Shannon Princess

Glasson
Sunday
Guests are met at the designated meeting point and transferred by coach to the Shannon Princess moored at Glasson.
Your Captain and his crew welcome you on board the delightful Shannon Princess with Champagne, Black Velvets or Irish Coffees!
Dinner aboard

Glasson to Athlone
Monday
The adventure begins this morning as we cruise around the beautiful 'inner lakes' and then continue north to Lough Redd exploring some of the 365 islands on the lake, before arriving at Athlone.
No trip to Ireland would be complete without a trip to a distillery, so after lunch, we visit the Kilbeggan Whiskey Distillery, the oldest licenced whisky distillery in the world.  After discovering the history here, we'll continue on to visit an artisan craft village at Balllinahown before returning to the barge.
Dinner aboard.

Athlone to Shannonbridge
Tuesday
Today we negotiate Athlone Lock and head south through Europe's finest example of 'Callow' landscape, rich with wildlife. We moor at Clonmacnoise ruins, a famous 6th-century university and monastic settlement.
After a tour, we continue our cruise on to Shannonbridge, our mooring for the night.
After lunch, we take a private guided trip of Leap Castle.  Will we sense any spirits in this reputedly most haunted house?
Dinner aboard, after which the Captain invites you to join him for a traditional pint in Killeen's pub for an entertaining evening with the locals.

Shannonbridge to Terryglass
Wednesday
We cruise a very pretty stretch of the Shannon through Meelick Lock, pausing as Portumna swing bridge is opened to allow us passage onto idyllic Lough Derg and then moor at Terryglass Harbour.
After lunch, we set off to visit the stunning Birr Castle with its magnificent gardens, fascinating Science centre and the historic Great Telescope which was the largest in the world when built in 1845!

After such an informative afternoon, we return to Shannon Princess for our evening dinner aboard.

Terryglass to Mountshannon
Thursday
Cameras at the ready again today... We visit the beautiful walled gardens of Portumna Castle and the lively centre of Galway city before lunch in a traditional Guinness and Oysters pub.

Then, time to relax and admire the views during our afternoon cruise along Lough Derg to moor at Mountshannon.
Dinner aboard.

Mountshannon to Killaloe
Friday
For our final cruise, we head toward Killaloe, where we have time to explore the town briefly.  After lunch on board, we'll head off to visit Aldare Manor, a splendid estate on the banks of the River Maigue, for a falconry demonstration.
The afternoon draws to a close visiting a traditional Irish hand-weaving workshop to discover this art before rejoining Shannon Princess for our
'Slainte' cocktail reception and Captains Dinner aboard.

Killaloe
Saturday
After breakfast, disembark the barge and transfer by private minibus to Dublin