The Shannon Navigation -
including The Boyle River and Lough Key, Carnadoe Waters and the River Suck, Lough Allen Canal, Jamestown Canal, Ardnacrusha tailrace, Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg

The Shannon System:

Vital Statistics of the navigation.

Boating on the Shannon:

Clickable Map of Shannon system - Complete charts of the Shannon, Shannon-Erne Waterway and the Erne Navigations; 
See also GPS charts for The Shannon.

Shannon-related Books,

Shannon Navigation Charts & Guides etc. (all Ireland);

Shannon Locks and Bridges;

Charges and Fees - also where to get smartcards;

Known Snags on the Shannon (Security, Safety, Navigation difficulties etc.);

Services: Marinas, Mechanics, Fuel, etc.;

Shannon Boat Launch facilities - Where to put your boat in the water;

Shannon-Erne travel times;

Limerick Cruising Guide (guide to cruising the improved navigation from Killaloe to Limerick - set of articles from IWN Summer 2001) ;

Shannon Estuary Advice;

Safety on the Water

Rent a boat, boat trips etc.:

Rent a Boat on the Shannon (a cruiser / a barge)

Rent a boat on other waters;

Boat trips, excursions, rent for a day etc etc.

On Land:

Shannon Waterway Walks - guide to walking routes (all walks)

Shannon Restaurants (all Restaurants)

Community Sites - websites of towns on the Shannon

Children's entertainment - playgrounds, attractions etc.

Waterways Heritage Guide - links to information about a wide range of Ireland's waterways heritage.  See also here.

Angling information and supplies

Nature - aquatic flora & fauna

Local IWAI Branches

Carrick-on-Shannon

Athlone,

Shannon Harbour

Lough Derg

(all branches)

Boating Legal & Ethical framework

Putting a Boat on the Water - requirements.
On the Shannon, a boat-owner must have a place to keep a boat. For most people, that means a place in a private marina.  For short visits, boats are allowed to stay at public harbours: up to five days at a time, and seven days in a month, at any particular harbour. It is sometimes possible to leave a boat at a public harbour over the winter. There is a charge. Contact the Inspector of Navigation. If there is space, boats are usually allowed to stay for short periods at the harbours of the hire firms (except on changeover days), but they may be charged: Some private marinas allow short-term stays by prior arrangement.

Code of Conduct - for Boat Owners and Users.

Guidelines for the use of VHF radios -- Licensing, technical and practical information about the use of VHF radio on the inland waterways

Cordage! - Reminder of the legal requirement to maintain good cordage/ropes/warps/mooring lines (03/2003).

The legal stuff

Navigation administration by Waterways Ireland, and boats are required to be registered ( no charge) with engines of over 10bhp.

Shannon navigation Act 1990

Shannon Navigation Bye-Laws 1992

Shannon Navigation (construction of vessels) Bye- Laws 1992

Merchant Shipping (pleasure craft) (lifejackets and operation) (safety) Regulations 2004

A boat should comply with the SHANNON NAVIGATION (CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS) BYE-LAWS, 1992.  This a straightforward piece of legislation covering such things as requirements for Anchors, mooring lines and fenders,  Life saving equipment, engines and fuel tanks, Fire extinguishers and Cooking and heating appliances. 

Additional town and county bye-laws may also apply.

See also website dedicated to EU Legislation affecting Recreational Boating

Articles and other items related to the Shannon:

Shell Guide to the River Shannon - edited by Ruth Delaney. Part of the book is on-line

3 lads paddling the Shannon - a well documented Kayak trip down the Shannon in August 2007 raiding money for the Irish Cancer Society (Mark O'Toole, Russ Ryan, Adrian Gallagher) -

An IWAI flotilla goes from Lough Derg to Dingle / An Daingean / Daingean Uí Chúis (from IWN Autumn 2005)

Ardnacrusha - 75th anniversary - article by Paul Duffy - from IWN Winter 2004
The Shannon Challenge - a sponsored row of the whole length of the Shannon May 2005
Lough Allen - Norbert Eberle tells you all you ever wanted to know about Lough Allen - from IWN Spring 2002

Rowing the Shannon - Article by Joerg Dickerbertel, Oldenburger Ruderverein  (from IWN Winter 2002)  

Paddling the Shannon - an account by Roger Shrimpton and Eileen Lockwood of their canoe trip down the Shannon.  Another account from 2001 is Paddling the Shannon solo By Adam Brewster

Shannon Passage Dale Lawrence's account of rowing a lakeboat down the Shannon - for a holiday!

 Cruise on the River Shannon in Sailing Canoes back in 1999

Shannon Water Level Management - Robert Cullen - An article on the management of water levels on the Shannon system (from IWN Autumn 2002)  

Shannon Estuary, Joe Synnott - from IWN Summer 2001

Weirdos (and Weirdon'ts) - care when in the vicinity of weirs - article by Eoin O Brolchain from article from IWN Spring 2002

The Flying Boats at Foynes, Guy Warner - from IWN Winter 2001

Loos laws, Brian J Goggin - rules about loos on the canals, the Shannon and the Erne, from IWN Winter 2001

Scarriff Harbour, plans for Scarriff Harbour, from IWN Winter 2001

The Limerick navigation, Brian J Goggin - Brian's own experience on his trip to the official opening, from IWN Autumn 2001 , also From Castleconnell to Limerick by water from IWN Summer 2001

Limerick Cruising Guide (guide to cruising the improved navigation from Killaloe to Limerick - set of articles from IWN Summer 2001 including: Navigation History, Killaloe to Ardnacrusha, Ardnacrusha to Limerick, Mooring in Limerick, The Cruise Before the New Scheme, The Cruise in 2001, 

Related Shannon Sites:

Waterways Ireland is the organisation with responsibility for the navigation.
Shannon Fishery Board

Shannon Info Auf Deutsch. - large photo gallery - guides, rental feedback.

Also auf Deutch, see www.eireskipper.net

Shannon River - Portal for boat rental, pubs and restaurants guide.

Shannon Publications:

Note: Please see our publications page for a more complete list of Shannon-related publications.

Navigation Charts for the River Shannon, (laminated) Waterways Ireland 2007 (newer editions have update for Limerick-Killaloe, Suck Navigation Lough Allen (jetties)
The Shannon Navigation, Lilliput Press Ltd, Ruth Delany, available in hardback and softback, 304pp Hardback, ISBN10, 1843511320 (€50.00), Softback ISBN10 1843511282 (€29.95) (You can buy this book from IWAI from 31/03/08) A truely magnificent tome on the history of the Shannon Navigation - more information here.
Lough Ree and Its Islands by Jimmy Casey, Sean Cahill and Gearoid O'Brien, ISBN 0955412005, published October 2006, republished January 2008. Three Counties Press Following a reprint in January 2008, the book is available from the IWAI shop.
The Shell Guide to the Shannon, Fourth edition, Ruth Delany (Editor), ERA-Maptec, 2000. Part of an earlier edition of this book is available online. The book is now out of print
Murphy Seán, The Shannon Skipper, 32pp - One man's view of the river, its harbours, locks and bridges. The book is available for €10 (€11 incl P&P) from Sean Murphy, The Cottage, Woodpark, Portumna, Co Galway. The book is reviewed here

Note: Please see our publications page for a more complete list of Shannon-related publications.

• Waterways Corridor Study 2006  A study of the area surrounding the Lower Shannon navigation including Lough Derg, from Meelick, Co. Galway to Limerick City. -
  - published by the Heritage Council - details here.
   

• Water Corridor Study 2005 A study of the area surrounding the Upper Shannon navigation down to Roosky including the Boyle River, Lough Allen, Lough Key and the Carnadoe waters
  - Published by the Heritage Council - details here - you can download the 4MB file here
   

• Water Corridor Study 2004 A study of the area surrounding Lanesborough to Shannonbridge
  - Published by the Heritage Council - details here - you can download the 7.7MB file here
   

•  Water Corridor Study 2004 The Shannon River between Rooskey and Lanesborough &
   

• The Royal Canal between Cloondara and Thomastown  
  - Published by the Heritage Council - details here - you can download the 7MB file here
   

• Waterways Corridor Study 2002 covering the Grand Canal from Ballycommon to Shannon Harbour, and the Shannon between Shannonbridge to Meelick Lock - details here - you can also download the report in several sections from there.
   

General Boating Articles

GPS usage on the inland waterways - course by Noel Griffin - see also Dave McCabe's Shannon GPS charts.

Boat Electrics: Batteries, Part 1 of a 3. (from IWN Winter 2006)

PG's Tips: Winter Cruising. ,(from IWN Winter 2006)

The Joys of Springs - Richard Holbrook explains how to tie up your boat so that it remains where it should! - (from IWN Winter 2005)

See Grog's excellent animated knots website if you want some guidance on knots for boating and fishing.

Paul Garlands Tips on what to do when your boat's engine stops! (from IWN Summer 2005)

Baby on Board! - Aileen Flynn provides some insights and advice for folk considering taking small children boating (from IWN Spring 2003).

LPG on boats - article by Roger Lorenz part1, part2

Where can I live on a barge near Dublin? - Brian J Goggin and John Thompson answer one of our most frequently asked questions.

Bringing your boat to Ireland - A look at what's involved in bringing (in this case) a narrowboat over from the UK, and what to expect if you do.

Winterising Diesel Engines - Step by step guide to protecting boat diesel engines from the rigours of an Irish winter

Guidelines for the use of VHF radios - Licensing, technical and practical information about the use of VHF radio on the inland waterways

Putting a boat on the water: What do you have to do if you want to put a boat on the inland waterways?

The ISA/IWAI Certificate of Competency - for Motor Cruising on the the Irish Inland Waterways. Not mandatory (yet), but recommended for all boat skippers.

Metamorphosis: Terry & Jean Frew - The story of the metamorphosis of The Dolphin from an offshore 50-man lifeboat into a comfortable four-berth cabin-cruiser.

Téarmaí Bádóireachta  Boating terms as Gaeilge, le Seán Ó Riain

One day in July - an assembly of different accounts of what was happening on one ordinary summer's day July 14 2002, to give a picture of typical activity on our waterways ( from IWN Autumn 2002) .

The British Boat Safety Scheme, Tommy Murphy

Colm na Cora, the Garda patrol boat from IWN Summer 2002

The Shannon One Design (aka SOD), David Beattie, probably the most successful native one-design class of sailing boats in Ireland - from IWN Summer 2000

Health & Safety:

Weil's Disease (Leptospirosis) - article by Dr John Fleetwood, from IWN Spring 2002

Safety  - Fire, Water, Lifejackets and Carbon Monoxide, Flares. from IWN Spring 20003

See our guide to Buying a lifejacket in Ireland - see also Inflated Opinion - article by John Leech on the merits or otherwise of auto-inflating life jackets - from IWN Winter 2004.

Rescue Groups

Environment:

Electric Boats - article by Alun Goodall - part1,  part2

Portable Toilets - article by Brian J Goggin from IWN Summer 2002

Get the solids out of the Shannon - article by Brian J Goggin from IWN Summer 2002

Ecotopia is a yearly two-week gathering of environmental and social activists organised by European Youth For Action (EYFA).  This is a report by Carolan Goggin of a 2002 gathering. (from IWN Autumn 2002)

Loos: Lough Derg and Lough Ree Catchment, Brian J Goggin, from IWN Winter 2001

Loos laws, Brian J Gogggin - rules about loos on the canals, the Shannon and the Erne, from IWN Winter 2001

Winsome loos sum, Brian J Gogggin - more about toilets!, from IWN Winter 2001

Derg and Ree Catchment Monitoring: Final Report or New Beginning?, Paddy Mackey from IWN Autumn 2001

Nature Designations on Waterways: Why Bother? Paddy Mackey, from IWN Spring 2003

 

Nature:

Zebra Mussel Control, Michael Hynes - article from IWN Summer 2004

Bats and Irish Waterways, Dr Niamh Roche - article from IWN Autumn 2001

Dolphins Dr Simon Berrow, from IWN Summer 2001

The magic of the mayfly on the Shannon, John Leech, from IWN Summer 2000

Zebra Mussel Control, Michael Hynes - article from IWN Summer 2004