Top 10 Waterfalls in Ireland
Ireland's mild, wet Atlantic climate means water is never far away, and the country's mountains, glaciated valleys, and wooded glens hold waterfalls that run reliably all year — often fullest after the frequent rain rather than in any single melt season. Few are very tall, but many are beautifully set in ancient woodland or dramatic upland scenery, and most are easy to reach on short walks. The selection below spans the whole island. All ten are on the map.
1. Powerscourt Waterfall, Wicklow
Powerscourt Waterfall in County Wicklow is the highest in Ireland, dropping 121 metres in a fan over a granite and schist cliff on the Dargle river. Set in parkland at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains, it is reached by a short walk from a car park and is fullest after heavy rain. The surrounding woodland and picnic grounds make it a popular family destination year round.
2. Glenariff Falls, Antrim
In Glenariff Forest Park, one of the Glens of Antrim, the Ess-na-Larach and Ess-na-Crub falls tumble through a wooded gorge along the Waterfall Walkway, a boardwalk trail clinging to the glen sides. The glen has been called the Queen of the Glens. The falls flow year round and are surrounded by oak and hazel woodland rich in mosses and ferns.
3. Torc Waterfall, Kerry
Torc Waterfall in Killarney National Park drops about 20 metres on the Owengarriff river at the foot of Torc Mountain. A short paved path from the N71 ring of Kerry road reaches the base, and a longer trail climbs above for views over Muckross Lake. Fed by the wet Kerry uplands, it is fullest after rain and a highlight of the Killarney circuit.
4. Glencar Waterfall, Leitrim
Glencar Waterfall in County Leitrim drops about 15 metres in a wooded valley near Glencar Lough. W. B. Yeats immortalised it in his poem The Stolen Child, with the line about where the wandering water gushes. A short accessible path leads to a viewing platform. It flows year round and is especially dramatic in wet, windy weather when spray blows back up the cliff.
5. Assaranca Waterfall, Donegal
Assaranca Waterfall near Ardara in County Donegal is a roadside cascade tumbling over a series of rock steps, fed by the boggy uplands above. It is reached directly from a quiet coastal road and runs hard after rain, which in this part of Donegal is frequent. The nearby Maghera caves and beach make it part of a fine coastal outing.
6. Mahon Falls, Waterford
Mahon Falls in the Comeragh Mountains of County Waterford drops about 80 metres down a glaciated valley wall, fed by the Mahon river off the mountain plateau. A short walk from the car park along the valley floor reaches the base. In strong south-westerly winds the falls can be blown upward into a famous reverse-waterfall effect.
7. Aasleagh Falls, Mayo
Aasleagh Falls (Eas Liath) on the Erriff river at the head of Killary Harbour in County Mayo is a wide, low fall spanning the full width of the river, dropping a few metres in a broad curtain. It is a noted salmon and sea-trout fishing spot and appeared in the film The Field. Easily reached beside the road; fullest after rain.
8. Glenevin Waterfall, Donegal
Glenevin Waterfall near Clonmany on the Inishowen Peninsula drops about 30 metres in a wooded glen. A well-maintained path with footbridges follows the stream up the glen to the falls, making it an easy and rewarding family walk. Fed by the surrounding hills, it runs year round in this rainy northern corner of the island.
9. Tourmakeady Waterfall, Mayo
Tourmakeady Waterfall in County Mayo lies in a wooded glen above Lough Mask in the Partry Mountains, an Irish-speaking Gaeltacht area. A forest trail leads to the falls, which drop through a series of steps in mature woodland. Quieter than the famous sites, it rewards visitors with solitude and runs fullest after rain.
10. Devil's Glen, Wicklow
In the Devil's Glen near Ashford in County Wicklow, the Vartry river drops into a deep wooded ravine at the Waterfall (the Devil's Punchbowl). A trail network through the glen, including a sculpture trail, leads to viewpoints over the falls. The steep oak-clad sides and the dark plunge pool give the glen its name; fullest after rain.
Planning an Ireland waterfall trip
Wicklow, close to Dublin, holds Powerscourt and the Devil's Glen within an easy day. The southwest (Torc, Mahon) pairs with the Ring of Kerry and the Comeraghs. The west and northwest (Aasleagh, Tourmakeady, Assaranca, Glenevin) suit a touring route through Mayo and Donegal. Because Irish falls are rain-fed rather than melt-fed, the best time to see them at full power is simply after a wet spell — autumn and winter often deliver the most dramatic flow, while summer can see them reduced.
Why Ireland's falls flow all year
Unlike Alpine or Nordic falls that depend on a spring snowmelt, Ireland's waterfalls are sustained by frequent rain spread across the year, with the west and north receiving well over 1,500 millimetres annually. This means there is no dry season in the way there is in continental mountain ranges, and even modest streams keep their falls running through summer. The flip side is that the most spectacular displays come not in fine weather but in the wake of Atlantic storms, when rivers swell and falls like Mahon and Glencar can blow back on the wind. Pack for rain and embrace it: the wet day is often the best waterfall day in Ireland.
Explore on the map
Every waterfall above is plotted on the interactive map — filter to plan a Wicklow day from Dublin, a Ring of Kerry loop, or a touring route through the glens of the west and north.