Shannon-Erne Waterway

A series of canals, rivers and lakes

The Shannon-Erne Waterway is actually a series of canals, rivers and lakes. They link the two rivers.

There are 34 stone bridges and 16 locks at the waterway. It is 63 kilometres long; that would be about 40 miles in real measurements.

The Shannon-Erne Waterway was first built in the 1840s, but only very few boats used it then. Steam engine and railroad brought the transport of goods on Irish waterways practically to a halt.
The banks of the canal soon caved in and grew over, making big stretches unship able.
When my memory serves me right, the channels were renewed in the 1980s and 90s, then reopened in the mid nineties for recreational use only.

Practically coarse fish water

The entire complex of the Shannon-Erne Waterway is practically coarse fish water, the canal itself can produce good fishing for bream, rudd and roach, but carries usually a lot of traffic and the many lakes seem to be the better option.  Lough Garadice, Lough Scur, Ballymagauran Lough are all worth a try.

For detailed information enquire locally.  Angling centres are Ballyconnell and Ballynamore.