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Playspot: Ireland, Limerick, River Shannon, Curragower

What's it like

Curragower falls is found in the heart of Limerick city under the shadow of King John's castle. The falls are formed when the river Shannon drops over a rock ledge at the right tide. During the winter (November to April)when the river is high the volume of water and the combination of low tide turn the falls into a freestyle playground. Around 3 hours after high tide ( Limerick dock , www.sfpc.ie ) the waves begin to form. Which of the waves form will depend on the flow.

At high water Lil Gower forms near the river right bank. This is a small fast wave which at the right level has a nice foam pile on top, aerial moves are possible here and the excellent eddy service makes it a great place to learn new moves.

Photo: Morgan O'Sullivan

As the water volume reduces the main wave comes into condition. This wave sits bang in the middle of the channel and is a little trickier to get on. The simple option is to take the long walk around and drop on from above, or at the right level and with a little practice you can ferry out from a mid stream eddy. The wave itself is pretty big and has two main sections, on surfers left is a breaking section and a curling shoulder, which can yield some big aerial moves. On the right is a slower green section, this is a great place for beginners but clean air blunts and the rare donkey flip have been witnessed on this glassy section.

Overall this is a great spot for the intermediate to advanced boater, at the right level Lil Gower is also a great teaching spot for beginners. There are no major hazards and a swim normally results in long walk back up the road.

Photo: Morgan O'Sullivan

How to get there

For maps of the city check out the following site, the wave is located upstream of Sarsfield bridge and is accessed from the river right (Clancy strand): http://www.limerick-city.com/limerick_city_map.html

There is a small car park adjacent to the pub which kayakers use all the time; you can also park along the road below the pub (great spot for soup, toasties and Guinness). Try not to block the road or any entrances as we have a good relationship with the locals and we want to keep it that way.

More information

www.irishfreestyle.com
www.rivernomad.com

Locals

There is a very strong local club and if the wave is up they will know about it, check out the message board on their website (kayak.csn.ul.ie) for up to date info.

Events

There are normally at least two events held on the wave. The National championships are held in early spring. This is a conventional rodeo style event and draws a big group of paddlers from all over Ireland . The other event is a weekend long festival with x-pression session, big air ramp and big parties. This takes place on the May bank holiday weekend each year. For more info check www.limerickriverfest.com

Info sources

Mike Jones
www.ulac.ie

Nearest weather station (°C):