Strule

The Strule is a river in Northern Ireland and a tributary of the River Foyle, forming part of the Foyle catchment in the northwest of the island of Ireland. It arises in the Sperrin Mountains and flows through rural Tyrone before crossing into County Londonderry, where it eventually joins the River Foyle near Strabane, close to the border with the Republic of Ireland.

The river’s course traverses a predominantly agricultural landscape, with pockets of woodland along the banks. In the past, the Strule supported water-powered industry, including mills, in several settlements along its route. Today its banks are used for recreation and informal drainage or river-walking routes, and the surrounding floodplains host wetlands that contribute to local biodiversity. The Strule and its surroundings are subject to landscape management and flood- risk controls to balance uses of the land with environmental protection.

Ecologically, the Strule supports typical lowland river habitats in this part of Northern Ireland, with riparian vegetation and fish populations that rely on clean, well-oxygenated water. Water quality and flow are monitored by environmental agencies, and conservation efforts aim to preserve habitat connectivity along the river and surrounding wetlands. The Strule’s role as a tributary to the Foyle makes it a component of a broader river system that supports both wildlife and regional land use.

Overall, the Strule is a modest but important waterway in the Foyle catchment, contributing to regional hydrology, ecology, and human activity in the Omagh–Strabane area.