POSTED FROM

SCREEB

CO. GALWAY · IE

Screeb
Scraith Beag

The Connemara
STOP 04 / 04

Scraith Beag · Co. Galway

A hamlet for anglers. Salmon and sea trout in a river, bog on all sides.

Screeb is a hamlet of perhaps 100 people in south Connemara, on the R340 between Roundstone and Ballyconneely. It is not a village; it is a place where people live because of the river. The Screeb River holds salmon and sea trout. The Screeb Fishery is a private beat, well-regarded among serious anglers. If you fish, you know this place already. If you do not fish, there is no reason to stop.

The landscape is classic Connemara bog — flat, open, treeless, with small loughs scattered across it and the Twelve Bens rising in the distance north. The river runs slow and clear through it. There are no shops, no pubs, no restaurants. There is a fishery and a road and that is the point.

If you are a fisher and you have time on your hands and you like the idea of being alone with a salmon river for a day or a week, come here. Arrange it with the fishery ahead. Bring a boat (there is water to launch from), bring a tent or book a bed in advance, and do not expect anything else. The bog does not care what you expect.

Population

~100

Coords

53.3206° N, 9.9578° W

01 / 04

Stories & lore.

The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.

Salmon and sea trout

The river

The Screeb River is a short, slow river running through blanket bog into Cashel Bay. It holds salmon and sea trout — the kind of water that fishes well on the turn of the tide and in the weeks after a good rain. The Screeb Fishery controls the beat and lets it to anglers who know what they are doing. This is a serious fishing river, not a tourist attraction.

Blanket bog and small loughs

The bog

Screeb sits in the middle of blanket bog — flat, open moorland with peat underfoot and small loughs scattered across it. The landscape is emptiness in the way the West knows it. On a clear day the Twelve Bens rise to the north. On a rainy day the bog is cloud. There are no trees, no shelter, nowhere to hide. The wind has nothing to stop it.

02 / 04

Things to do outside.

Wear waterproofs. Bring a sandwich. Tell someone where you're going if it's the mountain.

The river path A track runs alongside the lower Screeb River toward Cashel Bay. Flat, boggy, muddy after rain. You will not see another person. You may see a heron or an otter if you are quiet and the light is right.

~3 km returndistance

1 hourtime

Bog walk to the loughs The bog is open and (mostly) walkable. You can strike out from the hamlet toward any of the small loughs scattered across the moorland. Bring a map, bring a compass, bring waterproofs. The bog does not care about your plans.

~5 km loopdistance

2 hourstime

03 / 04

When to go.

There is no bad time. There are different times.

Spring

Mar–May

The river wakes up in April and May. The bog comes back to colour. Anglers know this season.

◉ Go

Summer

Jun–Aug

The water is low and warm. Fish move deeper or do not take. Most anglers skip summer.

◐ Mind yourself

Autumn

Sep–Oct

The river fishes best in autumn — fresh fish moving in, cooler water, longer runs in the evening. This is the season.

◉ Go

Winter

Nov–Feb

The river can fish well after rain, but the bog is exposed. The weather is serious. Come if you are prepared for it.

◐ Mind yourself

Getting there.

By car

Screeb is on the R340 between Roundstone (15 km north) and Ballyconneely (8 km south). Galway to Screeb is roughly 1h 15m via Maam Cross and Recess. There is a small car park near the fishery.

By bus

No direct bus service. Nearest bus route is the Galway–Clifden service (Bus Éireann 419), which stops at Recess and nearby villages. From there, a taxi or rental car.

By train

Nearest station is Galway. From Galway, bus or car via Maam Cross.

By air

Ireland West Airport (Knock) is 2h by car. Shannon is 2h 30m. Most anglers do not fly in for Screeb alone.