It is true that Carp fisheries are a little thin on the ground over here, but it's not all doom & gloom. We reckon there are in the region of 25 viable Carp waters in the Republic, with the North's first water having opened up recently. Of these, probably only 4/5 are capable of producing 20s, with the Irish Record standing at 29-13. Most of the waters are public and therefore free, but there are 7 day ticket waters and one syndicate lake. The two main centers for carp fishing in the south are Mullingar in the Midlands, Cork in the south, and newly-opened Dromore which isn't too far from Belfast.
If anyone wants more information please feel free to contact me by email.
Cheers, Mark Kelly.
Regional Organiser - Ireland
The Carp Society