Local Rivers – Kerry

The Sullane – Difficulty: II – The Sullane Realtime waterlevel

In 51.9451, -9.1706 – Out 51.9146, -9.0753

A nice day out for club trips. CIT use it for their first beginner trip of the year. Short scenic gorge section and one or two small drops.

Nice waves form under the bridge near the Mills Inn in high water.

#### Directions to the Put-in

The Put in is in the town of Ballyvourney on the Cork to Killarney road.

Take the road at the Co-op (Across from centra and on your left if coming from Cork). Immediately after the bridge theres a lane on the right. Unload here but park in the town. Also carry on back a mile and when you come to the Mills Inn take a left and after the bridge take a left here is another put-in.

The put in near the Mills in is well worth the extra mile if the river is running medium to high.

Take the left off the Cork/Killarney road across from the Mills Inn. Loads of parking just over the bridge in the St Gobnaits Wood park. There’s a few gates into the field upriver of the bridge on river right. Best put in spot is a gravel bank a couple of hundred meters up from the bridge. No access issues that I know of, just be considerate.

#### Directions to the Take-out

If coming from cork leave a car at the Mons Bar. Its the pub at a junction on your left. If coming from Killarney its at the end of the bad bends.

The take out is the 3 arch bridge. River left immediately after the bridge is probably the best takeout as you dont have to cross fields. There is a takeout river right with a stile. Road is busy and narrow enough so we walk down the road (river left bank) with boats and load by the wall before the Pub.

#### River Description

There’s a little drop at the bridge. Its relatively straightforward for a while.

The gorge section is identified by a split in the river (Main channel left) and a sharp right hand bend. Low branches interfere with eddying out above this bend. The gorge is rocky at normal flow and a wave train at higher levels. There’s a large eddy behind a big rock river left towards the end if you need to recover. One more little drop after this and the gorge narrows for about 20 yards before opening out completely.

As you approach a single span road bridge its worth staying river right so you can eddy out just above this short rapids section. Trees tend to get wedged here. This is directly below the corners recently widened by Arkil.

After this there’s long tree line sections punctuated by one 3 foot straightforward drop. You’ll see it as you approach.

The three arched bridge is normally best run river left in a little slot drop.

#### Local issues

We only park in the co-op at weekends. We also tend to use the river left take out to avoid crossing fields and we load boats back up at the wall to the side of the pub not in the car park proper. We’ve not had any trouble but there’s plenty of room there.

No access issues, just be considerate.

 

The Clydagh – Difficulty: III – Clydagh – Realtime Water Levels

In 52.0008, -9.2134 – Out 51.9982, -9.2562

There is also a short section of rapids on a tributary, the glashansharragh, farther up again.

There are also many miles of grade 2 in the source section of the clydagh.

#### Brief River Description

This is a more relaxed run than the Middle Flesk but can also be a nice warm up before it. It is a rocky grade 3 river with one section of grade 4 which is considerably more difficult than the rest.

Hugely overgrown in sections

#### Directions to the Put-in

This Section is above the Middle Flesk. Follow the N22 between Killarney & Cork. Take a left for Clydagh Valley and follow the road to the left. Cross over the bridge at the start of the Middle Flesk and turn right. Follow this road to a small bridge that crosses the river further upstream.

In high water use the next bridge upstream or even about 300m above this

#### Directions to the Take-out

The Take out is before the bridge that runs into the “gates” on the middle Flesk. You can see the last rapid from the bridge. Have a good look at the take out before heading upstream.

If you do not intend running the Middle Flesk, *get out before the bridge*.

#### River Description

This run needs a good bit of water. Depending on the level it can be hard on the equipment and the paddler As the river winds away from the road the gradient picks up. The first section is easy grade 3 paddling.

Further downstream you will meet the first sizable drop which signifies the start of the grade 4 section. The first drop is roughly 7-8ft, which should be shot on river left over a shoot that runs to the right. The second drop is smaller, again run on the left, but requires a quick turn to river right into an eddy above the main fall. This fall is a long rock slide about 25 -30ft long. The water is funneled into a channel with sharp bed rock protruding into the flow.

This rapid has long been considered among the best standalone rapids in the country.

The remainder of the river is similar to the beginning with several small rapids and drops. The river enters a gorge signaling the take out for the Upper Flesk / Clydagh and the start of the middle Flesk. The easiest exit is on river right (but there’s often a bull in the field) before the rapid at the entrance to the gorge. A trickier exit is on river left, where the flesk put in is. If your not confident, get off before the rapid, a swim down the following rapid could be extremely nasty.

If you do not intend paddling the middle Flesk, exit here. the next rapid is a grade 4 that curves to the left.

If your continuing on to the middle Flesk check out the guide on it for more details.

#### Local issues

The get out is through a farmer’s field, as always respect his fences/gates. The bridges at both the get on and off are quite narrow and used by farm machinery so shuttle up in the minimum possible number of vehicles. The farmer at the usual put in can get very angry if people park in or near his entrance so local paddlers have been using the entrance to a forestry plantation the other side of the main valley road.

Flesk, Lower – difficulty I – II – The Flesk, Lower Realtime waterlevel

In 51.9987, -9.3388 – Out 52.0479, -9.5066

A wide river now, this section has been used for many years to introduce people to moving water.

Of no interest to anyone other than beginners.

Apparently there has been recent friction between the landowner at one of the bridges and local paddlers.

Resolved by putting in a few hundred metres downstream.

Perhaps one of those involved can give us a set of coordinates for the preferred entry point.