Grillagh River facts for kids
The Grillagh River is a small river located outside Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
The name means a wet and mucky area and its also known to locals as Pixies Paradise. It is sourced up on Cairntogher Mountain, one of the major peaks of the Sperrins and flows into the Clady. It is regarded as a good fishing river by locals of Maghera, Swatragh and the Clady And District Angling Club. It also flows through the nature reserve of Drumnaph Woods, making it a major checkpoint in the forest reserve. It is known as the "salmon's kingdom in the forest" because of the many fish species — including salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Dollaghan on occasion , and other smaller fish that is caught from time to time the tend to hide in the rocks or deep under the water the best method on this river for those who are anglers is spin fishing with mepps or Z or even toby lures — these fish migrate upriver to spawn and lay eggs. Often dippers are spotted around the old bridges, where they dive to the bottom in order to feed on a range of aquatic invertebrates. The river itself is a spate river during the winter; it is fast flowing with white rapids. In the summer, the river is a lot lazier, and collects a lot of green algae, especially around culnady downwards making it difficult for deeper fishing at these times. The river itself is about 5 to 7 metres in the upper reaches and about 10 metres on its lower course. The Grillagh Empties Into The Clady River
Bridges
There are 8 bridge that cross the Grillagh which include The Cairn Last Bridge, Upper Ballynamona Bridge, Ballynamona Bridge, Slaughtneil Bridge, Gortinure Bridge, Drumnaph Bridge, Grillagh Bridge, Beresford Bridge, Drumbolg Culnady Bridge, Curdian Bridge
The Altkeeran Burn is the Grillaghs Origins which is a mountain burn at the foot of Carntogher mountain is where most salmon return to spawn. The Tullykeern Carn and Olivia Burn all flow into the altkeeran.
The Roohan Burn One of the major tributary streams which starts on Tullykeeran Mountain flows through Tirkane Behind The St Brigids Primary is one of the major brown trout spawning streams on the upper river and small trout can sometimes be seen catching flies at the foot of which is locally known as the School Bridge at the foot of Tirkane settlement.
The Curragh Burn Another tributary below culnady also acts as a brown trout spawning Sheugh.
Images for kids
-
Grillagh River
-
Headwaters of the Grillagh
-
Gortinure Bridge
-
Roohan Burn At School Bridge
-
Backparks Burn mountain stream tributary
-
Backparks Bridge
