• A canal cruise will take you down Irish waterways.river cruising yacht image by leafy from Fotolia.com
  
  It is simple to plan your own Irish canal vacation. If you want to take a journey down all of Ireland's waterways, the trip would be approximately two weeks. You can take a boat cruise through three canals: the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal and the Shannon-Erne Waterway.
  
  

Waterways Centre

• The ideal place to visit before a voyage down the Grand Canal is the Waterways Centre at Ringsend in Dublin. You can learn about the history of the Irish waterways through various presentations. Plus, you can look at maps, photographs and artifacts.
  
  Waterways Centre
  Ringsend, Dublin
  Ireland
  011 (+353) 01 677 7510
  
  

Grand Canal

• From Ringsend in Dublin, take the Grand Canal 130 miles to Shannonbridge, County Offaly, where it meets the River Liffey, which merges with the River Shannon. You will pass Dublin's suburbs, which are pleasant to view, but after Leeson Street you'll see the less scenic industrial suburbs. The sights become more attractive as you reach County Kildare. The Grand Canal guides you to the towns of Edenderry and Tullamore.
  
  Inland Waterways Ireland
  17--19 Lower Hatch St., Dublin
  Ireland
  011 (+353) 01 647 2535
  
  

Royal Canal

• The trip down the Royal Canal takes several days. In County Longford, the canal starts from the River Liffey in Dublin to the River Shannon in Cloondara. This voyage also becomes more scenic after leaving Dublin. Mullingar and Longford are the main towns you can visit along the Royal Canal. Mullingar is full of popular fishing lakes, gymnasiums, pool halls, Internet cafes and its Arts Centre. Longford, the largest city in Ireland, has plenty of sights and is known for its theaters, sports club and cathedrals.
  
  

Shannon--Erne Waterway

• The Shannon-Erne Waterway is a canal that connects the River Shannon in the Republic of Ireland with the River Erne in Northern Ireland. You can visit the towns of Carrick, Keshcarrigan and Ballinamore, which have lively pubs, fishing, canoeing, windsurfing, horseback riding and other activities. A useful publication to consult is the "Shannon--Erne Users Guide" by Dick Warner.
  
  Shannon--Erne Waterway
  011 (+353) 078 448 55
  shannonernepromo@eircom.net