Welcome to the River Shannon.
We're staying at the marina in Portumna, and it's right beside this castle, right there.
Right there.
We're just walking up to it. It's closed,
we have it all to ourselves. It's pretty incredible to me. It's surreal.
It really is. One of the cool things about Ireland is that there is all these castles,
and all these things along the Shannon River that you can come and check out that are close
to the boat. Hey, we're going to take a little stroll up there, because there's nobody around.
Nobody.
We booked a luxury houseboat for eight glorious days along the River Shannon in Ireland.
Starting in Carrick-On-Shannon, we boarded our 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom,
Horizon 4 houseboat with Emerald Star, and cruised for 160 kilometers, to Portumna.
Passing historic castles and ruins, lively towns and villages, and the beautiful Irish
countryside, we had a trip to remember through Ireland's ancient highway.
Had a lovely ride here to Carrick-On-Shannon
with Martins in cabin, great luxury coaches, great drivers.
The trip begins at the Emerald Star Marina, where you get a lesson on how to drive the boat,
and an introduction to all of the boat's features. After you feel comfortable behind
the wheel and navigating your route, you are then set free to explore on your own
for a self-drive adventure through the locks and bridges of the River Shannon.
We are here on the Carrick-On-Shannon here in Ireland, and we're on a Horizon 4,
which is a 4 bedroom, 4 bath boat, and we're going to take you on a little tour. Come on down.
Of course, this bedroom is for two people, nice and easy. This is going to be my room
for the night. Woo-hoo hoo. Come on in and take a look at the bathroom.
Nice. Each room has full shower and full bath.
It's split two in the front here, and that is the exact same room, it mirrors, so this
is great. Two couples can sleep nicely in here, and then you come down to the back room here.
These beds can come together to make a double if you want, or you can keep them apart. Dave and I
have done it both ways and I say I like it apart, because you can walk through, and you can get up
nice and easily. Come take a look, here is the bathroom. Same thing, they all have a full bath.
Seven night cruises start around $2,200 U.S. dollars,
and boats are equipped with a full kitchen. For a family adventure,
this is a fun and affordable way to experience Irish hospitality and create memories that last
a lifetime. We started in Carrick-on-Shannon, which is one of the fastest growing tourist
destinations in Ireland. We highly recommend spending at least a day in this lively village.
This is quite interesting. We were told that this is one of the smallest churches in Europe,
so let's go in and take a look.
The Costello Memorial Chapel is the second-smallest chapel
in the entire world. Inside are the remains of Edward Costello and his wife. He devoted
the chapel to her when she died in 1877, and he joined her nearly two decades later.
The great thing about small Irish towns is that you can go pub-hopping
basically one right next to the other. We're going to start in Flynn's here.
What we loved most about cruising the River Shannon was the Irish hospitality.
We felt far away from the tourist traps, and had an authentic Irish countryside escape, complete
with entertainment, making new friends, and of course, enjoying a pint of Guinness at night.
I'm pouring
a pint of Guinness here, at Carrick-on Shannon.
All right.
We even get the bell.
It's just so much fun navigating your own boat through historic
bridges and locks while exploring the River Shannon at your own pace.
We've taken off down the River Shannon
here in Ireland. It's very much like the Rideau Canal, we're following the buoys and the markers.
It is quite easy to navigate the River Shannon. You simply follow the buoys, staying between the
red and green markers. Boats have limiters on them, so you drive a maximum of 10 kilometers
per hour, and there are thrusters to help you easily navigate through the narrow channels.
It's really beautiful along here. It was a very Irish moment with the clouds, the green,
and then the sun shining through. All we needed was a rainbow with a leprechaun.
Here we're at Albert's Lock, and for us, it's
the first lock on the Shannon, heading downstream. It's pretty easy, Deb made it look really easy in
here. It's really cool, because the lock masters here are a little bit different than in France.
We went through five locks on our trip through the Shannon, and the lock masters are there to
help guide you through them. They're super friendly, and happy to answer any questions.
One person stands
in front of the boat to tie into a clip at the lock, and another
is on the back to keep the boat steady as the lock fills up or empties with water.
Locks are pretty easy here in
Ireland. You pull up, you park, there's a lock master there to take your rope. Then, you just
hang on until we get down, cast off, and hey, we're heading down the river.
We have arrived in the lovely Dromod Village here on the River Shannon
The sun's come out for us,
so we're going to make sure that we head to the railway museum, and find out what it's all about.
When cruising the Shannon,
there are several small villages you can stop for some sightseeing, or just to have some lunch.
You have all day, so take your time to explore before your next port of call.
Well, accommodation doesn't get any better than
this. We are right in downtown Athlone. Europe's oldest bar is right there, Sean's bar. The castle
is right there, and the church is right there. We're on the boat, staying right
downtown, in the harbor. This would cost a fortune to do if you were getting a hotel. It's amazing.
One of our favorite stops was the city of Athlone. We recommend staying here for two nights,
as there's just so many places to explore. Make sure to arrive early to get the best slot right
downtown, in front of the world's oldest pub, and walking distance to its top attractions.
All right, we're here in Athlone, Ireland,
and we're standing in front of Europe's oldest bar, Sean's. Actually, it could be the world's
oldest bar, as it was established in 900 A.D. Now, that's old. Hopefully, the Guinness is fresh.
Sean's Bar is definitely
a highlight of Athlone. The Guinness Book of World Records has listed it as the oldest pub in Europe,
but evidence shows that it's actually the world's oldest continuously operating pub. It
was during renovations in the seventies that they found coins that were 1,000 years old,
and the original structure, made of wattle and wicker. Sean's bar actually dates back to 500 A.D.
Well, once upon a time,
way back in 2006, Michael Jackson stopped in at this gallery, to drop a bunch of money. We don't
know what he bought, but the owners had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and if they broke it,
they would have to pay $10 million. Something tells me he forked out a lot of dough.
Well, if you don't
have your own boat, you can go out on a Viking Cruise, to go and explore the canal and the lock,
and learn all about the Viking History. This town was invaded and sacked by Vikings many times.
We have arrived at Clonmacnoise.
Clonmacnoise is an ancient city located directly on the River Shannon. We left
Athlone as soon as the locks opened, so we could beat the crowds of this sixth century monastery.
We are walking through the ruins of Clonmacnoise,
dating back to the sixth century, and this is a great deal. It's only eight euro to get in.
There's a video, there's a museum, there's guided tours, and then, this expansive monastery complex.
This is one of Ireland's most popular attractions, and you can join a tour with the buses that
frequent it on their overland trips. Entrance is just five euro per person, and it is spectacular.
Boats dock for free right at the grounds, and you can stay for as long as you like.
On the Horizon boats, you can drive from below or above, which is perfect for that
unpredictable Irish weather. We had a mix of rain and sunshine throughout our trip,
and it was good to have the comfort and heat inside when the weather turned nasty.
Well, it's great to
have the options actually here, to drive from the top or bottom, especially in weather like this.
My brother is
the one that's stuck out there today.
The next stop is Shannon Bridge, and a night here is definitely a highlight.
Make sure to pay a visit to Ireland's most authentic historic pub, at Luker's.
All right,
we're heading into the Luker Public House, the most authentic historic pub here in Ireland.
Docking our boat at Shannon Bridge, we were right beside Luker's Pub. The Irish hospitality was in
full swing, as owner John took us on a tour to see the pub that has barely changed since the
1750s. It has the last remaining Victoria Regina fireplace in the British Isles, and
the memorabilia as well as the scent of the old wooden tables really transport you back in time.
It's like stepping back in time here. What a special experience.
After our tour was finished, he regaled us with fun stories and a Guinness pouring lesson.
Pint of Guinness, anyone?
Yes, please.
Always.
Come to the most authentic bar in Ireland, Luker's. Where John?
Shannon Bridge.
Yeah
It's really worth renting a bike when you go on the Le Boat trips here in Europe,
because you get to go out out of town, to see a few of these off the beaten
path destinations. It's a lot easier to ride than to walk a couple kilometers.
Off for a bike ride.
We rented bicycles for our trip,
and we certainly highly recommend doing so. Some of the towns are farther away,
and it's a great way to pick up some groceries, or visit more of the out of the way places.
There's an old tale that a priest
performed a miracle here. He had to go and help a colleague across the river,
and when he couldn't get across, he made a boat out of stone. Everyone thought it was
just a tale until they found the stone that looks like a boat years later. It's out here,
they say two kilometers out of town, but it's really three and a half kilometers
out of town. You can come and see the actual stone that he rode, if you believe in miracles.
When staying in Portumna, we
suggest passing on the Le Boat docks, and instead, stay in front of Portumna castle.
Portumna Castle is a gem of Ireland, and both King James I and Queen Elizabeth I
visited this stunning castle. You can take a tour of the castle grounds, and inside,
there's a cafe offering fresh coffee and food that can be visited for free.
The abbey ruins are located between the
castle and town, and can be easily explored during your walk, and are completely free to enter.
They were a highlight of the many things to see on the River Shannon.
When you park at
the castle dock here in Portumna, there's great hiking trails right here in Portumna Forest Park.
A castle once stood right here, where this welcome center is. Get your bikes, go out on the trails,
maybe bring a picnic, and go for a little picnic in the park. This is just lovely.
And That was Le Boat, in Ireland.
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