Fishing

"A bad day fishing is still better than a good day working"

We’re not saying that the fish in Offaly jump into your boat or onto your rod, but we can certainly lay claim to some of the best inland angling waters in the country. If you’re on the Shannon, a good place to start is Bullock Island upstream of Banagher town, while around the renowned hot-water stretch at the power-station at Shannonbridge you can find big tench and hybrids. At Edenderry the prolific Grand Canal offers up bream, skimmers, roach and sometimes carp. Or head to the lakes at Lough Boora Discovery Park for tench and roach. You mustn’t leave out Offaly’s wonderful rivers like the Brosna, Yellow River, Camcor, Gageborough and Clodiagh – and that’s not all of them.   Suffice to say, if fishing’s your passion, you’ve come to the right county!

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the state agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland’s inland fisheries and sea angling resources. The IFI can be contacted at http://www.fisheriesireland.ie and more detailed material on angling is available on the dedicated angling website: www.fishinginireland.info. Some of the fishing requires the purchase of a permit and where a permit is required it is indicated in the text. There is no license needed for fishing on the Canal's.

Permit Distributors for Game and Coarse Fishing

Kevin Martin The Tanyard, Tullamore, County Offaly. +353 (0)87 9672233

Cunningham’s Fishing Tackle Durrow, Tullamore, County Offaly. +353 (0)57 9331851

Tackle Shop Rahan, Tullamore, County Offaly. +353 (0)57 9355979

Dermot Kenny’s Shop Bridge Street, Clara, County Offaly. +353 (0)57 9331866

Chris Brumell, Roscrea Road, Birr, County Offaly. +353 (0)57 9120135

Michael Davis Emmet St, Birr, County Offaly. +353 (0)57 9120323

Michael Madden Townsend St, Birr, County Offaly. +353 (0)57 9120135

The Old Forge Fishing Tackle Banagher, County Offaly. +353 (0)57 9151504