Go With the Flow River Adventures - Canoeing in Ireland

Guided Canoe Holidays

Canoe Hire and multi day river trips in Kilkenny/Carlow region of Ireland. Adventure holiday, short break, camping weekend

The amazing things you'll be doing:

The Barrow valley is an undiscovered gem in the heartland of Ireland. Its beauty is in its intimacy. Rising in the Slieve Bloom hills it meanders its course through gentle rolling countryside where our trip begins. Along the way assisted by the gentle flow of the river you will pass through lush farming countryside, pass through charming little villages, until eventually it will pick up speed as it cuts its final and often dramatic path through a narrow wooded valley on its way to the great ocean beyond.

It was said of this river in the past that it seemed to boil with salmon. It is still a haven of wildlife, full of unique flora and fauna. Flocks of white Egret on the floodplains, handfuls of tiny duckling dashing in and out through the grassy banks, noble swans guarding their young, Cormorants, Herons, Otters, Mayflies, Dragonflys and Damsel flies,wagtails and Kingfishers- with wild garlic, yellow waterlillies and bulrushes…the list is endless!

Everyday will be a feast of discoveries. You will experience the excitement of shooting all the different weirs and rapids. You will encounter all the old antiquities associated with the 200 year old navigation as you travel through Ireland’s only heritage waterway. At night, after a hearty Irish meal, you’ll have time to meet the locals in the pub, listen to the stories and hear the traditional music and song. Finally, fall asleep in the comfort and hospitality of the family owned hotel.

Day-by-day itinerary:

Day 1:	Meet at the hotel at 2pm: Our river adventure begins with a familiarisation session on the river locally. We will start off by going over the basic strokes and quickly get going for a trip full of spills and thrills. You will be shown how to shoot the weirs and rapids and if conditions are favourable we will go for a very unique swim. Back at the hotel by 7pm at the latest, quick shower and then assemble for a traditional Irish dinner. Follow this with a walk down the village to meet Jim Dalton, current owner and 6th generation behind the Bar in Dalton’s pub.
Day 2:	This day will be spent discovering all the Barrow valley has to offer: Not only the exciting canoeing but also brief stops along the way to explore little villages, old ruins, ancient churches, old lock houses and some unique swims spots. We will also get in a visit to the ancestral estate of the Incredible Mr. Kavanagh, a trip to the candle factory, a walk around the ruins of St. Mullins 6th century monastery and a walk around medieval Graignamanagh.
Day 3:	Kilkenny: Transfer in the morning and returning to the hotel at night. This city has so much to see and do, you will not be disappointed. Beautiful castles and gardens, craft workshops and displays, museums, cathedrals and churches, Restaurants, Bars and Cafes and Markets.
Day 4-5:	Spent discovering the Barrow Valley: Exciting canoeing, brief stops along the way to explore little villages, old ruins, ancient churches, old lock houses and some unique swims spots. We will also get in a visit to the ancestral estate of the Incredible Mr. Kavanagh, a trip to the candle factory, a walk around the ruins of St. Mullins 6th century monastery and a walk around medieval Graignamanagh. We will have you back at the hotel early Friday afternoon to give you time for onward travel arrangements.

travellers' tales

This was a great holiday for anyone wishing to do something that doesn't involve the typical tour experience. It gave us the opportunity to see a slice of Ireland from the inside. (more)

how this holiday makes a difference

Environment
This trip will make virtually no difference at all to the environment. When we paddle through the Barrow valley it will be as we were never there. You will leave nothing behind you, no trail and no trace except a brief ripple along an enchanting journey. You will not be disturbing the wilflife, you will not damage the flora and the river environment will not be altered in any way. We operate a leave no trace policy on our river trips.

The start and finish of our self-guide canoe holidays are within walking distance of mainline rail stations.
The start and finish of our guided canoe holidays are within walking distance of mainline bus routes and a short transfer of mainline rail stations. We never use any form of transport involving fossil fuel on the river.

Our canoes are made from recyclable plastic. They do not cause any form of air or water pollution and they do not produce noise that could be disturbing for wildlife. We never use any form of transport involving fossil fuel on the river. We are very conscious of not disturbing wildlife habitats (eg. Otterholts, swans nests) along the river.

Our home is our office. At home we harvest rainwater for use in heating, washing and cooking. We only use energy saving bulbs and we recycle as much waste, paper, tin and glass locally as we can. Our accommodation providers use only energy saving bulbs and advise guests as as to how save on water usage. Our group size is normally between 6 and 16 persons. This allows us to give a better and more inclusive service. We offset our CO2 emissions for our vehicles with ClimateCare.

Community
You will make a big difference to the community. The canoeing is family owned and run and the survival of this small business depends on responsible travelers like yourself. For our part all the recyclable plastic canoes are now assembled by us in Ireland. We operate from home so we don’t waste resources on an un-necessary office. At home we harvest rainwater as our only supply of water.

We are involved in four tourism development groups to attract further responsible travelers and we are constantly encouraging our government to act in a responsible manner with special regard to all its activities in the Barrow valley. We have also offset all our carbon emissions in relation to our business.

The accommodation provider is also family owned (3rd generation) and have also offset their carbon emissions. As a family owned and operated business they are very careful that there is as little waste as possible. They also use low energy bulbs and advise clients as to how they can help in water conservation and how they can have a more positive impact on the environment during their stay.

The local community also benefits because the hotel and ourselves hire local people to guide, cook, serve, clean, transport and entertain. The local shops, bars and restaurants will also benefit from your visit and these benefits are what helps to keep our little area thriving.

Quite often independent travelers are channeled towards the bigger or more renowned destinations while smaller operators who offer a much more authentic and rewarding experience are left struggling for a piece of the pie. The same is true of Ireland. Even for such a small island as ours much of the resources for promoting tourism are directed at established centres. If you want to experience the real Ireland, meet the locals, taste the food, smell the air, see the sights and bring home the memories of a true Celtic adventure, then our Canoe adventures are the perfect way to do all this and more.

Call or e-mail and we can start organising your trip straight away