Shannon Blueway Paddle, Leitrim Village to Carrick
8 km ·
About
The Shannon Blueway is Waterways Ireland's signed paddling and walking trail on the upper river, and the stretch that ends in Carrick is the eight-kilometre run down from Leitrim Village, graded intermediate and reckoned at about three and a half hours. It is the last of five sections on the 16.5 km Drumshanbo to Carrick trail; the sections above it, from Acres Lake down through Drumleague and Battlebridge locks, are shorter and easier. Waterways Ireland flags the obvious caution: the river widens as it comes into Carrick and can get rough in a strong wind, so it is a trail to read the forecast for rather than to commit to blind. A 10 km walking and cycling path shadows the water for much of the same route, including the floating boardwalk at Acres Lake. Bring your own craft or hire locally; there is no ticket and no booking.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓Eight kilometres downstream from Leitrim Village into Carrick
- ✓Graded intermediate by Waterways Ireland
- ✓Part of the 16.5 km Drumshanbo to Carrick paddle trail
- ✓A 10 km walking and cycling path follows much of the same water
Tips
- →Check the wind before you set out; the wide water approaching Carrick roughens quickly
- →The upper sections from Acres Lake are graded beginner if this one looks too much
- →You will need your own transport back to the start, or a lift arranged