From touring to white water, canoeing on Ireland’s Inland Waterways spans the range of experience.
Before choosing to canoe, be sure to familiarise yourself with the guidelines for the safe use of unpowered craft on inland navigations.
View these guidelines here.
Lower Bann
Canoeing on the Lower Bann is an ideal way to get a glimpse of countryside few people ever see in this rural river valley. The Canoe Trail developed on the Lower Bann provides excellent information for independent travellers who want to paddle & camp or stay in B&B's along the river. Bring your own canoe or kayak or hire your equipment and a guide from some of the companies in the listing. The locks are staffed to facilitate passage.
The rainfall catchment for the Lower Bann is about 1/5 the area of Northern Ireland so the river levels and the challenge can change quite rapidly during periods of heavy rainfall.
The Canoe Association of Northern Ireland(CANI) organise
recreational paddles throughout the year some of which may take place on the Lower Bann.
Erne System
The Erne system is a paddler's paradise, loads of island stop-offs, heritage and archaeological sites you can only access by boat, as well as towns and village you can drop into if the fancy takes you. A Canoe Trail developed for the Upper and Lower Lakes takes into account some of these and provides camping and equipment hire locations all along the way. There is only one lock on the system and it is open most of the time. The system terminates on the downstream side of the bridge in Belleek Village just before eel nets cross the river. Canoeists wishing to travel beyond the nets, onto Lake Asseroe which was created by the damming of the river are advised to portage from Belleek Public Marina to below the marked off area about 1km beyond the village.
The Canoe Association of Northern Ireland(CANI) organise
recreational paddles throughout the year some of which may take place on the Erne System.
Shannon-Erne Waterway
The newly developed Shannon-Erne Blueway showcases a selection of paddling trails between Leitrim Village and Belturbet, connecting with the Erne system at Crom Estate. These on-water journeys are complemented by a range of walking trails at various locations, together with beautiful cycling routes around the town of Ballinamore. For more details of the Shannon-Erne Blueway series of trails, please click here.
Shannon Navigation
The Shannon Blueway showcases a wonderful network of paddling trails all the way from the foot of Lough Allen, stretching in from Boyle, meandering onwards to Carrick-on-Shannon and beyond that along the Shannon as far as Ballyleague / Lanesborough. In addition there is the option to paddle a looped trail around the picturesque Camlin River, beginning at Richmond Harbour. To complement the on-water trails, there is a selection of walking and cycling trails in idyllic locations alongside the water. For more details of trails along the Shannon Blueway, please click here.
Barrow
The Barrow is a wonderful place for padding with wide, river sections along tree lined shores interspersed with canal sections which bypass the weirs on the system. A good mix of urban and rural stretches Of course the weirs make ideal locations for white-water kayaking and a number of clubs use the Barrow for this purpose particularly in high winter water levels. There are many clubs and companies using the Barrow specifically as it provides this variety throughout the year. Check out the business listing to see who is operating.
Grand Canal
Paddling along the Grand Canal is reminisant of the journeys for which the Canal was actually built; you are travelling at the pace of the horse-drawn boats that carried the hops, wheat, and various other goods to Dublin. Passing through a mainly rural environment, the unique perspective and quiet gives you the opportunity to come along wildlife, before it has time to hide. The kingfishers, in particular, flashing blue and orange lead you along the canal til you reach the end of their jurisdiction - just to make sure you leave!. The urban passages are equally amusing as normal day to day living, tension and stress takes place on the streets around you but you paddle through into the open expanse beyond.
Combined with the recently reopened Royal Canal and Shannon Naivgation the Grand Canal forms a 350km circular loop called the Green and Silver, an ideal holiday adventure.
Royal Canal
The Royal Canal is a major Canoe Polo location on the inland waterways. Canoe Polo Clubs compete regularly using the canal and provide great animation for the towns and villages in which they are based. Plans are underway to create an exciting new Royal Canal Blueway, offering a series of defined paddling, walking and cycling trails along this tranquil and historic waterway.
