There’s something almost primal about standing before a waterfall. The roar of the water, the cold mist on your face, the sheer unstoppable force of it — it makes you feel very small and very alive at the same time. Ireland, battered by Atlantic storms and laced with mountain streams, has waterfalls tucked into nearly every county. Some thunder down cliff faces. Others slip silently through ancient woodland. A few require a proper hike to reach, and every step of it is worth it.
We’ve picked our ten favourites — but we suspect you’ll have strong opinions of your own. Tell us in the comments which Irish waterfall stops you in your tracks.
1. Torc Waterfall, Killarney, County Kerry
Just a ten-minute walk from the Muckross car park in Killarney National Park, Torc is Ireland’s most visited waterfall — and it earns every visitor. The water drops 20 metres over ancient Old Red Sandstone, crashing into a churning pool surrounded by ancient oak and yew. In winter, the falls run ferocious. In summer, they’re framed by ferns and rhododendron in vivid green. Either way, this is Kerry at its absolute finest. A wooden viewing platform lets you stand close enough to feel the spray on your cheeks. Don’t rush past it. Official info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torc_Waterfall.
2. Glencar Waterfall, County Leitrim
W.B. Yeats immortalised this one in his poem The Stolen Child — “Where the wandering water gushes / From the hills above Glen-Car.” Stand here and you understand exactly why it moved him. The waterfall drops around 15 metres from a limestone escarpment into a tranquil valley, the water whispering rather than roaring, surrounded by mossy rocks and birch trees. When the wind blows from the east, the falls billow backwards — a ghostly, mesmerising effect that feels like something from another world. This is Leitrim at its most quietly magical.
3. Glenmacnass Waterfall, County Wicklow
Drive up the Military Road through the Wicklow Mountains and you’ll round a bend to find Glenmacnass — a long, white ribbon of water spilling down the open mountainside into the valley below. There’s a small car park right beside it, and from there you can walk to the brink and look straight down the fall. The surrounding landscape is wide-open bog and heather: no trees, no shelter, just the mountain, the sky, and that cascade of white water. Dramatic in sunshine; genuinely awe-inspiring in a storm. Official info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenmacnass_Waterfall.
4. Assaranca Waterfall, County Donegal
Donegal keeps this one relatively quiet, which is half its charm. Assaranca sits near Ardara in the southwest of the county, and it’s one of those places where you pull over on a whim and end up standing open-mouthed for half an hour. The waterfall fans out across a broad, flat rock shelf before plunging into a deep pool — a shape you rarely see in Ireland. After heavy rain, the whole face of rock disappears under a frothy white curtain. Bring wellies. Get close. This is Donegal doing what Donegal does best.
5. Powerscourt Waterfall, County Wicklow
At 121 metres, Powerscourt is the highest waterfall in Ireland — and it’s stunning. Set within the grounds of the Powerscourt Estate near Enniskerry, the falls plunge down a jagged rock face into a wide, peaceful valley. You pay a small fee to access the site, and it’s well worth it: there are walking trails, picnic areas, and enough space to find a quiet spot away from the crowds. On a clear day, with the Great Sugarloaf mountain looming behind you, this is one of the great natural spectacles of the island. Visit after rain when the falls are running at full force. Official info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerscourt_Waterfall.
6. Aasleagh Falls, County Mayo
Where the Erriff River tumbles into Killary Harbour — Ireland’s only true fjord — you’ll find Aasleagh Falls. These aren’t tall falls, but they’re remarkably wide, and in September and October, you can often watch Atlantic salmon leaping upstream through the white water. The surrounding landscape is pure Connemara: bare mountains, grey loughs, and the kind of silence that feels like a physical thing. Park near the bridge on the N59 and walk the short path to the bank. It’s one of those places that makes you forget you had anywhere else to be. Official info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aasleagh_Falls.
7. Mahon Falls, County Waterford
The Comeragh Mountains don’t get the attention of the Wicklow or Kerry ranges, but Mahon Falls is reason enough to make the trip. A well-marked trail from the car park at Mahon Bridge takes you about 45 minutes up the mountain to the base of the falls, where a thin ribbon of water drops over 80 metres from a hanging valley. The walk is rewarding in itself — boggy moorland, granite outcrops, and wide-open skies — but the moment the falls come into view above you, the effort feels like nothing. Bring lunch and stay a while. Official info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahon_Falls.
8. Glenveagh Waterfall, County Donegal
Inside Glenveagh National Park — already one of the most beautiful places in Ireland — you’ll find a waterfall that feels genuinely remote even when you’ve driven to the visitor centre just a few kilometres away. The falls cascade through ancient oak woodland along the shores of Lough Beagh, and you’re as likely to spot a red deer as another walker. The history of Glenveagh is a complicated one, but the landscape itself is pure and unchanged. This is wild Donegal at its finest.
9. Gleninchaquin Waterfall, County Kerry
On the Beara Peninsula — overshadowed by the Ring of Kerry despite being arguably more beautiful — Gleninchaquin is a hidden gem that rewards the curious traveller. The waterfall sits within a private park run by a local family, and the small entrance fee goes to maintaining the land. The falls themselves spill down a steep gully into a crystal-clear pool, and a looped trail takes you past streams, wildflowers, and views across the Kenmare River that are genuinely difficult to describe. Kerry on a quiet, sunny afternoon. There’s nothing better.
10. Ballyhoura Waterfall, County Limerick
The Ballyhoura Mountains on the Limerick-Cork border are mountain-biking country, but the waterfall here is worth seeking out even if two wheels aren’t your thing. A forest trail leads through planted spruce and mature oak to a series of cascades dropping through a rocky gorge — intimate, mossy, and beautifully lit on a September afternoon when the light comes in low through the trees. It doesn’t appear in many guide books, which is precisely why it deserves your attention. Limerick always did keep its best secrets close.
Which Irish Waterfall Is Your Favourite?
We’ve left off plenty of worthy contenders — Powerscourt’s neighbour at Djouce, the falls at Glenariff in Antrim, or the magical secret cascades hiding in the Wicklow glens. Ireland is dripping with them, quite literally.
So tell us: which waterfall do you think deserves the number one spot? Have you stood before a cascade we’ve missed entirely? Drop your pick in the comments — we read every one.
And if you’d like a weekly dose of Ireland’s most beautiful, most surprising, and most debated corners delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe free to our newsletter here. Tens of thousands of Ireland lovers get it every weekday — join them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the tallest waterfall in Ireland?
Powerscourt Waterfall in County Wicklow is the tallest waterfall in Ireland at 121 metres. It is located within the Powerscourt Estate near Enniskerry and is accessible to the public for a small entrance fee.
Which Irish waterfall was mentioned in a W.B. Yeats poem?
Glencar Waterfall in County Leitrim was immortalised by W.B. Yeats in his poem The Stolen Child, written in 1886. The poem references “the wandering water” that “gushes from the hills above Glen-Car,” making Glencar one of Ireland’s most literary landscapes.
Is Torc Waterfall worth visiting in Killarney?
Absolutely. Torc Waterfall is one of Ireland’s most accessible and rewarding natural landmarks. Located just ten minutes’ walk from the Muckross car park within Killarney National Park, the falls drop 20 metres over ancient sandstone and are surrounded by native woodland. Entry to the national park is free, and the waterfall is suitable for all fitness levels.
Many of Ireland’s most dramatic waterfalls flow through counties — Donegal, Wicklow, Kerry — that sent hundreds of thousands of families abroad during the 19th century. If you have Irish roots, the landscapes in this article may be the same ones your ancestors walked. Our free Irish Ancestral Heritage Guide helps you trace your specific county line, with emigration records, townland maps, and passenger lists. Discover your Irish county roots — free.
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