The trip was a great experience. I think Meara and I got to know each other better, we saw a lot of the country we hadnt seen before. We raised about 1500€ for MSF...thanks to everyone who donated- you are all very kind..
And i got the bug for long distance canoeing. I want to do Scotland next year, then England!
Thanks to Tracy, Elliott and Ethan for supporting us and following us. Thanks to all those who came to welcome us or wave us off. To waterways Ireland for all they do in maintaining the waterways. To the people who waved at us, and for those who might be inspired to canoe more in the beautiful waters of Ireland.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Day Ten - Garrykennedy to Killaloe
With the news that we couldnt go through Arnacrusha it looked as if the finish was going to be Killaloe, and as this was only some 13 Km from Garrykennedy, i expected to have this finished in about 2,5 hours. How fate mocks the over-confident.
We set off late morning and the sun shone. We were evidently in the lee of the wind and the water was calm and blue in the sunshine. After a couple of KM we turned sharp left and headed down the last leg of the lake and them to the mouth of the river. We turned immediatley into a head wind and bigger waves. I was a little over-confident after my latest experiences and decided to head straight down the middle of the lake. It soon became clear this was a poor decision as we were soon struggling. It seemed at one point we were paddling madly but going backwards. I couldnt keep this intensity up and we turned left and headed for the shore. Even here the wind was howling and we had the added risk of large boulders just under the surface. The swell was less and we made some headway. As we entered the mouth of the river i hoped for some current to assist us, but no luck. The last two kms were a nightmare. The wind was roaring down the narrow river mouth and there were two foot high waves. There was no-where to shelter here and we just had to put our heads down and keep going.
We got close to the finish and could see the riverbridge between Ballina and Killaloe. I had every intention of canoeing around to enjoy the town and the waterfront but i was exhausted and happy to get out at the first opportunity. Tracy was watching us from the bridge and hurried down to meet the weary duo on the waterside, champagne in hand. It was a great relief to finish and we proudly took a few photos with the MSf flag. Driving home i needed loud music and dark coffee to keep awake!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Day Nine- Portumna to GarryKennedy
The week had been beautiful; sunshine all the time and 25 degrees. And of course the weather forecast was for it to break by the weekend. I picked Meara up from school at 3.15 with all the stuff packed and we headed off to Portumna. It wasnt a bad journey, meara snoring quietly in the passenger seat. We stayed in a nice bed and breakfast in central portumna and went for a walk, Its a nice place and we went for a 5 Km walk past the castle, the ruins and the harbour into the forest and down to the lake. Despite the sunset the wind was whipping across the lake and it looked a little bit choppy. The lake looked massive, another inland sea on a par with Loch Ree. As the weather was due to deteriorate we were a little nervous.
We returned to the town at about 7.15 for something to eat (in an irish/indian/italian restaurant!) and then into the pub next door to catch the England game. Then early to bed.
In the morning we got up and took the canoe and all the gear down to Portumna bridge, a few heavy rainshowers to accompany us. The wind didn't seem as bad as we expected. Had a brief chat with an eccentric old guy before heading off. Leaving the river and hitting the open water of a lake this size is always a shock. The first section requires heading across the head of the lake across about a kilometre and a half of open water. Although the waves werent enough to worry us we were canoing against the wind and waves, which meant we tired easier, but still managed to take a direct line away from the shore. After the first open section much of the route was along the eastern coast of Lough Derg, crossing a few bays, until we had to cross the lake again to finish. 
The lake was much less busy with cruisers than Loch Ree and particularly at the north end we felt a sense of isolation. We were soon into into our strokes and moving well. The lake was beautiful and we came across a number of little grebes and magnificent pair of great crested grebes popped up close to us at one stage. We took a rest on one of the large islands and found a beautiful spot in still water in the lee of the island, which was to become famous as the site where Meara won the plastic bottle keepy uppy contest final. The sun had come out and the weather for once was proving better than the weather forecast predicted. We had had few showers and the wind was not as strong as it had been on friday night. For the most part the water was relatively calm. We met a few fisherman stood waist deep in water with little tables in the water with them, but they were friendly enough.
After the lunch break we got a lottle lost on the map and were thrown by an inability to find a castle that was marked on the map. A couple of cruisers and speed boats came a little too close and we has a few up and down moments. As we came twards the southern part of the lake there were two large groups of sailing boats and we didnt fancy risking heading through them so crossed over the lake (again a km from either shore nearly) to avoid them. I wasnt really sure where i was so we pulled over to a small island on a headland and i used the GPS on my new phone. It worked perfectly and showed us dead on the little island, with garrykennedy harbour straight across from us. As we headed over the last section the water was calm and clear and we landed in the beautiful harbour just as Tracy arrived. We left the canoe on the harbour side and headed off to Limerick.
All day today I had been trying to get permission from the ESB to continue southwards toward Limerick through Parteen weir. Despite promises to ring me back and my leaving lots of messages it looked as if we wouldnt be able to do this stretch, which was a great dissapointment. I know a seakayaker had been through the lock at Ardnacrusha as I had seen photos but it looked as if they thought an open canoe a greater risk. They could have least returned the call.
We stayed in Limerick that night.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Day Eight Shannonbridge to Portumna Bridge
Geography and the scarcity of bridging points in the Shannon dictated this was going to be the longest section of our journey- some 35 km down the Shannon. Even given the flow of the River this was going to be a long section and need a bit of willpower.
The first test was getting up at 7.30 at a weekend to try and get in the water by 9. We nearly made it but the lovely breakfast at the Sheraton held us up a bit. We set off at a fast pace and made about 7-8 Km in the first hour, although as sections of the river were wide and slow flowing and with some cross wind to hinder us this wasnt going to be a pace we could maintain.
Cruisers obviously don't set out till after 10 and we had the river to ourselves in the morning- apart from the numerous herons, ducks and swans and one kingfisher.
By about lunchtime we canoed off the only map I had of the area and onto a poor scale google print out. We could see there was a split in the river and took a left hand branch that soon picked up speed and was taking us a long quite fast. I thought this was great until I saw the bridge with the sign ' beware of sluices'. Meara asked the question 'whats a sluice?' and i couldn't really remember so i replied ' its the opposite of s'tight' (i have an unusual sense of humour ) and we paddled on. Soon we came to a bridge with gates closed and only one fully open, through which the water poured through in a torrent and dropped down a few feet. By the time we could see what it was it was too late to backpaddle so we went through at full speed to the by now common cry of 'paddle hard!' from me. The gate wasnt very wide but we managed a good line and shot through with only my right leg getting a soaking. The river continued to flow fast for another 2-3 KM, coming out near Victoria dock. All great fun and saving us at least half an hour of paddling.
On the next section there was a childs camp and lots of speedboats with people learning to wakeboard. It looked like fun but after the lovely quiet sections of river we had just passed the noise of the powerboats was intrusive.
Apart from passing through Banagher there was not a lot of civilisation until we arrived in Portumna. We arrived there at about 3.30. Very tired but with a great sense of acheivement that 35 km was an acheivable distance. Just south of Portumna bridge is Loch Derg, and there is now only this long thin lake and a short section of the Shannon between us and Limerick- the end is in sight.
Unfortunately on Monday i had a small operation and Mear went off to England for a week so the last leg would have to wait another week or two..
The first test was getting up at 7.30 at a weekend to try and get in the water by 9. We nearly made it but the lovely breakfast at the Sheraton held us up a bit. We set off at a fast pace and made about 7-8 Km in the first hour, although as sections of the river were wide and slow flowing and with some cross wind to hinder us this wasnt going to be a pace we could maintain.
Cruisers obviously don't set out till after 10 and we had the river to ourselves in the morning- apart from the numerous herons, ducks and swans and one kingfisher.
By about lunchtime we canoed off the only map I had of the area and onto a poor scale google print out. We could see there was a split in the river and took a left hand branch that soon picked up speed and was taking us a long quite fast. I thought this was great until I saw the bridge with the sign ' beware of sluices'. Meara asked the question 'whats a sluice?' and i couldn't really remember so i replied ' its the opposite of s'tight' (i have an unusual sense of humour ) and we paddled on. Soon we came to a bridge with gates closed and only one fully open, through which the water poured through in a torrent and dropped down a few feet. By the time we could see what it was it was too late to backpaddle so we went through at full speed to the by now common cry of 'paddle hard!' from me. The gate wasnt very wide but we managed a good line and shot through with only my right leg getting a soaking. The river continued to flow fast for another 2-3 KM, coming out near Victoria dock. All great fun and saving us at least half an hour of paddling.
On the next section there was a childs camp and lots of speedboats with people learning to wakeboard. It looked like fun but after the lovely quiet sections of river we had just passed the noise of the powerboats was intrusive.
Apart from passing through Banagher there was not a lot of civilisation until we arrived in Portumna. We arrived there at about 3.30. Very tired but with a great sense of acheivement that 35 km was an acheivable distance. Just south of Portumna bridge is Loch Derg, and there is now only this long thin lake and a short section of the Shannon between us and Limerick- the end is in sight.
Unfortunately on Monday i had a small operation and Mear went off to England for a week so the last leg would have to wait another week or two..
Day Seven Athlone to ShannonBridge
The bad news is that the camera is still missing, so the only photos I have are taken by mobile phone. I was working friday morning and Meara had his French class so it was nearly two pm when we headed from Athboy. We were in the water below the weir at Athlone by 3.30 and were aiming to cover the 22 KM to Shannnonbridge which would allow us to complete the section to Portumna on the next day.
The River here is flowing slowly, but enough to help you along without the effort needed in the still waters of lake or canal. We even met a Kayaker- a man taking his old Kayak out for the first time in 20 years. There are plenty of cruisers on this section, some going far too fast and we needed to turn into bow waves a number of times to avoid shipping water. In general it those renting boats who dont slow down- and those with there own boats who were more considerate and waved greetings. If any cruise companies are listening then please include this in the briefing for holiday makers.
The nicest section here is the loop of the river past Clonmacnoise, and as we passed at about 6pm it was quiet and a fantastic setting in the bend of the river. The banks are mainly reeds or fields with cows that make the bank muddy, and it is quite hard to find a decent place to stop. More often than not it was the islands where the lake split that were the best option.
The River here is flowing slowly, but enough to help you along without the effort needed in the still waters of lake or canal. We even met a Kayaker- a man taking his old Kayak out for the first time in 20 years. There are plenty of cruisers on this section, some going far too fast and we needed to turn into bow waves a number of times to avoid shipping water. In general it those renting boats who dont slow down- and those with there own boats who were more considerate and waved greetings. If any cruise companies are listening then please include this in the briefing for holiday makers.
The nicest section here is the loop of the river past Clonmacnoise, and as we passed at about 6pm it was quiet and a fantastic setting in the bend of the river. The banks are mainly reeds or fields with cows that make the bank muddy, and it is quite hard to find a decent place to stop. More often than not it was the islands where the lake split that were the best option.
Where possible we tried to take the smaller river sections where the river split; for variety but also to avoid the passing cruisers. Unfortunately one bridge marked on the map was a stone path that cut across the river and we had to portage over.
We were pleased with how fast we were going and managed it to Shannonbridge at about 7.30 pm. The landmark of the large ESB powerstation is a shame as the bridge is lovely. We left the boat in a small harbour here and rang for a taxi to take us back to Athlone where we were staying. There was a youth festival on at Clonmacnoise and all the bed and breakfasts in the area were booked up.
Apparently all the bridges along this section have bridges and forts (the one in Shannonbridge is now converted to a restaurant) set up in napoleonic times by the British...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day Six- Ballymahon to Athlone.
Today was to be a mix of River and Lake; we covered the last 5-6 Km of the River Inny to enter Loch Ree and then having covered some 17-18 Km of Loch we entered The River Shannon for a couple of Km before arriving at Athlone.
Tracy, Meara, Elliott and Ethan were to meet us there, and Mick and myself drove ourselves to Ballymahon, arriving at about 10. It was strange having someone else in teh canoe- I had got used to Meara and his paddling technique. The first section was fast moving, with a few white water sections but not quite as hairy as the day before. After a few Km the nature of the river changed and slowed, until soon we paddling against wind and small waves. We took a short break just before entering the lake properly.
Entering the lake was breathtaking- the expanse of water ahead of you is like entering a small sea. The wind is also strong and we were immediately heading in choppy water against the wind and finding it hard work. Choppy water soon became waves and we were forced to zig zag against and with the waves to avoid taking water on board. Mick certainly could paddle stronger than Meara but both of us were soon tiring. I was a little nervous 500m out in the middle of the lake with waves getting larger and not a soul in sight. We were glad of the first rest which we took in the lea of a small island ( soon to christened Bird Poo Island- I have no idea of its real name as I only had a poor Google maps print out for this section).
After the rest we rounded a headland and the wind was now from behind us and to our right for a way. Even so we had to constantly adjust and try and take shelter behind any islands- which meant our route was far from direct and added Kms to the 26 or so we had planned for the day.
As we headed further south we began to see more boats- the odd speed boat and troutfisherman but mainly rented cruisers. The last section before entering the mouth of the Shannon was the worst as the winds had travelled the length of the lake and was now from our right. The waves were breaking and were in sections over three feet. To avoid capsizing we had to paddle directly into the waves and a number of times waves crashed over the side and I had to try and combine paddling hard to stay on track with frantic scooping of water out the boat with a small plastic scoop. All this was very tiring and once we took the corner and had Athlone in sight we coasted for a while.
The last two Km into Athlone we took slowly, waving at passing cruisers and tour boats. As we arrived under the bridge the sun shone and we forgot the wind and the waves. We left the boat and carried bags and paddles into town to try and find Tracy. Walking down the high street and into the main shopping centre we wondered why everyone was staring at us!Tracy had made us some T shirts which we wore with pride the next day;
Day five-Ballinacarrigy to Ballymahon
The last section of canal for us crosses the peat bogs and moor lands between Ballinacarrig and Ballymahon. The area is wild and remote from civilisation, at points you can hear no cars or motors and see only the odd farmhouse on the horizon.
We knew we had plenty of time today so set off at a relatively slow pace. As I had left the camera memory card in the computer the camera didnt work so we got no photographs of the departure or arrival. I have also managed to loose the small camera i took with me so at the moment no photographs for this blog.
There was hardly anyone on this stretch. Someone from waterways ireland helped us past on the five locks on the stretch and we saw one canal boat being painted. Given the level of use and the number of boats we saw it is amazing that the canal is so well cared for- the grass is cut at locks and bridges, the path is kept clear, the water dredged and weeds cut, and trees cut on the bank to keep it relatively clear. In fact we probably saw more waterways ireland staff than we did people using the canal.
At about 1pm we arrived at the aquaduct over the River Inny, which was where we were leaving the canal. The switch was a little difficult as we had to carry the boat down a steep embankment and the water was fairly fast flowing. This felt like a real turning point- we were leaving the canal, which felt like an uphill struggle, and heading downhill. It was also a little sad to see the Royal Canal behind us.
We had got soaked in heavy downpours in the morning and we were cold and tired so a stop off at a pub in Abbeyshrule was very welcome. The barmaid didn't bat an eyelid at two people wearing lifejackets and carrying paddles, dripping on the carpet and asking for soup and tea. There is an airfield at Abbeyshrule which seemed strange- it was a nice place but really near to nowhere.
The River Inny is a grade two white water river. In a canoe with no bouyancy bags and with a thirteen year at the front I was a little nervous. Unlike a Kayak a Canadian canoe can take on water and become unbalanced quite easily and you have to keep the canoe pointed downstream and move as quickly as possible to avoid taking in water. The River picks up speed shortly after Abbeyshrule and we soon hit the first white water. There were some significant drops and a few stoppers. Meara was brilliant here; he wasnt frightened and helped shout out from the front which line to take through each section. At one point the boat got stuck on a rock just above a fall and I thought we were going for a soaking. That apart and a few splashes we managed excellently. The speed of the River meant our constant speed paddling of the canal was repalced by slow paddling to maintain direction and mad paddling to get through the rapids. Tiring but a welcome change.
We arrived at about 4pm in Ballyshannon. A nice riverside town but with a degree of irony the first person we spoke to was from Salford on a fishing holiday.
Friday night Mick the Quilt arrived from England to help out for a days paddling- the length of Loch Ree and the possibility of waves and wind meant that muscle was needed!
We knew we had plenty of time today so set off at a relatively slow pace. As I had left the camera memory card in the computer the camera didnt work so we got no photographs of the departure or arrival. I have also managed to loose the small camera i took with me so at the moment no photographs for this blog.
There was hardly anyone on this stretch. Someone from waterways ireland helped us past on the five locks on the stretch and we saw one canal boat being painted. Given the level of use and the number of boats we saw it is amazing that the canal is so well cared for- the grass is cut at locks and bridges, the path is kept clear, the water dredged and weeds cut, and trees cut on the bank to keep it relatively clear. In fact we probably saw more waterways ireland staff than we did people using the canal.
At about 1pm we arrived at the aquaduct over the River Inny, which was where we were leaving the canal. The switch was a little difficult as we had to carry the boat down a steep embankment and the water was fairly fast flowing. This felt like a real turning point- we were leaving the canal, which felt like an uphill struggle, and heading downhill. It was also a little sad to see the Royal Canal behind us.
We had got soaked in heavy downpours in the morning and we were cold and tired so a stop off at a pub in Abbeyshrule was very welcome. The barmaid didn't bat an eyelid at two people wearing lifejackets and carrying paddles, dripping on the carpet and asking for soup and tea. There is an airfield at Abbeyshrule which seemed strange- it was a nice place but really near to nowhere.
The River Inny is a grade two white water river. In a canoe with no bouyancy bags and with a thirteen year at the front I was a little nervous. Unlike a Kayak a Canadian canoe can take on water and become unbalanced quite easily and you have to keep the canoe pointed downstream and move as quickly as possible to avoid taking in water. The River picks up speed shortly after Abbeyshrule and we soon hit the first white water. There were some significant drops and a few stoppers. Meara was brilliant here; he wasnt frightened and helped shout out from the front which line to take through each section. At one point the boat got stuck on a rock just above a fall and I thought we were going for a soaking. That apart and a few splashes we managed excellently. The speed of the River meant our constant speed paddling of the canal was repalced by slow paddling to maintain direction and mad paddling to get through the rapids. Tiring but a welcome change.
We arrived at about 4pm in Ballyshannon. A nice riverside town but with a degree of irony the first person we spoke to was from Salford on a fishing holiday.
Friday night Mick the Quilt arrived from England to help out for a days paddling- the length of Loch Ree and the possibility of waves and wind meant that muscle was needed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)