Monday September 14
Carrick on Shannon
Arrive yesterday afternoon by bus from Dublin airport after a 950 Gatwick departure. Easy trip and found the flat OK. Located what turned out to be a terrific Indian restaurant for dinner. The flat was, let’s say, basic. It worked, barely, but good enough.
We departed the flat in search of another warm layer for Thom. The second shop provided a wonderfully thick fleece. Just perfect. As I stood waiting outside I realized I may be the only wife waiting on her husband while he shopped in a charity shop!
Found a great little breakfast spot and the name included the word Cake. Oh wow, the pastry display was amazing! We opted for simpler breakfast fare with eggs and toast. Though Thom did the whole thing with bacon, beans, tomatoes, two eggs.
Turns out this town has been granted the privilege of being a Tidy Town. We wandered along a bit and then down to the Le Boat office. Did our paperwork, dropped our bags, and headed for a 20 min walk to the grocery store. Got all sorts of things for the week, though trying not to buy much for dinners. Thom couldn’t resist a certain fish that got packed into an oven baking bag. The boat has propane stove/oven so we’ll give it a try. Surprisingly the bill for a week of groceries, granted without wine, was nearly about we we normally pay at home, even with the euro/dollar conversion.
Had a boat briefing of all systems and then a short drive to get the swing of driving and then backing back into the dock using the bow and stern thrusters. They are so helpful here!!
Oh did I mention it was raining? Of course it was. It’s the first day of our cruise in Ireland. By the time we got the luggage to the boat everything was very wet. My passport which I thought was safely tucked away in a pocket of my bag got wet enough to curl.
And everything has stayed damp and wet. We decided to venture north a bit to the town of Leitrim. Easy one hour drive and easy tie up along-side the quay. After a short walk and learning that pubs don’t serve food during the week, we went to the Leitrim Inn and had a nice dinner. Thom and wine, I had my first beer here…. The Smithwick Irish Ale. Nice.
Sleeping was awkward at first. Everything felt damp. Part way through I took a spare duvet and smoother it out on top of the mediocre mattress. And then put a blanket on top of the other duvet. It was still pretty cold if I stretched out in any direction. The cold spots were freezing. I think it will get better…. Especially if things can dry out.
Tuesday September 15
Leitrim
Chilly night and up early. Coffee and then departure and then I have breakfast while Thom drives and then I drive. Scenery is river plants along the edge and then trees and occasionally a field and sometimes a nice view of a green hillside in the distance. It seems pretty flat though. We see swans periodically which is great.
We’ll head south today and go past Carrick on Shannon, onto Dromod. We’ll encounter our first lock at Albert Lock.
Turns out the canal to the lock felt very narrow but managing the lock was very simple.
Thom prefers I do the close quarters maneuvering. First off when leaving Leitrim it was a Uturn in a very narrow channel. We appreciate bow/stern thrusters more and more.
The lock was very easy – slow forward speed in, then both thrusters to slide sideways.
It was another 2 hours or so to Dromod harbor which is an interior quay box with a narrow entrance. Luckily not too many boats when we arrived, we did a full turn to face out and tied upclose to the WC.
The rain, came and went. The sun, came and went. We went on an exploratory walk and then it rained again. I think I should invest in a small umbrella, sort of like buying insurance! My rain jacket is fine but it only works if you didn’t leave it on the boat.
We walked along and found restaurant for dinner and that father to a little grocery store. It was really fun to talk to woman at the check out and she explained to me that Treacle Soda bread is not a sweet bread but a dark, dense bread with raisens or sultanas. It might not be good with ham (which is everywhere) but it would be good with cheese. We are still so stocked up with provisions that I couldn’t buy some, but I will look for some when on our road trip in a couple of weeks.
We walked back to the boat and encountered something called a Tiny House. Not sure of it’s significance. After relaxing for a while we headed to dinner and had great meal. I had a terrific curry and Thom had a back salmon with mash and carrots.
Wednesday September 16
Dromod Harbor
Another chilly night but I learned today on the FB Group Shannon River Boat Club that these boats are designed with enough battery power to keep the heat on all night. Looking forward to trying that out!
We did our first tank pump out this morning. For some reason the hose would only fit on one side and we weren’t up to turning the boat a round to get the other side. Hopefully we can find a longer hose along the way. At the next opportunity we’ll have to pump the tank we couldn’t get to today.
We brewed up the coffee and got underway. We learned on our 910 arrival at the Roosky Lift bridge that it doesn’t open before 930. We hung out for a while at the waiting quay behind some Swiss and then went through and shortly after that followed them into our 2nd lock. We’ll encounter another bridge and if we want to go farther, we’ll go through another lock. We may just tie up for the night and turn back to go north tomorrow.
Hoping to catch a ballooning event this week in Boyle which is up the Boyle river, north of Carrick on Shannon.
Tied up quayside in Tarmonbarry just upstream of the lock. After a nice short walk we looked into the Purple Onion for dinner and decided we’d like to try it. I felt a cold coming on so went to the boat for a nap while Thom walked and talked to the dive team repairing the weir near the lock. Quite an operation.
The Purple Onion, manned by Paul and Pauline, the married proprietor team, were wonderful. I decided to give my first try at a wagyu beef, a 10 oz sirloin steak. Paul suggested a wine that turned out to be perfect. Even AI concurred!! AI also mention the “manager was an enthusiastic wine lover”. The restaurant also and had an upstairs gallery and vintage shop. There was a decent collection of vinyl LPs and other eclectic stuff.
Dinner was absolutely amazing. Right up there with the top meals we’ve had in our many travels. Paul was also kind enough to recommend a couple of restaurants in Dublin. We will pay attention to Paul’s suggestions.
Thursday September 17
Tarmonbarry
Seems we can have the heat on at night and it barely impacts the batteries at all. It was great. Also no massive amount of condensation on the windows in the morning. I think things are starting to dry out!
We couldn’t charge off this morning as we are moored between the lift bridge and the lock in Tarmonbarry. Thom went to chat with the lock keeper and learned the lift bridge operator was going to go to the bridge shortly after the lock brought up the boat waiting downstream. He rode by on his bike, chatted a bit, and said the bridge would be up in about 10 minutes. We got ready and then saw it start up. Made a hasty departure and headed back north.
We are facing the current now so I learned we needed a bit more speed to get under the bridge. We’ll have to see how much more time might be needed to go our distances with the current against us.
We are headed to Albert Lock. This was our first lock on Tuesday. We’ll tie up just downstream of the lock, and enter it first thing tomorrow morning.
We have a few things for a simple dinner on board tonight: some fish in a roasting bag, some spinach and beetroot for a salad, and Thom got some coleslaw/potato salad yesterday.
Update 1:
Ok it’s mid day and we’re changing plans. And then changing them again.
We missed the left turn to the Albert lock after thinking, let’s run all day and get up the Boyle river by mid-late afternoon. Once we realized that, we turned back and, of course, got to the Albert Lock just as the lock keeper started his lunch hour. So our 5-6 hr trip to Cootehall Marina got much longer. I luckily got a great photo op as we came upon a beautiful church before we realized we needed to turn around.
On top of that it seems the heater, which worked perfectly last night, no longer wants to go at all. I called the marina base, and fortunately, we are headed north, about 90 min away, and someone will check it out for us.
We arrived at the base marina, where we started on Monday. We were advised given that the wind had come up quite a bit that going farther north was not a good idea. On our approach to the dock, the wind picked up and the boat’s thrusters were not strong enough to keep us along side while tying up. I backed out and came back in and one of the staff caught our lines and really worked to get us in.
He then went to check out the heater. Turns out the advice I got regarding running the heater all night was faulty. “These” heaters start to overheat after 2-3 hours and then they shut down. They can burn out if you aren’t careful. After some fiddling with the wiring and the fuses under the seat, it started up again. Phew. We were told not to run it all night and we need extra duvets, which he quickly provided us. Well, I had one good night with warmth and dryness.
After a nice chat and a visit to a brand new barely used, very fancy, boat tied next to us, we were given advice on a local place to go for dinner. The boat is bigger, has 2 staterooms, 2 heads, a dishwasher, a generator, of Nespresso coffee maker, and full sized frig/freezer. Very fancy.
Dinner was at a nearby hotel where dinner was only being served in the bar. I had a terrific lamb shank and Thom had a “crumbed” haddock which seemed fried. Probably was, just not with the beer batter crust. It was good nevertheless. Aileen was our wait person and had strong opinions about everything. She was lots of fun!
Friday September 18
Today we are starting from the base marina in Carrick on Shannon. It’s raining. Alot.
NO PHOTOS!
We had some questions that Hannah answered for us in the Le Boat/marina office. We inquired about bus timetables, cleanup expectations for when we turn the boat in on Monday morning, and other miscellaneous housekeeping items. She also generously offered an umbrella for the weekend. Either I’ll need it, or it will prove to be worthy insurance!
We are thinking of arriving back Sunday morning early enough to catch a bus to Drumshanbo, to the Shed Distillery. We had some of their whiskey, Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and thought it was terrific. It’s €50 at the distillery and €80 at the liquor store.
We departed around 1115 and spent about an hour up the Boyle River to the Cootehall Marina. This is a simple marina with a guest dock location. There is no office, you have call Jess. If we leave the dock to use the WC there’s no way to get back in. Fobs and keys aren’t provided to guests. Luckily Jess dispatched Barack (not pronounced like B Obama) who appeared in about 5 min, (remember, heavy rain)
Barack brought a bungee cord to keep the gate open and we can leave it that way while here.
We’ll eat at the adjacent restaurant tonight. It seems to have lots of good reviews.
Saturday September 19
Cootehall Marina
This morning we woke up to incredible sun and blue sky. The forecast suggested it might not last but it was so nice to see the sunlight on the hillsides.
We had a plan A, crafted last night. We’d head up the Boyle River, stop at the Italian restaurant at Tara Marina and check it out. Of course it was closed but it looked very nice.
We headed off and got to the Clarendon lock and didn’t have to wait long to get in and up. I wanted to get into Lough Key and see what was what. The wind was up and it was choppy but it was fine. These Le Boat boats don’t go fast so there was no issue with the wind and the waves.
It was still sunny and it was great to motor around Bullock Island and then south towards Lough Key Park. We saw our first castle!!! I was curious about finding a spot to tie up so we could get out and walk for a while.
Turns out there was a spot right at the end of one of the docks, so we snagged it and tied up. A neighboring boat had their hose out and offered it to us to clean of the messes from many geese. It was very nasty and took a while to get a clear path to our stern. We headed up to the Visitor Center to see what was going on there with the Ballon Festival being held.
We had a good hearty lunch with soup and a sandwich and started a walk to investigate the more remote mooring area. There were only several boats there and laughed when I saw a man dragging a magnet. I couldn’t tell what he was dragging until he pulled it up after catching a broom. It was funny. I asked him if he’s done better, and he said, not much.
At a decision point top head back to the boat or follow the sign that appeared to walk to Boyle we debated briefly and opted for the walk. Google maps suggested it would take 90 minutes and be about 4 miles. We stumbled with the directions a bit but finally found houses along the road into Boyle.
A woman came out of her house and started to walk toward town. We chatted for quite a bit. She confirmed there was a bank with an ATM, which was needed. She pointed out Boyle Abbey, very old, and showing signs of partial restoration. She commented that she and others were trying to get the Abbey people to stay open 1 more week and then the balloon festival visitors could see it.
She confirmed where the shuttle back to the park would be if there was to be one. Not apparent that there was one. She also said it’s usually not easy to find a taxi in Boyle. There aren’t any operating there. We stopped to get some water and started asking about the shuttle back to park. The convenience store and a number of pubs had no clue.
Thom went into one pub, and it was only about 3pm or so, and asked those at the bar about the shuttle. They all said they had no idea but pulled out their phones. The barkeep rolled her eyes at Thom as if to say “they are drunk and have no clue what they are doing.”
I found a spot by the river with some seating and stopped to think a bit and have water. A voice called from near us – it was Celine and Mark, and Ted, the Springer Spaniel. They had come up from the Cootehall Marina by car, with Ted, to see the balloons.
The balloons were only to fly at 5pm Saturday and it had been called off due to the windy conditions. We were very lucky though – as we were offered a ride back to the park and gratefully accepted it.
Celene and Mark had tried to enter the park earlier in the day but couldn’t due to the event and only those who had reserved a parking spot in advance could get into the park. However, when talking to the ticket collecting policeman, the garda, she said they wanted to drive us back to the boat we were on. I spoke indicating we had walked to Boyle and we thankful for a lift back. We were waved in and Celine suggested it was my American accent that made it all work. We then continued all the way in, waving to some of the patrols standing along the road, acting like we knew what we were doing and belonged there. Celene was a little timid but all said keep going as far as you can. We got as far as a car could go!!
We all got out as Ted needed a really good walk and the park was full of walking trails. We said our good byes and thank yous and went back to the boat. We had bought some fish and salad things early in the week and roasted the fish up and had a large beet root and greens, with edamame and pumpkin seeds, topped by a lemon-olive oil dressing.
It was a fun day and such a surprise to find “new” friends who bailed us out when we desperately needed a ride.
Maybe tomorrow the balloons will fly.
Sunday September 20
Lough Key Activity Park
54th Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championships 2026
I went to sleep last night thinking how great it would be if the wind calmed a bit and some balloons were able to fly. I woke up and it was bright and early. I checked the website and saw the flight briefing had been done and at least 2 of the teams would fly
I quickly got up and dressed and bundled up as it was cold. 46deg F.
The launch site was very busy and luckily, more and more teams arrived. The stretched the balloon out like a long ribbon, hooked up the basket/gondola, and then when all was clear, they powered up a large fan and still blowing it into the balloon. It quickly started to inflate.
At some point as the balloon seemed to be really full, the team turns on the propane burner which is lying horizontally so to be directed into the opening at the base of the balloon. The pilot is on his knees, partly in the basket which is on it’s side.
Soon the balloon starts to lift. When it is floating enough to start to right the backet the team helps the pilot and the backetn get into the vertical position. The burner is firing regularly to keep the ballon getting fuller and fuller in the upright position.
At some point the basket can no longer be held down, and lift off gently occurs. I did this once in Turkey and it was so much fun to be a spectator today.
I watched for a while to see prep and lift off of several balloons and then went back to the boat to warm up and get coffee and breakfast. Saw some float overhead and then got my phone to go back and get a tshirt. It was too windy for the giant flying suitcase to go but I did get a picture. They inflated it so we could see it, but it was massive. It can only go up if it’s barely blowing.
As it approached late morning and we’d had such a perfect and unexpected surprise to see the balloons fly, it seemed a good time to head back to the base marina in Carrick on Shannon. It was sunny and nearly warm and it was an easy trip back. We even had a green light when approaching the Clarendon Lock, so didn’t have to stop, tie up, and wait. We cruised right in and then waited a few minutes for another boat coming up right behind us.
We got back to the marina, realizing it was our last time driving the boat. I backed into the slip so well that two men walking by commented on how perfectly I nailed the docking! Good way to wrap up our cruise.
We had much of the remaining day to do something so we booked a tour and tasting at the Shed Distillery in Dramshanbo. We sorted the bus schedule and left early enough to have lunch at the café before the tour. We’d tasted the single pot whiskey and were very interested in purchasing some. Very much cheaper than at the liquor stores. Seems, however, that the distillery is more famous for its Gunpowder Gin.
The tour was really good and included tastings of the various gins at the bar afterwards. Not too impressed as I still prefer the London style, heavy botanical, dry gins.
We did each try a special cocktail. Thom ordered something that was patterned after a Negroni. I ordered something like an old fashioned. The sweetener was a home style cream soda that made it too sweet. I added extra bitters but it didn’t help much. What was extremely unique was that the drink was placed in a small box, next to an Irish pine cone. The pine cone was torched until a slight fire erupted and the the box was closed so the cocktail could be “smoked”. It was fun.
We found the bus stop a bit down the road and easily caught the bus back to Carric on Shannon. We had ordered some takeaway from the café to have a light supper on the boat, given we’d had a good lunch earlier.
It will be our last night on the boat. Tomorrow is clean up, do laundry, and checkout. We’ll spend one more night and then go to Dublin.
