The Undiscovered Heartland of Ireland
What
better way to discover Ireland than by cruising through the rich abundance
of lakes, canals and rivers, including the Shannon, Barrow, Grand and
Royal Canal and the Erne. This kind of holiday is suitable for everyone,
young and old, and cruising offers something fun and different in beautiful
surroundings. You can even hire bicycles to take aboard your cruiser,
which gives you and the kids the option to stop and explore the many interesting
towns, friendly villages and places of interest along the route.
The Shannon-Erne Waterway links the majestic expanse of Upper and Lower
Lough Erne in Northern Ireland to the mighty Shannon River in the Republic
of Ireland, creating Europe's longest navigable leisure waterway (750
km). There are many different types of craft available and all are fully
equipped with central heating, hot and cold water supply, shower, gas
cooker, electricity, flush toilet, refrigerator, all bedding, kitchen-ware
etc. Even a rowing dinghy is provided at no extra cost if required, which
is useful for exploring and picnicking on islands in shallow water.
We
divided our vacation between cruising on the Shannon through the county
of Roscommon, and visiting many attractions in the western county of Mayo.
These unspoiled counties are lavished with a mixture of natural beauty
and family attractions, offering families with children of all ages many
options. Most kids enjoy water (either being on it or in it!) and hiring
a cruiser on the Shannon will keep them happy and content. They can fish,
swim, navigate, assist with the locks, explore river banks and islands,
or just wave at other cruisers passing by. Personally, I found the whole
experience to be very relaxing, probably because everything involved in
managing the cruiser is done at a slow pace. It seems the whole nature
of cruising is geared towards having fun without the usual pressures of
keeping the kids content. The cruisers are easily manageable, comfortable
and clean. Everything is provided, including navigation maps and instruction
on how to handle the boat, and there are plenty of villages and small
towns along the waterway with excellent places to eat and shops to get
provisions.
We began our cruise from the Shannon-Erne Waterways Holidays marina in
Knockvicar and cruised south to Lough Ree. Our first overnight stop was
in the beautiful town of Carrick on Shannon, where we found useful tourist
information from the Tourist Office close to the moorings, good shops
to get provisions and an excellent place to eat in the ‘Ferrari’
room at the Landmark Hotel. After a comfortable night on board we continued
our journey south at a leisurely pace, the children successfully catching
fish along the way and stopping occasionally to cycle and explore places
of interest. We cruised to the village of Dromod and found another excellent
place to eat at the Brandywell Inn, then on to Lanesborough at the head
of Lough Ree. We spent some fun time exploring the lough and visiting
the Hodson Bay Water Sports Centre where we were taught the intricate
skills of boat handling, before turning back to head north to our start
point. It is possible to cruise one way and arrange to be collected and
returned to the start point if required.
After spending a relaxing week on our cruiser we then took to four wheels
and set off to explore County Mayo, located on the spectacular Atlantic
west coast. The county has three main towns, Castlebar, Westport and Ballina,
each of which have plenty to offer for families. Smaller towns and little
villages are scattered throughout the county and almost all have small
hotels or the traditional B&Bs where visitors are welcomed into family
homes.
Mayo has a wonderfully varied landscape. A long coastline features superb
safe beaches and all the drama of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. Romantic
islands include Clare Island, long the home of Grace OMalley, the pirate
queen, Inishturk and Achill, Irelands largest island, joined to the mainland
by a bridge. Mayo’s 10 Blue Flag beaches are guaranteed clean, safe,
sandy and easy to access. Water sports are widely available with particularly
good surfing and diving conditions. In addition, dotted along the coastline
are a number of adventure centres, all of which cater for families.
In Castlebar we visited the Mayo Leisure Point, Ireland’s largest
indoor play complex and the nearby Museum of Country Life, which houses
a broad range of objects drawn from the national folklife collection.
They run a series of interesting kids programmes throughout the year.
The coastal town of Westport has many family attractions, including Westport
House, five leisure centres and the excellent Westport Woods Hotel that
specialises in family holidays. Ballina is renowned for its fishing, but
the town also has good family facilities such as: Waterpoint, an all-weather
water leisure centre, and Tumble Jumble – Ireland’s largest
indoor play centre. The Downhill Hotel is an ideal place to stay and has
excellent family facilities.
The pretty village of Leenane, located in the north of County Galway
in Connemara, is also worth visiting to take the kids on a 90 minute catamaran
trip along Killary Fjord. The Connemara Lady is comfortable with good,
safe viewing points and catering facilities. Nearby is the Killary Adventure
Centre where the whole family can enjoy a good day of fun and activity.
USEFUL CONTACT INFORMATION
Further information about the areas, attractions and accommodation mentioned
in this feature will be found on the following websites:
www.irelandwest.ie
www.visitroscommon.ie
www.visitmayo.com
www.ballina.ie
Shannon-Erne Waterways Holidays
Knockvicar, Boyle
Co. Roscommon
www.sew-holidays.com
Lough Key Boat Tours
Boyle
Co Roscommon
Web: www.loughkeyboats.com
Glendeer Pet Farm (with 4 star self catering accommodation)
Athlone
Co Roscommon
Web: www.glendeer.com
Tumble Jumble
Tumble Jungle is a state of the art indoor playcentre. At 13500 sq ft,
it is the largest in the country. With a stylishly designed cafeteria
adults can relax and take "time out" while their child is busy
at play.
www.tumblejumble.ie
Mayo Leisure Point
www.mayoleisurepoint.ie
Lough Ree Power Boat School and Hodson Bay Watersports
www.hodsonbay.com
Connemary Lady catamaran – Killary Fjord
www.killarycruises.com
Killary Adventure Centre
www.killary.com
Recommended Accommodation and Places to Eat:
The Westport Woods Hotel and Leisure Centre
This hotel is part of the Brian McEniff group which has many family-friendly
hotels in Ireland. McEniff Hotels take the needs of families very seriously
and have designed a series of children’s programmes to keep the
kids entertained. They cater for children of all ages from babies (supervised
by a fully qualified nurse) to teenagers with their Kiddies Organisers
at the K.O. Club. This hotel has spacious family rooms, excellent leisure
facilities and children’s menus.
www.westportwoodshotel.com
www.mceniffhotels.com
Downhill House Hotel & Eagles Leisure Club
Excellent family run hotel that genuinely caters for families. They have
good leisure facilities with 2 swimming pools, games room, family rooms
and children’s menus.
www.downhillhotel.ie
Downhill Inn
Comfortable, 3 star hotel with good facilities for families. Guests can
use the leisure facilities at Downhill House Hotel by arrangement.
www.downhillinn.com
Hodson Bay Hotel
Located on the shores of Lough Ree, this hotel is an ideal place for families
to stay. Leisure Centre facilities include a swimming pool, supervised
children’s playroom, and a well organised summer fun camp for kids.
www.hodsonbayhotel.com
Lough Lannagh Holiday Village
Located in its own private grounds on the shores of Lough Lannagh, the
village has an excellent choice of family rooms and self-catering holiday
houses. Facilities on the site include tennis, games room and organised
children’s activities in July & August.
www.loughlannagh.ie
Abbey Hotel, Roscommon
The Abbey Hotel, is a charming 18th Century Manor House Hotel, set idyllically
in it's own private grounds and gardens. It has a new leisure centre and
good facilities for families.
www.abbeyhotel.ie
The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon
Overlooking the River Shannon and it’s Marinas, this hotel is an
ideal place to stay and eat for families. It offers a modern blend of
ambience with classic bars and restaurants, including the fascinating
Ferrari Room.
www.thelandmarkhotel.com
The Brandywell Inn, Dromod
www.brandywell.com
Ferry Travel to Ireland
Stena Line
www.stenaline.co.uk
I would recommend the Stena Line High Speed Service (HSS), which is comfortable,
fast and efficient. The on-board facilities for kids are excellent, with
videos, play area and catering, this is an ideal way to travel to Ireland.
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