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| Ireland by water is all about the
pleasure
of dropping your anchor where you will, and discovering all the
secrets.
You have the freedom to moor wherever you want, to walk, climb hills, sightsee, listen to local musicmaking, go for a bicycle ride, play golf, go fishing. The Irish are just as delightful as their land. Welcoming, poetical, musical and great enthusiasts for their country, they will introduce you to all their byways and the warmth of their pubs and bars. |
You will experience the legendary
Irish hospitality,
dating back to the 5th century, with its duty never to let the
welcoming
fire on one’s hearth ever go out. And even if your command of
Shakespeare’s
tongue is less than perfect, you’ll soon be downing a pint of beer and
feeling yourself an Irishman by adoption!
The boats are based at Ballinamore near to Carrick on Shannon and Enniskillen. |
| The North of Ireland
Shannon-Erne Waterway ? Erne From Ballinamore you head North on the “Shannon-Erne Waterway” to reach the Erne, the second great Irish river system. The 63km long canal has16 locks and has been magnificently restored.With its 34 fine old bridges, it allows one to cruise, for the first time this century, through a dream landscape. Rivers alternate with canals and lakes studded with islands, in an unique mixture of peaceful untouched landscapes and villages offering a traditional welcome.You will head towards Ballyconnell and Belturbet, both with a strong folkloric tradition, and then onwards into County Fermanagh, a land of lakes, a paradise for birdspotters, botanists and fisherman, and your introduction to Northern Ireland. The historic town of Enniskillen is an excellent starting point for discovering the special attractions of Ulster. Built on an island between Upper and Lower Lough Erne, the town is dominated by its castle, the oldest parts of which date back to the 15th century. Still very little used, this network of canals, rivers and lakes is full of the magic of these ancient lands and their celtic chiefs, its islands dotted with megalithic tombs and old carved figures. Here you are at the heart of one ofEurope’s last unpolluted natural paradises. Cruise suggestions Out and Back One week Two weeks |
The South of Ireland
Shannon From Ballinamore, fairest village in the county, you enter the majestic Shannon, Ireland’s longest river, which unrolls before you in all its variety. Free from all commercial traffic, and navigable for 220km with only 6 locks, this river and the lakes it flows through, some more like inland seas, make a delicious combination of natural landscapes and historic sites… On its banks all the way is superb parkland, as well as bird and wildlife sanctuaries. In County Roscommon the charming little town of Boyle boasts the ruins of a Cistercian abbey founded in 1161, a stunning mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Further South, the town of Athlone is notable for its imposing castle which has dominated a strategic crossing ever since the 13th century. Not far away is Clonmacnoise, the largest
monastic site
in Ireland, founded in 548 and flourishing over many centuries: you
will
find here eight churches, a cathedral, two round towers, three great
carved
crosses, the remains of a castle, and more than 200 carved headstones
dating
from the 6th to the 12th centuries. Limerick, Ireland’s fourth city, is
a lively artistic centre and boasts fine Georgian houses as well as
noble
bridges across the Shannon. Cruise suggestions Out and Back One week Ballinamore, Leitrim, Carrick on Shannon,
Roosky, Lanesborough,
Lough Key, Boyle Two weeks Three weeks |
h2olidays, Port de Plaisance, 21170, Saint Jean de Losne, France