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The picturesque and riverside town of Banagher is centrally located right in the heart of Ireland and it’s ideal location on the River Shannon is the perfect destination for your cruising holiday. The meaning of Banagher comes from its Irish name “the place of the pointed rocks”. Although there is evidence of settlement in west Offaly for over 1,000 years, the earliest archaeological finds at Banagher date back to the Bronze Age. Since earliest times the crossing of the river here has been of great importance. During the Napoleonic Wars (1790-1815) a major invasion of Ireland by the French was feared so the authorities had good reason to believe the French would land on the west coast, and would then march across the midlands towards Dublin. The strongest and natural defence was the River Shannon. The most likely crossing points were between Athlone (Lough Ree) and Portumna (Lough Derg) so bridges and forts on this stretch of the river were defended. At Banagher a brick wall was inserted into Cromwell’s castle to enable it to carry a gun platform at roof level, less than 100 metres away; a Mortello tower was constructed and on the east bank a fortified barracks was constructed and equipped with 3 guns and further downstream, at Fort Eliza, a small five sided battery was also constructed with 4 guns.
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The River Shannon is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. The longest river in Ireland with a bustling navigation rises in County Cavan, with this majestic river then meandering gracefully through sloping mountain ranges, past ancient monastic settlements on a journey that takes some 500 km to the cosmopolitan city of Limerick and a further 95 km of estuary where it empties into the wild Atlantic Ocean. Moorings are readily available when you wish to spend time off the water enjoying the towns and villages – you will be spoilt for choice.There are a range of activities and stunning scenery that you will encounter on your journey. Plenty of harbours and marinas are available on the Shannon, all within walking distance to the local towns, offering fine local food, shops for your provisions, heritage trails, castles, water sports, playgrounds to keep the kids amused and of course the wonderful Irish pubs with Irish music offering a great chance to meet the locals and enjoy the famous Irish culture. Some of the finest cuisine establishments in the region are dotted along the waterway with many community festivals and events held during the year. Wonderful looped walks can be enjoyed by all the family from bike trails, canoe safaris, paddle boarding, wakeboarding to waterskiing.The famous Lough Key with fantastic walks and activities and the idyllic Lough Allen is worth exploring and for the adventure junky there are plenty of activity centres to keep the adrenaline pumping. There are wonderful opportunities for both golfing and fishing. As you venture out on the Shannon you will discover many interesting sights from the 16 arch bridge at Shannonbridge, to the famous World Heritage Site of Clonmacnoise, to the wonderful recently restored Athlone Castle – these are just a sample of the rich and varied history to be found as you explore the Shannon and its environs.
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This canal was built in the early 19th century with its 200km stretching across the country from Dublin to the Shannon (East to West). The historic horse drawn barges would have travelled this waterway and it was essential for industry back in earlier times. The opening of the canal was an enormous challenge as the main proportion of the canal was built through bogland. In 1804 the first boat travelled the entire canal from Shannon Harbour in Offaly to Dublin. Today the canal is used by many boaters cruising at a leisurely pace and exploring the hidden and rural spots. It’s a very relaxing journey taking in the Irish landscape, full of shallow marshes, alive with birds, wildlife and rural countryside. There is also a wonderful opportunity to explore and visit the famous heritage and museum centre of ‘Tullamore Dew’ and to sample its world-renowned whiskey.
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