River Shannon boat hire

Weekend (3 days): Carrick → Lough Key → return Perfect for a short escape, this itinerary takes you from Carrick-on-Shannon, one of Ireland’s most popular boating hubs, to the breathtaking Lough Key. Enjoy a peaceful cruise through unspoiled landscapes, stopping at Lough Key Forest Park for outdoor activities like cycling, hiking, and exploring ancient castle ruins. After a relaxing night onboard, cruise back to Carrick and soak in the charming riverside atmosphere before heading home. Mid-week (5 days): Banagher → Clonmacnoise → Portumna Ideal for history lovers and nature enthusiasts, this 5-day journey starts in Banagher, a quaint riverside town, and takes you to the iconic Clonmacnoise Monastery, one of Ireland’s most famous historical sites. Along the way, cruise through peaceful stretches of the Shannon, stopping at local pubs and villages for an authentic Irish experience. Continue to Portumna, where you can visit Portumna Castle & Forest Park, before making your return. Full week: Full Shannon-Erne Waterway experience For those who want the full boating experience, this itinerary allows you to explore the entire Shannon-Erne Waterway, linking the River Shannon with the scenic Erne system. Navigate through picturesque lakes, tranquil rivers, and charming towns, discovering Ireland from a unique and relaxing perspective. Highlights include Athlone, the vibrant heart of Ireland, Lough Derg, known for its stunning scenery, and the peaceful Upper Lough Erne. This route is perfect for travellers who want to fully immerse themselves in Ireland’s waterways.

A cruise in the Shannon and Erne region is incredibly easy, making it the perfect holiday for families. No licence is needed to rent a boat from one of our two bases, and you can prepare your journey stage by stage. With your navigation chart in hand, a carefully planned itinerary, and your introductory boating lesson under your belt, you’ll set off with no worries, free to go where you like. Canal boat holidays along the Shannon, the country’s longest river, your self-drive boat will take you southwards, to the region’s amazing castles, unspoilt landscapes and waters that are so full of fish they’ll become your new best friends as you glide along! The river has an influence on most of Ireland’s landscape and guides you straight towards Celtic ruins and mysteries. You can stop off to enjoy some typical Irish pastimes, such as a fishing trip after a friendly drink in one of the traditional Irish pubs. It’s surprisingly easy to cover the distance from the lower to the upper reaches. That’s because the locks are few and far between. It generally costs one or two euros to pass through them, but the lock-keeper will tell you what to do. Then you can cruise the 63 kilometres of the Shannon-Erne Waterway as far as the Erne, where the landscape is full of contrasts, alternating between cliffs and vast expanses of calm countryside. This is an outstanding region for getting to know Ireland on a canal boat.