GO BARGE:While on a week-long voyage along the Shannon-Erne Waterway, Brendan Glackenand the rest of the crew on board 'Lir' come to the conclusion that, for a home vacation, a barge trip cannot be beaten
Brendan Glacken and the rest of the Lir crew paid €1,330 for one week's rental of th barge in late July, from Riversdale Barge Holidays (071-9644122, www.riversdalebarge holidays.com). The only extra payment was for diesel - in this case it cost €46 for a round trip of about 80km
Where to eat
It may be part of waterside mythology that idyllic little restaurants are to be found all along our river banks. Not quite true. While there are some, it is advisable to stock up in the local supermarket before you set off. After all, it is not much fun mooring at some remote and beautiful lay-by when you are short of food or wine, and your car is miles away.
Note that some restaurants are happy to pick guests up from their nearby craft, bring them to the restaurant and deliver them back again - but check in advance.
The Harbour Bar, Belturbet (049-9529818). We check this out one evening for a couple of pints - a large yet tastefully decorated and spotless pub and restaurant. It is also friendly, and the drink is far cheaper than in Dublin bars.
The Bistro @ Swan Island (049-4333065). This is an old-world bar and restaurant on Lough Garadice, Co Leitrim, and comes highly recommended.
It has an animal farm with 50 species, a marina and a picnic area. Unfortunately we were running out of time when we were on the lake.
The Canal View restaurant (071-9642404). This is just outside the village of Keshcarrigan, Co Leitrim, and has rustic charm and traditional decor.
Prior's, High Street, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim (071-9644574).
We did not make it as far as Enniskillen, but Franco's (028-66324424, www.francosrestaurant.co.uk) is recommended by Graham of Riversdale Farm Guesthouse, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim (071-9644122), which itself offers superior BB accommodation and an indoor swimming pool.
Slattery's wine shop and deli (071-9650535) in Carrick-on-Shannon is worth checking out.
Tips for beginners
River and canal locks are probably the greatest engineering works of 19th-century Ireland. On this waterway they are controlled by smart cards on sale at local retail outlets. The cards also allow access to marina or shoreside toilets, showers, washing machines and tumble dryers.
There is a guide in the captain's handbook (supplied with the relevant charts) giving estimated cruising times (for example, from Carrick-on-Shannon all the way to Enniskillen takes up to 16 hours).
* All craft must keep to the right. Also note the red and white river and lake markers - follow the safe route between the white signs. Red indicates the wrong side.
* Children of all ages are welcome but safety is paramount. Lifejackets are provided for all.
* Before setting out you should decide on some destinations and approximate ETAs.
* Remember: the maximum speed is five kilometres per hour.
* Locks open at 9am and close at 8pm every day.
About barges
The Shannon-Erne waterway is increasingly busy and accommodates craft of all shapes and sizes - self-built, Dutch barges, and Pénichettes inspired by traditional French barges.
Our barge was named Lir and sleeps six people. It weighs about 12 tons, is 43ft long, and is powered by a 50 horse-power diesel engine and steered by a tiller. It has two gears - forward and reverse - and there is no brake. Lir has two double bedrooms, one of them converting from the diningroom, while another room accommodates twin bunks. We were also supplied with a fold-up bed, which can be opened in the corridor. There is a proper toilet and shower, a full electric cooker, hot and cold water, a fridge, and a connection for mobile phones. Heating, which we did not need, is electric. We also brought a couple of deck chairs, which we found essential, though the company will supply them. It rents bikes for a small fee. Lir is wheelchair accessible.
It is almost inevitable for beginners that the paintwork will suffer some minor scrapes but it is unlikely you will be charged for this or for very minor damage caused by overhanging branches of trees (just duck).
A first-aid kit is not supplied, as it seems that clients increasingly prefer to bring their own personalised kits - so make sure you do so.
Saturday
We arrive at Riversdale Barge Holidays, run by Graham Thomas, in Aghoo, near Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, a two-hour drive from Dublin. We plan to spend a week on part of the Shannon-Erne Waterway on the beautiful Lir barge.
Having spent a week on a barge on the Grand Canal last year, we are familiar with the basics. After brief instructions from Graham, my wife Trisha McKay and I embark at 5pm. We take a short trip downriver and moor overnight at Ballinamore.
Sunday
The first of our guests arrive today: Brian O'Neill, his wife Ellen McCafferty, and Angela Timlin. We pick them up at Riversdale and the five of us chug off around noon under the town's twin-arched bridge. Soon we have our first experience of a lock on the Shannon-Erne at Aghoo. This is a hidden Ireland, full of romantic silence and life at a slow pace.
Still in Leitrim, we traverse Lough Garadice before arriving at Skelan Lock, a trip of about eight kilometres, which, at our leisurely pace, takes two to three hours. This is an idyllic spot, and we moor, relax and try a spot of fishing (unproductive). The sun is shining and the only sounds are those of the weir and of three talented women busy in the kitchen.
Proper order. Ellen has thoughtfully brought the entire dinner with her, prepped and ready and cook in the luxurious barge kitchen, so we can relax and stay up drinking wine.
Monday
I wake at 5am to a beautiful clear morning, But what has happened our fore mooring? There are two rope moorings on the barge - one fore and one aft. Our fore mooring has come apart, with the rope hanging in the water. The barge floats about the aft mooring, which fortunately was properly tied and hasn't come loose. Someone must be keelhauled for this or made walk the plank, but we relent, as it looks like we have not been in any danger (I think), whatever about the barge or other boats.
We are heading for Ballyconnell, but before we arrive we get stuck: erosion of the river banks means the river is shallow and we hear the ugly sound of steel on stone. We come to a grating halt, trying forward and reverse to no avail. Eventually we are helped out by a young local farmer, who dons waders and pushes us back into the middle of the river. Will we recognise this hazard when we approach it on the way back? Unlikely.
We finally moor in busy Ballyconnell, noting all the bars and their tricolours. One shop has enormous stacks of T-shirts, khaki gear and black balaclavas. Two of our party are heading home and are picked up by the ever-helpful Graham Thomas and taken back to their car. Later that night we check out the recommended Angler's Rest for a couple of pints and head back to the barge for another home-cooked meal, tired and ready for our cosy bunks.
Tuesday
We leave Ballyconnell around noon, after negotiating Ballyconnell and Corraquill Locks. This is an area of great botanical and ornithological interest, with wetlands, wildfowl and whooper swans. Then we are on Woodford river, which for a distance forms the Border between counties Cavan and Fermanagh. Later we take a sharp right (signposted) to Belturbet and find ourselves on the Erne proper. We arrive in the busy town of Belturbet, with its huge marina.
Wednesday
Angela goes home by bus to Dublin and our final three guests arrive in Belturbet - my daughter, Ruth Glacken, our friend, Mary Thornton, and her dog Phoebe. We head back towards Ballyconnell, observing moor hens, numerous grey herons, white butterflies and the odd dragonfly. (Over the week we also see three stunning kingfishers.)
We have another home-cooked dinner and later that night head to the Harbour Bar for drinks. When we return there is drama on the barge. Poor Phoebe, excited by the late return of her owner, falls overboard, but is eventually rescued, and is none the worse for her misadventure. It is clear Phoebe is happier on terra firma. She gets a treat to cheer her up.
Thursday
We leave Ballyconnell at noon, with an eight-hour trip ahead of us back to Ballinamore, because we have pencilled in a lazy lunch stop about a third of the way at Corryquill Lock.
Our efforts at fishing prove fruitless again. Then we are grounded in the exact same place that proved our undoing before. Mary gets into the shallow river and pushes us off with the barge pole.
Tired after the long day, we miss the initial markers on Swan Island. As the sun sets we are glad to get back to Ballinamore, where utter peace reigns.
Friday
A little weary, we designate today a day of rest. The barge must be back in Aghoo by 10am tomorrow. We check out the nearby lakeshore town of Keshcarrigan and return to Ballinamore for a pub lunch in Prior's. The sun shines intermittently and we head back to the barge, chilling out with a few beers. We have had a great week and have come across lots of locks along the way, with great names such as Ardrum, Corraquill, Skelan, Dernagore, Bellaheady, plus the islands of Coologue, Derrycassan and Galloon. We have encountered many beautiful old bridges, too.
We have come to the conclusion that, for a home vacation, a barge trip cannot be beaten.
Fantastic light looks through
the eyes of bridges -
And look! a barge comes
bringing from Athy
And other far-flung towns
mythologies
- Patrick Kavanagh (From Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin)