![Glenone bridge over the Clady River - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Glenone_bridge_over_the_Clady_River_-_geograph.org.uk_-_474940.jpg)
The River Clady is a mid-scale river in County Londonderry,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, a tributary of the
Lower Bann
The River Bann (from ga, An Bhanna, meaning "the goddess"; Ulster-Scots: ''Bann Wattèr'') is one of the longest rivers in Northern Ireland, its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). However, the total leng ...
.
It forms from the confluence of the
Grillagh River
The Grillagh River is a small river located outside Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It starts in Slaughtneil a rural area northwest of Maghera southwest of Swatragh south of Glenullin and north of Glen. Slaughtneil means Niall ...
and
Knockoneil River
The Knockoneil River sometimes spelled Knockoneill and is even called Clady River this river is a small to medium sized river in Northern Ireland located near Maghera and is a major artery river which merges with the Grillagh River to form the ...
.
Course
The river flows through the flatlands outside Culnady for some miles and this area often floods during peak flows. The first bridge to span the river is Eden Bridge, also known as Drumnacannon Bridge. The river was originally 2 to 3 times its current width, until around the mid 20th century, when the river underwent a major dredging operation, including up the Clady and Knockoneil, to control the mass amount of floodwater not only from the hills of Slaughtneil but also
William Clark & Sons
William Clark & Sons is the oldest linen mill in Ireland and the textile company founded in Maghera, County Londonderry in 1736.
The main product is a fine linen canvas for the tailoring industry, used is a unique process of beetling - pound ...
of
Upperlands
Upperlands (Toner, Gregory: ''Place-Names of Northern Ireland''. Queen's University of Belfast, 1996, ) is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is situated 3 miles north east of Maghera. It lies within the civil parish of M ...
, coming from the sluice gates and flood gates. This work damaged the river as it was left like a canal, only half its original width and twice its original depth, with parts over 10 feet deep. The river continues in similar form until it reaches Clady, where it widens even more up to 30 to 40 feet wide. It flows by Innishrush and down a rocky gorge like terrain behind Clady, under the Old Clady Bridge, and then settles as it approaches the Glenone Bridge, where the water is 40 foot+ until it meets the River Bann.
The river is of medium scale, and it is measured at Glenone Bridge, an old bridge under which the river flows before it empties into the
Lower Bann
The River Bann (from ga, An Bhanna, meaning "the goddess"; Ulster-Scots: ''Bann Wattèr'') is one of the longest rivers in Northern Ireland, its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). However, the total leng ...
. During a flood, it can turn from a quiet trickle to a torrent within a few hours of heavy rain; this led to the drowning of Robert Reid and Agnes Henry in the 1920s when they went over the Clady bridge.
Bridges
There are three major bridges over the Clady: Eden Bridge, Clady Bridge, Glenone Bridge, in that order.
Tributary rivers and streams
Artery rivers
The Knockoneil River is the larger artery river feeding the main Clady River. It is often referred to as the Clady. The river starts up on Carntogher and flows down through Swatragh, then Upperlands, and finally Culandy - before merging with the Grillagh to form the Clady River shortly downstream from Dunglady Bridge. The river provides for angling, and boasts a lot of healthy
Brown Trout
The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...
and
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...
, especially late season.
The
Grillagh River
The Grillagh River is a small river located outside Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It starts in Slaughtneil a rural area northwest of Maghera southwest of Swatragh south of Glenullin and north of Glen. Slaughtneil means Niall ...
is the second artery to the Clady River. This smaller watercourse rivals the size of the upper River Clady, being around 10 feet to 20 feet wide. The river starts up in
Slaughtneil at the confluence of the Altkeeran Pollan, Carn and Olivia Burns. These burns are all arteries of the main Grillagh River. It flows down into and through
Culnady
Culnady (named after the townland of Culnady) is a small village near Maghera in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 144 people. It is situated within Mid-Ulster District.
History
*Dunglady fort ...
before emptying into the Clady below Curdian Bridge. It has some angling, including brown trout and salmon.
Tributaries
Lavey River: This starts in Lavey near Gulladuff and flows north and swings to the east through the lowlands through Eden south of McGoldrick Transport premises, and into the Clady not far from Clady village. This burn may hold stocks of small fish or even trout spawning beds on its final run.
Angling
There is a fishing club house located along its banks just outside
Clady. The facility consists of a fish counter and a weir constructed in 2011 for salmon spawning. Multiple fishing piers are located along the embankment. The best time to catch a fish is in the months of September and October before the fishing season ends on 31 October.
The river's angling rights is leased by the Clady And District Angling Club funded in 1962.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clady
Rivers of County Londonderry