We have hit the centre: Athlone. The old town proudly advertises itself as being in the heart of Ireland, at the heart of it, as they say. Since time immemorial, its most important transport routes have intersected here, at the geographical centre of the Emerald Isle: the Great Highway, a threshold of sand and gravel, runs between east and west. For centuries, this farewell gift from the last ice age was the first choice for a dry and safe journey through the Midlands mire. Today, the N6 dual carriageway from Dublin to Galway still follows this natural profile.
At Athlone, the four-lane carriageway crosses a sizeable river - the second artery. It is the Shannon. From its source on the slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain, far to the north in Cavan, its course takes it 360 kilometres south through the country to its mouth in the Atlantic at Limerick. Around two thirds of the distance is navigable: Ireland's Blue Highway.
We want to explore around one hundred kilometres of the river in a southerly direction
It is this "road" that has brought us here, a road trip on water, so to speak. And we are not alone: while motorhomes roll over the bridge in a long caravan above, the houseboats glide through below. Almost five hundred of them are on the river during the charter season. Gone are the heavy wooden barges of yesteryear, tourism has replaced peat cutting. Today, the Shannon is firmly in the hands of leisure skippers. For a week, we are among them, on board a Linssen Grand Sturdy 35.0 Aft Cabin from Houseboat Ireland (or Carrick Craft, as the charter company is called here). Our steel displacer, with its elegant deck and wieling all around, stands out among all the plastic cruisers that make up the majority of the holiday fleet in the area. The start and finish of our cruise is Carrick-on-Shannon near the border with Northern Ireland. We want to explore around one hundred kilometres of the river heading south.
Back to the centre, to Athlone: veils of rain waft over the rooftops like a restless curtain. Like the weather, which is constantly driven by the nearby Atlantic, Ireland's past has always been changeable: shadows cast over the land, but from time to time bright rays also fell on individual patches. A fitting symbol of this fateful contrast looms before us: the dark shape of Athlone Castle. An English fortress in a strategic location: the hollow muzzles of its cannons and mortars - now museum pieces - still dominate the bridge in the centre, the first and for a long time only crossing point of the two highways. At the same time, the strength of the garrison was intended to cool the blood of the population. For beyond the river began the wild west of Ireland, the rugged province of Connacht. It was to be conquered from Athlone. And the English could well do without rebellious locals behind their own ranks.
Less than fifty metres from the wall is the entrance to the oldest pub in the world
In the meantime, however, the Irish came to terms with reality in typical fashion: they partied in the shadow of the fortress - in the truest sense of the word. Less than fifty metres from the wall, on the opposite side of the High Street, is the entrance to Sean's Bar, the oldest pub in the world. At least that's how the Guinness Book of Records puts it: Luain's Inn is said to have stood on the same spot as early as the year 900; Ath Luain was the Irish name for Athlones then as it is today. From our berth on the quay wall above the lock, it is only a few steps on the rain-soaked pavement to this cultural cradle of world renown. The two invitingly bright windows don't have to entice us for long ...
Three days earlier: The two brothers don't have to rock the stage alone for too long. A group of women are meandering purposefully past us and start singing along loudly at the entrance. The programme includes the revival of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the air is balmy after a glorious late summer's day, and not only does the whole town seem to be in a party mood, but the surrounding area as well. It's the weekend in Carrick-on-Shannon. On the evening before we set off on our cruise, we are standing outside the Barrel Store, the town's newest bar, and inside the band is really getting going: "Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the River!"
Kiss me, I'm Irish
We had just checked in at Carrick Craft a few hours ago. After picking up our charter boat and doing a trial run, we quickly drove to the large Tesco supermarket in our hire car (which had come from Dublin airport). Unpacked and out on the town - off to the city! Carrick is the largest town on the upper reaches of the River Shannon - and the largest charter base. 4000 people live here, where the river makes a narrow loop, dominated by the tower of St Mary's Church. The path from the church leads down Main and Bridge Streets with their small shops, restaurants and, above all, pubs. Colourful facades, grey stone above.
Souvenirs are no problem either: Kiss me, I'm Irish! Then to the promenade, where children in wetsuits jump off the jetty. Right next to it, the arched bridge connects County Leitrim with Roscommon. The Shannon flows past its massive, moss-covered pillars and winds its way southwards in the sunshine through a reed-fringed landscape, green hills on the horizon, dabbed clouds in the sky.
We also head under the bridge in this direction the next morning. We steer with the current through its middle, highest bend and leave Carrick behind us. The river is carrying an unusually large amount of water at the moment, the water levels are a whole metre higher than usual at this time of year. Two or three rainy weeks are to blame. We soon find ourselves in a convoy of fendered charter boats and reach the Jamestown Canal, a dead-straight cut that shortens a wide loop. The bank walls, bridges and trees on both sides are covered in thick ivy.
Exciting mooring manoeuvre in the middle of the river
Then Albert Lock lies in front of our bow. The four of us enter the lock. The lines are taken by the staff with boat hooks and placed over the bollards at the edge of the chamber, the heavy stem gates close silently. As we descend, we collect the fee: 1.50 euros per boat. You can't complain about that. Before the Roosky lift bridge, however, we have to go to the waiting jetty; the staff are on their lunch break. The floating jetty is anchored in the middle of the river and the strong current makes the mooring manoeuvre an exciting affair. We turn and head against the current.
At a speed of six kilometres per hour, our steel yacht is treading water. The jetty is abeam. Now we slowly move sideways until we can overthink the lines, then we are moored - and still have a sizeable bow wave.
With Lough Boderg and Bofin, we have already passed two lakes on the course of the river; an hour after the bridge and the lock in Roosky, the next one follows with Lough Forbes. The low-hanging sky is now uniformly grey and the westerly wind is much cooler without the sun. We tick off the third and last lock of the day in Termonbarry, and mercifully the fine rain doesn't start until afterwards. No wonder the grass is greener here. On the horizon, however, the light is already playing across the pale contours of the hills again.
In front of it, west-facing wind turbines are turning. Ahead on the left, a large block finally comes into view - the Lough Ree Power Station near Lanesborough, our destination for today. The plant has an output of one hundred megawatts. It is fuelled by the region's only "natural resource": peat.
At dusk, we follow the earthy smell of peat fires across the bridge
We pass under one last (fixed) bridge and then the banks diverge in front of us. Our Linssen has reached the northern end of Lough Ree and thus the middle of the three large lakes in the course of the Shannon. We'll cross it tomorrow, we've covered enough distance today. We find our berth for the night in the guest harbour shared by Lanesborough and Ballyleague, whose jetty juts out into the lake on the western side of the estuary. At dusk, we follow the earthy smell of peat fires across the bridge. Thin blue smoke rises from the chimneys of several houses along Main Street. Two nice anglers, clad in swampy camouflage colours from their boots to their caps, recommended the Yacht Bar in Lanesborough when we asked them for good pub food and pints, and we now have it firmly in sight at the end of the street.
Lough Ree measures around twenty-five kilometres, more than enough for a short, steep windswept sea, which creates a lot of spray when we come up against it. We're lucky today, the wind is with us, coming almost from astern. Others have to pitch. The water is steel grey, large buoys border the surprisingly narrow channel. On the shore, hedges and rows of trees divide the slopes with uneven geometry, like a green patchwork quilt made of different pieces and fabrics, sometimes of coarse wool, sometimes of shimmering silk. Cottages and small farms can be seen, sheep and cows. Again and again the shoreline escapes into one of the many bays, elsewhere islands lie in the way: Inchenagh, Inchcleraun, the Black Islands. These densely wooded islets used to be havens for enlightened men and light-shy figures.
We continue to the southernmost point of our cruise - one of the most sacred places in Ireland
After two hours, we have passed Lough Ree. A water tower and the bridge over the motorway between Dublin and Galway herald Athlone. We don't tie up, although there are gaps in the marina on the eastern shore and on the quay wall opposite. We don't want to use them until tomorrow on the way back. Today, we continue to the southernmost point of our trip - one of Ireland's most sacred places. As the lock gates of Athlone open for the exit, the sun makes the river sparkle in front of us as confirmation.
Now the Shannon takes its rightful place: The meadows are flooded for miles. Trees and fences protrude from the water. The trail of lateral signs ensures that we don't stray from the right path.
At just before four, we moor at the floating jetty at Clonmacnoise; a short footpath leads up between grazing cows to the entrance of the visitor centre: As early as the sixth century, St Ciarán founded a monastic settlement here, which was to survive for almost a thousand years. Even though it was conquered, plundered and destroyed several dozen times in the meantime, it developed into a centre of learning whose reputation reached far beyond the shores of Ireland. Kings were buried here.
Today, not only the ruins of its seven churches bear witness to faith and great craftsmanship, but also three high crosses made of sandstone. The Cross of the Scriptures, with its chiselled miniatures, is the most magnificent of the three. Its original forms the centrepiece of the exhibition, while a copy was erected outside. For a selfie, a happy couple in colourful mackintoshes embrace the doppelganger. Behind them, the ribbon of the river disappears into the distance. A country song that was playing on Shannonside Radio that morning comes to mind: On this blue highway, between your love and me, nothin' but a blue highway, as far as my heart can see.
Service
Cruising stages
SCarrick-on-Shannon-Lanesborough: 49 km
- Lanesborough-Clonmacnoise: 47 km
- Clonmacnoise-Athlone: 16 km
- Athlone-Dromod: 58 km
- Dromod-Lough Key: 43 km
- Lough Key-Carrick-on-Shannon: 16 km
Z Carrick-on-Shannon
Total distance:229 km
Literature
Navigational Guide to the Shannon and Erne Waterways" by Shannon LDC, 38 pages, format: A3, area information and navigation rules, simplified, large-format waterway illustration. Available on board.
Travel guide "Travel Pocketbook Ireland" by Susanne Tschirner. Background and practical travel information, with many tips for excursions. DuMont Reise, 304 p., numerous illustrations and detailed maps, format: 12 x 18.5 mm, ISBN 978-3-61602040-2, 18.90 euros. shop.dumontreise.de
The TOP 3 in the district
- Athlone's pubs offer an enormous variety - and not just in terms of drinks. The live music on offer ranges from folk to rock.
- The high crosses of Clonmacnoise are unique monuments to the country's living history. No bucket list from the Shannon can do without them.
- The nature at Lough Key with its dense forest is completely different from the wide landscape in the rest of the district. A worthwhile detour!
OUR BOAT: Linssen GS 35.0 AC (steel displacement) - Length: 10.70 m - Width: 3.40 m - Draught: 1.00 m - Cruising speed: 12 km/h - Engine: 75 hp - Bow and stern thruster, plotter - Cabins: 2 (double berths) each with shower/WC - Weekly rates: 1740 to 2760 euros
CHARTER: We were travelling with a boat from Houseboat Ireland (Carrick Craft). In addition to the Linssen we travelled on, the company also offers other types in different sizes and price ranges. Our trip started and ended in Carrick-on-Shannon, with a total of three bases to choose from. One-way trips are possible. Information: Houseboat Ireland, Im Kies 21, 74199 Untergruppenbach, Tel. 07130-405 68 70. hausbootirland.de
Nautical information
The precinct The navigable water system of the rivers Shannon and Erne stretches for around 400 kilometres from Belleek in Northern Ireland to the Atlantic estuary near Limerick in the south-west of the Republic of Ireland (although charter boats are only allowed to sail as far as Killaloe, some 25 kilometres above Limerick). The Shannon itself accounts for around 280 kilometres, starting at Lough Allen north of Carrick-on-Shannon. The Shannon-Erne Waterway joins at Leitrim, leading to the Erne system with Upper and Lower Lough Erne. There are also lakes of various sizes along the course of the Shannon. The largest in the section described is Lough Ree. There are also a number of detours from the main route. The river is dammed throughout. However, due to the sometimes large distances between the individual stages, the character of a free-flowing body of water has been preserved almost everywhere.
Weather/climate
DRIVER'S CERTIFICATE Hiring and operating a charter boat on Irish inland waterways does not require a licence.
THE NAVIGATION There is hardly any commercial shipping on the Shannon, but the river is so important as a holiday and tourist destination that the nautical infrastructure and navigability are fully maintained. The locks are in good condition and all fairways are marked with buoys or beacons using the lateral system. It is essential to keep to these fairways, as there are often extensive shallows even in larger water areas. In the area of constrictions, barrages and bridges, the current can sometimes be considerable. This is especially true during floods. The authority responsible for the maintenance of all Irish waterways is Waterways Ireland. www.waterwaysireland.org
