Inland Waterway News. Boating on Ireland's Rivers, Lakes and Canals
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation at Lough Ree that the Office of Public Works (OPW) will be undertaking river flow measurements on the River Inny, in the vicinity of the floating jetty…
The Irish Marine Federation (IMF) has opened discussions with Waterways Ireland regarding proposed new Shannon Navigation bylaws and their potential impact on marina operators and the wider inland waterways sector. Correspondence seen by Afloat indicates the Federation is seeking clarification…
The 2026 Irish Multihull season got underway with challenging conditions and close competition at the Inland Championships on 16-17 May. Hosted by Blessington Sailing Club, the opening event of the season saw sailors face cold temperatures, gusty winds and shifting…
Late-Night Call-Out for Carrybridge Lifeboat to Assist Broken-Down Vessel
30th May 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
Carrybridge RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Douglas Euan & Kay Richards was launched at the request of Belfast Coastguard late on Wednesday evening (27 May) to assess a four-metre vessel with four people on board, which had broken down about half a…
Arctic and Common Terns returning to Dublin Bay for the 2026 breeding season will be welcomed by two new nesting pontoons installed by Dublin Port and BirdWatch Ireland. The floating nesting structures have been deployed near the Dublin Port Greenway…
Busy NI Bank Holiday Weekend for Carrybridge Lifeboat With Four Calls in 48 Hours
26th May 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
Carrybridge RNLI began a busy Northern Ireland spring bank holiday weekend on Saturday afternoon (23 May) when the inshore lifeboat Douglas Euan & Kay Richards was requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard to assess a 10-metre vessel with one person…
Lough Derg RNLI launched on Wednesday afternoon (20 May) to assist two people on a 30ft motor cruiser with engine failure. Following the request from Valentia Coast Guard, the inshore lifeboat Jean Spier launched at 3.50pm with helm James Corballis…
Erne System: Public Jetty Restrictions for Erne Boat Rally This Weekend
21st May 2026 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Erne System that the Erne Boat Rally will take place on the navigation over the Northern Ireland bank holiday weekend of 22–25 May. The rally involves visiting vessels travelling together on the…
Waterways Ireland has launched a new interactive digital map exploring the heritage and history of the Grand Canal. Developed using Esri Ireland’s ArcGIS technology, the online map — titled A Boatman’s Journey — traces the route of the canal from…
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels users of the Shannon Navigation that the National Monuments Service will undertake an archaeological dive survey this week on the east side of the River Shannon at Athlone, as part of investigations associated with…
Procurement Process Under Way for Potential Redevelopment of Grand Canal Graving Docks
17th May 2026 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland says it is undertaking a procurement process for advice on the potential redevelopment of City Block 19, the area comprising the graving docks at Grand Canal Dock. The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways underscores that this development…
Waterways Ireland advises that works are continuing on the sea lock gate replacement at Grand Canal Dock due to knock-on delays in completing various aspects of the project. Public access to the walkways over the sea lock gates — between…
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon-Erne Waterway that the Aghalane Service Block, including the boat pump-out facility, will be closed from Tuesday 26 May until 1 September for essential refurbishment works. The cross-border body…
Shannon Navigation Reopens Between Leitrim and Battlebridge Around Submerged Hazard
9th May 2026 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation and the Shannon–Erne Waterway that the section of river between Leitrim and Battlebridge is open with immediate effect. Following prioritised works by a dive team and Waterways Ireland boat crew,…
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Royal Canal of scheduled canoe polo events at Mullingar Harbour during summer and early autumn. Besides regular training sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings as well as daytime…
Shannon Navigation: Closure Between Leitrim and Battlebridge Over Submerged Hazard
6th May 2026 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation and the Shannon–Erne Waterway that, due to the presence of a submerged hazard, the navigation channel between Leitrim and Battlebridge is closed to all vessels until further notice. On the…