Clady River facts for kids
The River Clady is a river in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is also known as the Swatragh River further upstream. The Clady flows into the Lower Bann, which is a larger river.
The River Clady begins high up on Carntogher Mountain. It flows east towards the village of Swatragh. In this early part, it is quite narrow, only about 10 to 15 feet wide. This section is sometimes called the Knockoneil River or Upper Clady. As it passes through Swatragh and on to Upperlands, the river gets wider. Its strong flow is even used to power Clarke's mill in Upperlands.
The river continues past Culnady, where it becomes much wider, around 20 to 30 feet across near the old Dunglady Bridge. It then meets the Grillagh River, which is its biggest helper river. After this, the Clady gets even wider. This part is known as the Lower Clady. During heavy rain, the river can become very powerful. It flows quietly through Eden townland, passing under Eden Bridge. The river stays wide until it reaches Clady village, where it can be 30 to 40 feet wide. It flows past Innishrush and through a rocky area behind Clady. Finally, it reaches Glenone Bridge, where it is over 40 feet wide before joining the River Bann. The River Clady flows under 13 bridges in total.
There is a special fishing club house along the river, just outside Clady. It has a fish counter and a weir, which is like a small dam, built in 2011. This weir helps salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs. Many fishing spots are found along the riverbanks. The best time to catch fish like salmon is usually in September and October. The fishing season ends on October 31st each year.
Contents
Bridges over the Clady River
The River Clady flows under many bridges along its journey. These bridges help people and vehicles cross the river safely. Here are some of the main bridges, listed in order from upstream to downstream:
- Tamybrack Bridge
- Corlacky Bridge
- Knockoneil Bridge
- Swatragh Bridge
- Beagh Bridge
- Amportane Bridge
- Upperlands Bridge
- Boyne Bridge
- Dunglady Bridge
- Eden Bridge (also called Drumnacannon Bridge)
- Clady Bridge
- Glenone Bridge
Rivers and Streams Joining the Clady
Many smaller rivers and streams flow into the River Clady, adding to its water. These are called tributaries.
Major Tributaries
- Grillagh River: This is the largest river that joins the Clady. It is a good place for fishing, similar to the Clady itself. The Grillagh River starts in Slaughtneil and flows through Culnady before joining the Clady below Curdian Bridge. It is home to many brown trout, and salmon also swim here in the autumn.
Minor Tributaries
- Green Water Burn: This stream starts south of the Brockaghboy windfarm and flows into the Clady after a few miles.
- Corlacky Burn: This stream begins on Corlacky hill and flows into the Clady.
- Craigavole Burn: This is the third largest stream that joins the Clady. It starts in Craigavole townland and flows east of Swatragh, even passing under the GAC Swatragh football pitch. It then flows south and joins the Clady north of Beagh Bridge.
- Carnaman Burn: This is the second largest stream that joins the Clady, smaller only than the Grillagh River. It starts in the boglands near Gulladuff in Lavey. It flows north and then east through low-lying areas, joining the Clady not far from Clady village. This stream might have small fish or even places where trout lay their eggs.
- Roohan Burn: This is a small stream that flows into the Grillagh River. It is found at the bottom of Tirkane in Slaughtneil and has young brown trout.
- Altkeeran Burn: This stream is at the foot of Carntogher Mountain. It is where the Grillagh River begins, and it's an important spot for salmon to return to lay their eggs in late autumn.
Images for kids
-
Clady River
-
Clady Bridge
