River Suck
The River Suck is a 133-kilometre-long river in Ireland. It is the main tributary of the River Shannon and joins the Shannon about a kilometre south of Shannonbridge in County Offaly. The Suck drains roughly 1,600 square kilometres and helps form much of the border between County Roscommon and County Galway as it flows southeast from the hills near the Mayo–Roscommon border.
Rising near Lough O’Flynn, the river passes through scenic countryside with moorland, water meadows, and pastures. Towns along its banks include Athleague, Ballinasloe, Ballyforan, Ballymoe, Castlerea, Glinsk, and Tulrush. The water is clean and unpolluted, and the river supports fish such as bream, rudd, tench, as well as perch and pike.
To help with flooding, a weir was built at Ballinasloe in 1885 above the four-arch bridge. The Suck Valley Way, a 105-kilometre circular trail, runs along parts of the river beginning and ending in Castlerea. The River Suck has several right-hand tributaries, including the Smalghrean, Linbaun, and Shiven rivers.
The Irish name for the river is An tSuca. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it is thought to be connected to words meaning amber or juice.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:30 (CET).