Welcome

Preparing for your voyage

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Items to bring with you

Getting to the Marina

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Navigation Instruction

Overview of Marinas

Starting at Tully Bay
Starting at Carrick
Starting at Banagher
Starting at Coleraine

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Lough Erne
Lower Lough Erne, the most northerly of the two Loughs, is a great expanse of open water fringed by mountains. Upper Lough Erne is filled with hundreds of islands; many have jetties and make perfect lunchtime picnic stops.
Enniskillen, lying midway between Lower and Upper Lough Erne, is a picturesque market town and fascinating heritage centre. By day this busy town brims with shops, museums, a sport centre and castle. By night, Enniskillen comes alive with happy holiday merriment from the wealth of original pubs, clubs, and good restaurants that offer delicious international culinary delights.
The Shannon/Erne Waterway spurs off Upper Lough Erne, linking the Erne system to the mighty Upper Shannon at Leitrim. The link itself is a delightful cruise, meandering through a series of rivers, canals, and Loughs with colourful pubs and eating-places along its banks.
Upper Shannon
Our Carrick-on-Shannon marina station bustles with cruisers and cosmopolitan crews busily preparing to cast off for their waterway adventures. The small pretty town is Ireland’s cruising centre, offering a rich choice of provisions as well as a wide selection of pubs and restaurants.
From here, a northerly heading takes you along the narrow, tree-lined Boyle River which then leads into Lough Key. This is a magical place with stunning scenery and nestled on its banks is the Forest Park. It's worth spending some time here, following the splendid nature trails and claiming a secluded picnic site.
On a southerly heading, the Shannon slowly widens, flowing gently by a cluster of small towns and villages and all well worth a visit. As you slowly cruise down stream, the river leads through a ribbon of Loughs that stretch for miles until you reach Lough Ree. Lough Ree is a vast, inland sea that boasts inspiring scenery and diverse wildlife. If you fancy some fish for supper, cast your line over the side - the fishing on Lough Ree will rarely disappoint. Hodson Bay is an excellent stop-off point on the southern shore or make your way along to Athlone, a town with a long history and a choice of extremely good golf courses.
Lower Shannon
From Athlone, the Shannon lazes through undulating lush countryside that is steeped in history as well as real Irish character. The river slowly snakes past Clonmacnois, the ancient Christian capital of Ireland and worthy of a long visit, and finally to Banagher, our third marina station.
Life slows down along this stretch of the Shannon and boats begin to pass less frequently - the noise of nature takes over once more.
To the south looms the mighty Lough Derg, the largest lake on the waterway system. Lough Derg is famous for the idyllic little towns and villages that fringe its shores with small harbours with plenty of moorings. Good restaurants and pubs abound in this area and many a yarn can be overheard in the bars.
This is the place to go to "get away from it all" to experience the peacefulness, the beautiful dramatic scenery and really good cruising waters. Portumna National Park is on the northern shore with it's own harbour and the park's secluded nature trail is well worth a long visit.
Cruising south still further takes you straight to Killaloe, the most southerly navigable point on the Shannon. A warm welcome awaits cruising parties here and this pretty town's restaurants serve fine food and drink with customary Irish hospitality and humour.
Lower Bann
Running from Toomebridge on the shores of Lough Neagh to Coleraine, the Lower Bann is a beautifully scenic river with an excellent navigation system and an unspoilt environment. It is anticipated that a 7-day holiday will allow travellers to see all of the river and to have some extra time to discover the hinterland.
On the river, there are only four locks, all manned by helpful lock-keepers. The river is easily navigated with the same navigation system as Lough Erne so will be familiar to many of Carrickcraft's clients.
There are many interesting attractions along the river including the ancient fort at Mountsandel in Coleraine where archaeologists have found evidence of a human settlement more than 9,000 years old. This makes Mountsandel the oldest known human settlement in Ireland.
The main towns along the way are Toomebridge (home to the Crosskeys Inn, the oldest thatched pub in Northern Ireland), Portglenone, Kilrea and Coleraine. There is also an excellent watersports centre at Drumaheglis and plenty of opportunities to try a bit of fishing.
From the Town Centre marina at Coleraine, it is only a short taxi-ride to some of Northern Ireland's biggest tourist attractions such as the Giant's Causeway, Bushmills Distillery, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Dunluce Castle. And of course the world-famous Royal Portrush Golf Course.
Access to Coleraine is excellent, being only 90 minutes from either of Belfast's main airports and less than an hour from City of Derry Airport.