Tarmonbarry is a charming little village on the N5 from Longford to Castlebar. The village makes an ideal stopping point while cruising the Shannon, as there are some good pubs with food here.
The original river navigation bypassed Tarmonbarry and instead followed the Camlin river to Carnadoe and rejoined the Shannon south of Lough Forbes. This route was reopened in 1968 as an alternative route.
The river Shannon provides many good fishing stands around the Tarmonbarry area. There are some pegs cut out near Whitehall church on the Tarmonbarry-Roosky road and big catches of bream, hybrid and roach are common.
There is a bay about 500 yards upstream of the bridge which fishes well for quality roach and bream, although boats can cause a problem in the summer.
The Camlin river on the N5 near Clondra has some fair fishing for roach, bream and some tench.
The Feorish river is located about two miles from Tarmonbarry and fishes well for hybrids, roach bream and tench in the early part of the season.
Kilbarry, which translates to 'The church of Barry', was site of the monastery and churches of St. Barry. The remains of at least two churches survive. According to legend, St. Barry had no boat to cross the river, and used a larger boulder to make the crossing. There is a boulder at the church at Whitehall that is said to be the boulder used by him.
Lough Forbes is ecologically of national importance for the woodland and marshland habitats it supports, and for the birds supported by these habitats including the Greenland white-fronted goose. The raised bog south of the river Feorish is also well worth a visit for the ecologically minded.