Fishing near Rathdowney, Co. Laois

Rathdowney sits in south County Laois, close to the River Erkina, which flows within a kilometre of the town. The wider area gives access to several notable coarse and game fisheries, including Grantstown Lake — a 24-acre spring-fed water between Ballacolla and Rathdowney — and the River Nore roughly 10 km away. Coarse species such as tench, rudd, and perch draw local anglers, while the Nore and nearby rivers hold brown trout and salmon.