Lough Sheelin Walks
This walk visits Lough Sheelin near Kilnaleck and Mountnugent in County Cavan.
You can visit the Crover House Hotel on the northern side of the lake for afternoon tea or Sunday Lunch. From the hotel there are some nice footpaths running along the lake and through the adjacent woodland. It's a lovely place for a stroll with attractive grounds and gardens at the hotel and some fine views across the lake to the surrounding countryside.
The lake is a great place for wildlife with great crested grebe, pochard, tufted duck and goldeneye to look out for on the water.
To continue your walking in the area head south east to visit the fascinating Loughcrew. This ancient site includes includes a number of tombs thought to date to the 4th millennium BC. There are great views from the hill top to enjoy here as well.
Lough Sheelin Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Lough Sheelin Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Lough Sheelin is situated at the convergence of Counties Westmeath, Meath, and Cavan, close to the villages of Finnea (also spelled Finea) and Mountnugent, as well as the town of Granard in Longford. Over half of its area lies within County Cavan, spanning multiple civil parishes and baronies.
The lake forms part of the early course of the River Inny, a significant tributary of the Shannon, positioned just upstream of Lough Kinale. Its inflow is sometimes referred to as the Upper Inny or the Ross River, with the outflow known as the Lower Inny. Lough Sheelin is also nourished by smaller streams including the Mountnugent River, Bellsgrove (or Belsgrove, also called Ballyheelan) Stream, Crover Stream, and several others such as the Mauraghboy, Carrick, Rusheen, Moneybeg, and Schoolhouse Streams.
Stretching 7 km in length, the lake covers an area between 1,855 and 1,900 hectares. Its bed is primarily limestone, similar to the Upper Inny, while some tributaries sit atop quartzite.
The lake is home to native brown trout populations, which saw a decline in the second half of the 20th century; at one point, the lake housed 100,000 to 120,000 brown trout. Nutrient loading, particularly phosphorus from upstream agricultural activities, led to an enrichment of the lake's waters, resulting in a drastic reduction of trout numbers from the 1970s to the early 2000s. The invasive zebra mussel was first spotted in the lake in 2000, subsequently experiencing a population explosion.
Inland Fisheries Ireland, a state agency, oversees the lake's water quality, including phosphorus levels. Working alongside local groups like the Lough Sheelin Trout Preservation Association, and previously with the Inland Fisheries Trust, it has reintroduced farm-reared trout into the lake. The lake also hosts a large number of common roach, and other species present include 3- and 9-spined stickleback, pike, perch, and eels.
For some interesting local history head south east to visit Fore Abbey. The ancient abbey dates back to the 13th century and includes a circular walk taking you around the historic buildings and the village of Fore. Near here there's also the beautiful Lough Derravaragh and Lough Owel where there's lovely lakeside trails and lots of wildlife to see.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Landing stage, Lough Sheelin, Co. Cavan. On the north east shore of L. Sheelin in townland of Crover.
Summit of Mullaghmeen Hill Westmeath. There are some fine views back to the lough from this vantage point.
