window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-17563893-9');

Irish Waterways Books & Maps

A selection of books and maps (not for navigation) related to the Irish Inland Waterways

  • 67.M, The Story of a Barge by Charlie Dunn This beautifully bound 202pg book takes you through the 80 something year history of one of Irelands heritage barges. It covers the construction and history of the vessel as well as its life as a working boat and the men who lived and worked on her. Charlie's journey with 67.M began in 1992 and he walks you through his triumphs and challenges in an honest account of what its like to convert a heritage barge, sell it, and then buy it back again. This book contains many stories and tales of times gone by as well as some of the practical knowledge Charlie has gained over the years. A comprehensive history of one boats journey on the Inland Waterways. Book is a hardback leather bound, A4 size
  • Historic Killaloe - A Guide to its Antiquities by Sean Kierse.  First published 1983, this edition 2001. A short guide to the built heritage of the Historic Town of Killaloe and it's environs including St Flannan's Cathederal, Kincora and the Graves of the Leinstermen. 46 Pages, Fully illustrated in B&W with colour cover.  210 x 146 x 3mm.
  • Out of stock
    Sixty years old this year, the first meeting of the IWAI in 1954 attracted some 200 like minded people who had the foresight to come together with the shared aims of promoting traffic on the rivers and canals, opposing any obstructions and campaigning for the conservation and preservation of a working navigation. Today the IWAI boasts a membership of around 3,500 who carry on the work of their predecessors. The commitment of each and every member of the Association has seen the achievement of many great feats and overcome many challenges which has ensured that boats can still enjoy free access on the inland waterways from Limerick to Beleek and further afield. This book is a marvelous insight into the Association and a formal record of its sixty year history and is a must have for anyone with an interest in Ireland's wonderful inland waterways. Hard Cover 188p
  • Out of stock
    An illustrated guide to Lough Ree which includes photos, maps, water depths and handy tips to both common and off the beaten track moorings.   First Published in 2018 by Pat McManus
  • Few people today are aware of the history of organised yachting on the north Shannon on Lough Allen, Lough Key, Lough Drumharlow, Lough Boderg, Lough Bofin and Lough Forbes. Between 1896 and 1929 there was a prosperous yacht club in the north Shannon in which the landlords and professional classes who were residents of Counties Roscommon, Leitrim and Longford enjoyed time on the lakes. The club had a major influence on the creation of the Shannon one-design. This book is the definitive history of the club, warts and all. The North Shannon Yacht Club by Vincent Delany describes the history of the Club in the latter part of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century.  Drawing on the Delany family archives, interviews with descendants of those involved and newspaper articles the book describes the events that took place under the flag of the club, the people involved and also lists many of the vessels involved. 82 pages with some colour images.230 x 152 x 7mm. Published by Vincent Delany.
  • Round Ireland by Slow Boat by Richard Kennedy is a captivating and entertaining story of a sailing voyage taken by Richard and Rita Kennedy on their yacht Seachran.  Starting from Rossaveal in Connemara, they undertake a leisurely circumnavigation of Ireland to fulfill a long-standing resolve. Intended to be a 10 week journey, fate and circumstance allowed Rita and Richard to turn the trip into a 5 month voyage over two summers. Throughout the trip, Richard kept a detailed diary which became the basis for this book. Paperback, 261 pages plus 16 pages of colour photos.  157 x 234 x 20mm.  Published by Throughthechair Publishing.
  • Out of stock
    Paul Clements travels the length of the Shannon in this book.  It will be of interest to nature lovers and to tourists, containing a wealth of local knowledge of the area around Shannon, especially useful for ‘staycations’. In August 1939 the Irish travel writer Richard Hayward set out on a road trip to explore the Shannon region just two weeks before the Second World War broke out. His evocative account of that trip, Where the River Shannon Flows, still sought after now by lovers of the river, became a bestseller. Eighty years on, inspired by his work, Paul Clements – author of Romancing Ireland, the biography of Richard Hayward – retraces Hayward’s journey along the river, following – if not strictly in his footsteps – then within the spirit of his trip. From the Shannon Pot in Cavan, 344 kilometres south to the Shannon estuary, his meandering odyssey takes him by car, on foot, and by bike and boat, discovering how the riverscape has changed but is still powerful in symbolism. While he recreates Hayward’s trip, Clements also paints a compelling portrait of twenty-first century Ireland, mingling travel and anecdote with an eye for the natural world. The book gives a voice to stories from water gypsies, anglers, sailors, lock keepers, bog artists, ‘insta’ pilgrims and a water diviner celebrating wisdom through her river songs and illuminates cultural history and identity. Wildlife, nature, and the built heritage, including historic bridges, all play a part. On a quixotic journey Paul Clements produces an intimate portrait of the hidden countryside, its people, topography and wildlife, creating a collective memory map, looking at what has been lost and what has changed. This is the country of the River Shannon that runs through literature, art, cultural history and mythology with a riptide pull on our imagination – a tribute to Ireland’s longest river reflecting the deep vein flowing through the culture of the country.

    About the Author

    Paul Clements is a travel writer and broadcaster. He is the author of Romancing Ireland: Richard Hayward, 1862–1964 (Lilliput, 2015), as well as three books on Ireland: Irish Shores: A Journey Round the Rim of Ireland (1993), The Height of Nonsense: The Ultimate Irish Road Trip (2005), and Burren Country: Travels Through an Irish Limestone Landscape (2011). He has written and edited two books on travel writer and historian Jan Morris, and is a contributing writer to Fodor’s Guide Ireland and Insight Guide Ireland. A former BBC journalist, he is a Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford and lives in Belfast. 284 pages 215 x 136 x 30mm B&W. Paperback
  • Out of stock
    The Motor Yacht Club of Ireland by Vincent Delany describes motor boating in Ireland 1907-1935 including the arrival of outboard engines n Ireland, the Tailteann Games 1924 with inboard engines and 1928 with inboard and outboard engines and the arrival of hydroplane racing in Ireland. It describes events in Kingstown, Pembroke, Clontarf, Waterford, Cork Harbour, Belfast Lough, River Bann, Loughs Boderg, Bofin, Forbes, Ree and Tarmonbarry. The book is modest in size but carries historic photographs of the people and vessels. Paperback, 48 pages with many photographs.  229 x 153 x 5mm.
  • Out of stock
    The Rivers of Dublin by Clair L. Sweeney.  2nd Edition, revised by Gerard O'Connell and Michael Curtis. Re-printed 2020 The new edition of a cherished study; a unique examination of the water routes of Ireland’s capital and the ceaseless activity they enabled and inspired. It proves, in short, that the history of Dublin is that of its rivers. The rivers, tributaries, and streams that have populated Dublin since its establishment have governed the expansion of the city and its quality of life; over time, many of these water routes have become hidden from view. Clair Sweeney’s work brings the ancient watercourses to the surface once more, breathing life into alternate maps of Dublin – excavating entire societies. Sweeney’s position in the Dublin Corporation’s engineering department gave him unparalleled access to places that most hardly know exist. The Rivers of Dublin, newly updated and beautifully redesigned, is a meticulous study of the watercourses that flow through Ireland’s capital city, serving as a history of those who settled and thrived along their banks. Paperback with French Flaps. Full Colour. 278 Pages. 224 x 173 x 15mm
  • In 2019, Gwen Wilkonson set herself the challange of building a canoe and paddlng it the lenght of Ireland, along a network of inland waterways. Setting out from the shores of Lough Erne, she navigated a 400km journey to the tidal waters of the River Barrow in Ireland. More than just a travelogue, 'The Waters and the Wild' explores the interwoven histories of the people and wildlife that shaped Gwen's journey. From wild camping on deserted islands to drifting on lakes in the company of restless lapwings. This book invites the reader to share an intense engagment with the natural world. The charming text is accompanied by the authors own striking lino and woodcut prints, beautiful and thought provoking interpretations of the flora and fauna she observed on her travels. Gwen paddled to explore, searching for inspiration and a desire to learn more about the island we we inhabbit, and she was met with rich and illuminating experiances far beyond her expectations.
  • Out of stock
    The concept of this calendar is to celebrate the women, their boats and the Waterways of Ireland. The models are members of the HBA and the IWAI who, I feel have stepped up to the challenge of trying something well outside their comfort zone, all in the name of Charity. Body painting is a relatively new art form in Ireland and I have had an amazing fun putting my designs on living canvas, with such fantastic backdrops as the rivers, lakes and canals on our gorgeous waterways. So I hope you enjoy the calendar as much as we did and that you're inspired even more to enjoy our wonderful waterways. - Donna Pryde, Artist

Title

Go to Top