Meandering south for 360km from its source on the slopes of Mount Cuilcagh on the internal Irish border, the River Shannon carves a path through the island’s rural heart. A welcome chance to escape the congested roads of the Wild Atlantic Way or the crowded streets of Dublin, the reed-lined banks of Ireland’s longest waterway offer a slow route to the Emerald Isle’s less-visited interior. Read Next We tried the French alternative to Center Parcs - it was cheaper and more exciting Starting in the riverside town of Banagher in County Offaly, I planned to head upriver over three days to Carrick-on-Shannon.
Along the way, I hoped to find peace, quiet and some excellent pints of Irish stout in the so-called “Hidden Heartlands”. The best way to explore the river’s intricate network of loughs and tributaries is by boat. “They drive themselves,” said Noel Coughlan, a Carrickcraft captain who gave me a crash course in nautical knots so I could help moor the six-berth riverboat when we launched upriver from Banagher.
“They don’t go very fast, only 10km an hour or so.” You don’t need any prior experience for a self-drive boat tour with Carrickcraft, which has bases in Banagher and Carrick-on-Shannon where you’re shown the ropes (literally) before being let loose on the Shannon . Carrickcraft’s 112-strong fleet runs on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a fuel made from recycled vegetable oils which Noel explained produces 90 per cent fewer emissions than tradi.