Dublin & Leinster
The River Liffey rises in the Wicklow Mountains just 12 miles south of Dublin and travels a long crescent of over 80 miles before reaching Dublin Bay — genuinely varied water, from small acid mountain stream near its source, through rich limestone trout water around Ballymore Eustace, Kilcullen and Newbridge (producing trout over the specimen 5lb mark most years), down to salmon and sea trout fishing between Lucan and Islandbridge, with free fishing at Memorial Park.
The River Boyne, north of the city, is one of Ireland's premier wild brown trout rivers — nearly 330 miles of river channel across its whole catchment — plus a genuine salmon fishery on its lower reaches around Slane and Oldbridge. And for coarse anglers, Dublin has something unusual: free, no-permit, no-closed-season fishing on the Grand and Royal Canals, running right into the city centre.
Rivers
River Liffey
Rises in the Wicklow Mountains, flows over 80 miles to Dublin Bay. Rich limestone trout water around Ballymore Eustace, Kilcullen and Newbridge; salmon and sea trout between Lucan and Islandbridge, with free fishing at Memorial Park above Islandbridge. Lower urban stretches hold pike, perch and roach.
Trout · Salmon · PikeRiver Boyne
Rises near Newberry Hall, Co. Kildare, and flows 70 miles through Offaly, Meath and Louth to the Irish Sea at Drogheda. One of Ireland's premier wild brown trout rivers (average fish ¾lb, with 5–6lb specimens annually) and a genuine salmon fishery on its lower reaches — average 10lb, with fish to 20lb+ possible, particularly around Slane and Oldbridge.
Wild trout · SalmonRiver Barrow
Mixed coarse and trout water in County Kildare, holding roach, perch, rudd, bream, dace and pike — plus a rare run of shad near St Mullins each May.
CoarseCanals
Grand Canal
82 miles connecting Dublin to the Shannon. Free, no-permit fishing with no closed season for coarse or pike — bream average 2lb (to 4lb+), pike 2–6lb with larger fish present, and roach now widely distributed. Wheelchair-accessible stands at several locations.
Bream · PikeRoyal Canal
Dublin's other cross-country canal, running north of the Liffey to the Shannon — similar free, year-round mixed coarse fishing to the Grand Canal.
CoarseStillwaters
Poulaphouca Reservoir (Blessington Lakes)
A large reservoir near Blessington in north Wicklow — good trout fishing plus some very large pike, roach and perch.
General guide only — a state licence is required for salmon and sea trout fishing in Ireland; coarse fishing on the canals and most rivers is free. Always confirm current permits, byelaws (barbless hooks and no-worm rules apply on parts of the Liffey) and season dates before fishing.
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