Boating holidays in Ireland

Come to Ireland for its crystal clear lakes and rivers, dramatic scenery and lush, green landscapes. The beautiful River Shannon and River Erne—and their surrounding network of loughs—are easy to cruise and a delight to explore.
Great for...
•Ancient celtic monuments & religious sites
•Championship golf courses
•Wonderful fishing
•Fantastic scenery
•Friendly pubs with traditional live music

Useful Info for the Ireland






The Irish coast rises tallish from the sea, and yet the terrain drops farther inland, creating a sort of cup where all the water goes. One fifth of the land drains inward to the Shannon River, Ireland’s largest at 360 kilometres (224 miles). The fall on the navigable middle section of the river is slight at only 9 metres (29 feet), which means the water moves slowly. A Shannon River map also reveals the large number of lakes in the Shannon system, a real plus for canal boat cruising!


Taking a look at a Shannon-Erne waterway map turns up the pretty stretch of the Shannon-Erne Canal. This passage links up the two canal systems of the Shannon and Erne rivers, thus accounting for its rather uncreative name. The canal is 63 kilometres (39 miles) and runs from Leitrim Village to Upper Lough. It has 18 locks and is delightfully pretty.

A brief history


The Shannon-Erne Canal is both old and new. As early as 1838, efforts were made to survey a route to link the Shannon and Erne rivers, and today’s canal follows the path set out at that time. The canal project had some false starts, but the waterway eventually opened in 1860. The railroads promptly killed it. In nine years, only eight boats used it! The canal was closed. In 1991, work began to open the canal for pleasure boats. Three years later the canal was back!

Cruising advice
Cruising on the Shannon-Erne is easy and suitable for beginners. However, you should pay careful attention to your navigation during windy weather on open waters. You will be required to view a video before departure. Fishing licences are required for all cruising areas except Carrick. The charge for a licence is about 7 euros per week.

Navigation restrictions : Please note that some of our boats cannot go on the Lough Allen Canal (between Carrick & Drumshanbo) but the rest of the itinerary is not restricted : Vision3, Magnifique, Classique, Elegance, Crusader, Shannon star, Royal mystique 2, Caprice.

Locks
There is a lock fee of € 1.50 on the Shannon and €1.50 for a lifting bridge, Shannon erne canal has new system you can buy a 10 unit lock card for €6.35 and 1 unit per lock.

Lifejackets must be worn in the locks.

Opening hours: Locks are open daily 09:00-20:00 (8:00 p.m.).
Public holidays: Locks are closed on some public holidays.

Lock Closure dates:
Please be aware about the lock closure dates by local authorities. During that day(s), you won’t be able to go through the locks. For more details and questions, please contact our sales team.
•All locks closed on: 1st November

Moorings
Moorings are plentiful on the Shannon-Erne.

Navigation Restrictions
Please note that the following boats cannot cruise on the Lough Allen canal and will not reach the town of Drumshanbo: Magnifique, Classique, Visions 3, Vision 4, Crusader, Elegance & Royal Mystique. The Shannon Star could go up to Lough Allen by lifting the fenders.
Come to Ireland for its crystal clear lakes and rivers, dramatic scenery and lush, green landscapes. The beautiful River Shannon and River Erne—and their surrounding network of loughs—are easy to cruise and a delight to explore.
Great for...
•Ancient celtic monuments & religious sites
•Championship golf courses
•Wonderful fishing
•Fantastic scenery
•Friendly pubs with traditional live music

Useful Info for the Ireland






The Irish coast rises tallish from the sea, and yet the terrain drops farther inland, creating a sort of cup where all the water goes. One fifth of the land drains inward to the Shannon River, Ireland’s largest at 360 kilometres (224 miles). The fall on the navigable middle section of the river is slight at only 9 metres (29 feet), which means the water moves slowly. A Shannon River map also reveals the large number of lakes in the Shannon system, a real plus for canal boat cruising!


Taking a look at a Shannon-Erne waterway map turns up the pretty stretch of the Shannon-Erne Canal. This passage links up the two canal systems of the Shannon and Erne rivers, thus accounting for its rather uncreative name. The canal is 63 kilometres (39 miles) and runs from Leitrim Village to Upper Lough. It has 18 locks and is delightfully pretty.

A brief history


The Shannon-Erne Canal is both old and new. As early as 1838, efforts were made to survey a route to link the Shannon and Erne rivers, and today’s canal follows the path set out at that time. The canal project had some false starts, but the waterway eventually opened in 1860. The railroads promptly killed it. In nine years, only eight boats used it! The canal was closed. In 1991, work began to open the canal for pleasure boats. Three years later the canal was back!

Cruising advice
Cruising on the Shannon-Erne is easy and suitable for beginners. However, you should pay careful attention to your navigation during windy weather on open waters. You will be required to view a video before departure. Fishing licences are required for all cruising areas except Carrick. The charge for a licence is about 7 euros per week.

Navigation restrictions : Please note that some of our boats cannot go on the Lough Allen Canal (between Carrick & Drumshanbo) but the rest of the itinerary is not restricted : Vision3, Magnifique, Classique, Elegance, Crusader, Shannon star, Royal mystique 2, Caprice.

Locks
There is a lock fee of € 1.50 on the Shannon and €1.50 for a lifting bridge, Shannon erne canal has new system you can buy a 10 unit lock card for €6.35 and 1 unit per lock.

Lifejackets must be worn in the locks.

Opening hours: Locks are open daily 09:00-20:00 (8:00 p.m.).
Public holidays: Locks are closed on some public holidays.

Lock Closure dates:
Please be aware about the lock closure dates by local authorities. During that day(s), you won’t be able to go through the locks. For more details and questions, please contact our sales team.
•All locks closed on: 1st November

Moorings
Moorings are plentiful on the Shannon-Erne.

Navigation Restrictions
Please note that the following boats cannot cruise on the Lough Allen canal and will not reach the town of Drumshanbo: Magnifique, Classique, Visions 3, Vision 4, Crusader, Elegance & Royal Mystique. The Shannon Star could go up to Lough Allen by lifting the fenders.

Departure base to discover the itineraries