2007 Earlybird Special
Offers to Seize before the 31/12/06
5% reduction for ALL cruises of a minimum of one week.
10% instead of 5% for cruises taken between 6/7/07 - 16/7/07,
24/8/07 - 3/9/07, and 21/9/07 - 29/9/07

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Ireland by water is all about the pleasure of dropping your anchor where you
will, and discovering all the secrets. You have the freedom to moor wherever
you want, to walk, climb hills, sightsee, listen to local music making, go for a
bicycle ride, play golf, go fishing The Irish are just as delightful as their land.
Welcoming, poetical, musical and great enthusiasts for their country, they
will introduce you to all their byways and the warmth of their pubs and bars.

You will experience the legendary Irish hospitality, dating back to the 5th
century, with its duty never to let the welcoming fire on one’s hearth ever
go out. And even if your command of Shakespeare’s tongue is less than
perfect, you’ll soon be downing a pint of beer and feeling yourself an Irishman
by adoption!

Canals: Shannon
Bases: Ballinamore, Athlone

SOUTH IRELAND:
From Ballinamore, fairest village in the county, you enter the majestic
Shannon, Ireland’s longest river, which unrolls before you in all its variety. Free
from all commercial traffic, and navigable for 220km with only 6 locks, this river
and the lakes it flows through, some more like inland seas, make a delicious
combination of natural landscapes and historic sites… On its banks all the way
is superb parkland, as well as bird and wildlife sanctuaries. In County
Roscommon the charming little town of Boyle boasts the ruins of a Cistercian
abbey founded in 1161, a stunning mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Further south, the town of Athlone is notable for its imposing castle which
has dominated a strategic crossing ever since the 13th century. Not far away is
Clonmacnoise, the largest monastic site in Ireland, founded in 548 and
flourishing over many centuries: you will find here eight churches, a cathedral,
two round towers, three great carved crosses, the remains of a castle, and more
than 200 carved headstones dating from the 6th to the 12th centuries.
Limerick, Ireland’s fourth city, is a lively artistic centre and boasts fine
Georgian houses as well as noble bridges across the Shannon.

ACCESS: Ballinamore
Airport - Dublin (150km), Belfast (165km), Shannon (230km), Londonberry (136km)
Ferry - Dun Laoghaire, Rosslare, Cork, Larne, Belfast

NORTH IRELAND:
From Ballinamore you head north on the “Shannon-Erne Waterway” to reach the
Erne, the second great Irish river system. The 63km long canal has 16 locks and
has been magnificently restored. With its 34 fine old bridges, it allows one to
cruise, for the first time this century, through a dream landscape. Rivers alternate with canals and lakes studded with islands, in an unique mixture of peaceful untouched landscapes and villages offering a traditional welcome. You will head towards
Ballyconnell and Belturbet, both with a strong folklore tradition, and then
onwards into County Fermanagh, a land of lakes, a paradise for bird spotters,
botanists and fisherman, and your introduction to Northern Ireland. The historic
town of Enniskillen is an excellent starting point for discovering the special
attractions of Ulster. Built on an island between Upper and Lower Lough Erne,
the town is dominated by its castle, the oldest parts of which date back to
the 15th century. Still very little used, this network of canals, rivers and lakes is
full of the magic of these ancient lands and their celtic chiefs, its islands dotted
with megalithic tombs and old carved figures. Here you are at the heart of one of
Europe’s last unpolluted natural paradises.

ACCESS: Ballinamore
Airport - Dublin (150km), Belfast (165km), Shannon (230km), Londonberry (136km)
Ferry - Dun Laoghaire, Rosslare, Cork, Larne, Belfast

Cruises - Ireland
From Ballinamore. (Shannon-Erne Waterway - Erne)	Out and Back Cruises
Ballinamore.., Ballyconnell, Belturbet, Cromcastle(Estate), Enniskillen, Southernend of the lower Lough Erne.	One week: 221km, 12 locks - 4H 45/day
Ballinamore.., Ballyconnell, Belturbet, South of the lower Lough Erne, Ballinamore, Leitrim, Carrick on Shannon, Roosky, Lough Key, Boyle.	Two weeks: 372km, 33 locks - 4H /day
From Ballinamore.(Shannon-Erne Waterway - Shannon)	Out and Back Cruises
Ballinamore.., Leitrim, Carrick on Shannon, Roosky, Lough Key, Boyle.	One week: 151km, 21 locks - 3H 50/day
Ballinamore.., Leitrim, Carrick on Shannon, Roosky, Lanesborough, Lough Key, Boyle.	One week: 203km, 25 locks - 5H /day
Ballinamore.., Leitrim, Carrick on Shannon, Roosky, Lanesborough, Athlone, Lough Key, Boyle, Lough Allen.	Two weeks: 360km, 29 locks - 3H 45/day
Ballinamore.., Leitrim, Carrick on Shannon, Roosky, Lanesborough, Athlone, Banagher, Portumna, Lough Derg, Killaloe, Ballina, Lough Key, Boyle, Lough Allen.	Three weeks: 632km, 33 locks - 4H /day

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