Barrow Catchment

The Barrow catchment is located in the southeastern half of the country, the river rises in the Slieve Bloom Mountains. It includes the area drained by the River Barrow upstream of the River Nore confluence and all streams entering tidal water between the Barrow railway bridge at Great Island and Ringwood, Co. Kilkenny, draining a total area of 3,025km². The Barrow catchment area covers parts of several counties, including Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford and Wicklow. The largest urban centre in the catchment is Carlow, the other main urban centres in this catchment are New Ross, Graiguenamanagh, Athy, Portlaoise, Mountmellick, Portarlington, Monasterevin and Kildare. The larger of the many tributaries include the Lerr, Fushoge, Burren, Greese, Mountain, Owenass, Boherbaun and Stradbally Rivers. The Barrow Catchment is divided into 20 subcatchments with 149 waterbodies, six transitional waterbodies and 50 groundwater bodies.

Read more about the Better Farming for Water campaign in the Barrow catchment in the Barrow Catchment Action Plan.