flask, find a quiet bank, and you will understand why so many artists and writers have settled in this county over the years. If you are staying at a bed and breakfast nearby, ask whether they can arrange a packed breakfast or an early start so you can be at the water when the light is at its best.
Waterfalls and Northern Drama
The northern reaches of the county, around Manorhamilton and the Glenade valley, show water in a wilder form. Glencar Waterfall, sitting on the border between Leitrim and Sligo, is one of the most photographed spots in the region and was immortalised by the poet W. B. Yeats in his verse about the waters and the wild. After heavy rain, which Leitrim is never short of, the falls thunder impressively, and a short looped walk brings you close enough to feel the spray.
The surrounding glacial valleys of Glenade and Glencar are ringed by flat-topped hills and hanging streams that appear to pour straight off the cliffs in windy weather. This part of the county rewards those willing to drive a little further north from the softer lakelands, and many bed and breakfasts in the Manorhamilton area are within easy reach of these dramatic landscapes.
Getting onto the Water
You do not need to be an experienced boater to enjoy Leitrim’s waterways. Carrick-on-Shannon is one of the main centres for hiring cabin cruisers, and companies there will give first-timers full instruction before letting them set off at a gentle pace. For a shorter taste, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding have grown popular on sheltered stretches, and the Acres Lake floating boardwalk near Drumshanbo lets you walk out over the water itself as part of a scenic blueway trail.
For those who prefer to stay on land, the Leitrim landscape is best appreciated by pairing short water-based outings with time back at your accommodation. A typical day might involve a morning on a lakeside path, an afternoon exploring a heritage town, and an evening watching the light fade over a lough from the garden of your bed and breakfast. Hosts in this county tend to be generous with local advice, and because tourism here is low-key and unhurried, you will rarely find yourself competing with crowds for the best spots. Water is the thread that ties a Leitrim visit together, and taking the time to follow it, whether by boat, on foot or simply with a chair and a good view, is the surest way to understand the county’s quiet appeal.