The Corrib River in Galway flows from its source in Lough Corrib (Corrib Lake), through Galway city and into the sea at Galway Bay. The river is only eight kilometers in length from the lake to the sea and is said to be the shortest river in Europe. It is also believed to be the most powerful and fastest-flowing city river in the european region. The reason is that this river is the only water outlet from three lakes stretching well over a 70Km covering most of N. East Galway and S. East Mayo.

The Corrib Lake itself is the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland with an area of 20,556 Hectares approx. This lake is now a protected SAE (Special Area of Conservation). It can be divided into two parts: a larger deeper basin to the north and a smaller shallower basin to the south. These two parts are connected by a narrow channel.

The upper Corrib River develops into a wide powerful body of water with native wetlands and remnants of ancient woodlands. The lack of built development over the years has enabled wetland varieties of animals and sea birds to coexist with their human neighbors all along the river.

As the lower Corrib River approaches Galway city, there is a large Weir in place to control the water levels flowing past the city into the sea. This section of river is spanned by three bridges all easily accessible on foot. The Salmon Weir Bridge was built around 1818. During the Irish fishing season (mid-February to mid-October) fishermen can often be spotted near this bridge wading into the river in search of wild salmon and sea-trout.

The river is popular with local whitewater kayakers and canoeists from the adjacent University of Galway. The Galway ‘Head of the River’ boat races are held on the Corrib River in the Springtime each year.

A River cruise service on board the luxurious Corrib Princess is available from Woodquay in the heart of the city. The journey takes passengers along the majestic river and out onto the Lake Corrib providing visitors with wonderful views of historic monuments, castles and various sites of historical interest that make this the most spectacular waterway in Ireland.

The friendly crew provide a personal service, which includes an on-board commentary, where you hear about Galway’s ancient past, Celtic Mythology and stories of Galway’s feuding families. You can even indulge in an Irish Coffee served on-board!

WTT have added a combined City Walk plus this Sightseeing Tour option for our 2024 schedule which you can check out at enclosed Tour link