The River Shannon Related Articles:
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The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at nearly 390km long and flows from the Shannon Pot in County Cavan before entering into the Atlantic Ocean at the Shannon Estuary. In total, the Shannon runs through 13 of Ireland's 32 counties and three provinces, Munster, Leinster and Connacht. As the river travels through the estuary, it passes through Limerick City and by Shannon Airport.
Despite travelling for nearly 400km from source to estuary, the Shannon only falls by 76m from source to sea level. This factor combined with excellent lakes means the Shannon is the center of water sports in Ireland. As such there is a huge market for boat rentals during the summer with companies such as Emerald Star being among the most popular. People can cruise large sections of the river without having to go through any locks.
The inland waterways is managed by the IWAI (The Irish Inland Waterways) who publish maps for navigation on the Shannon and educate users about safety and environmental concerns.
The river has several canals attached, most notably the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal which join the River Shannon with Dublin City. The other most notable canal joins the River Shannon with the Shannon - Erne Waterway System. There are several smaller canals dotted along the river.
The main stopping points on the River from North to South are Boyle, Leitrim, Carrick on Shannon, Roosky, Lanesborough, Glasson, Athlone, Shannonbridge, Banagher, Portumna and Killaloe. If you are planning to rent a car in Ireland and then to spend time on the River Shannon, our Shannon Airport location would be ideal.