Boating season officially reopens on waterways

Ireland’s boating season officially reopens on March 17, in line with other European countries, with all services and facilities once again accessible at the extensive range of moorings and harbours across Ireland.

Some 15,000 registered boats avail of Ireland’s navigations for recreational use.

Waterways Ireland provide a range of services and facilities at 250 amenity sites on the 1,100km of navigable waterways. They range from waterfront rural sites with parking and a mooring or quay wall to semi-urban and urban waterside sites with floating moorings electricity, toilets and showers.

Businesses, including cafes, restaurants, bike and water activity rentals, will also benefit from the new and returning boaters visiting their communities throughout the peak seasons.

Since 2002, Waterways Ireland have invested over €100m along the Shannon Navigation and Shannon-Erne Waterway alone with significant investments across other navigations.

The investment has created an international boating destination capable of attracting and accommodating thousands of boaters and visitors, both from home and abroad, to enjoy the Shannon and Shannon-Erne facilities and experience the wonders of Ireland’s Hidden Heartland.

In addition, boaters returning to the waters will enjoy several new and refurbished facilities opening this year. They include a refurbished and extended Connaught Harbour in Portumna and a new section of Blueway in Portumna, linking Connaught Harbour and Castle Harbour.

Extension work on jetties on the Erne at Devenish Island will also be finished shortly, and a service block refurbishment (Ballyconnell and Ballinamore) is under way this spring.

One hundred and seventy five locks and chambers, and 360 bridges are ready to operate for the season ahead on the Grand Canal, Royal Canal, Shannon, Shannon-Erne, Erne, Barrow, and Lower Bann navigations.

Inspector of navigation, Paddy Harkin, said: “As the boating season reopens, we look forward to welcoming locals and visitors back to enjoy everything the waterways have to offer.

"Each year, we’re seeing boating increase in popularity, and it affords visitors a fantastic opportunity to immerse themselves in nature in a way they might not have experienced before.

"At Waterways Ireland, we ask boaters to stay safe when out on the water and to always make sure to have boat safety equipment such as life jackets and fire extinguishers on board.

"We would like to wish everyone an enjoyable and safe boating experience in 2024.”