Walks – Shannon Erne Waterway

Adjacent Waterways . .

Waterway Walks
Index of Walks – Shannon Erne Waterway

Maps:
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, 1:50,000 Series
– Map 26, From St John’s Lough to Garadice Lough excluding a short section on Map 34
– Map 27, Upper Lough Erne and part of Shannon-Erne WaterwayOrdnance Survey of Ireland, Discovery Series 1:50,000
– Map 33, From Leitrim village to St John’s Lough
– Map 34, Section between Ballinamore and Garadice Lough

From a Shannon-Erne Waterway walker’s perspective the above maps are all poor. In particular, none of the towpaths are shown. However, that is not a great problem. The towpaths are clearly shown on the Navigation Charts making up the Navigational Guide to the Shannon-Erne Waterway

Lough Scur Circuit * *		Up to 12 km; 3 hrs; Start: Map 33 H039079 Good walk mostly on quiet country roads.
A good walk on country roads that circumnavigate Lough Scur. The route starts at Keshcarrigan Mooring. Head east along the R209 to either Rossy Footbridge (No. 12) (H042082) or the junction at H062085 and from there to the Castlefore Road Bridge (No. 13) (H055091). If planning to cross Rossy Footbridge seek local advice about crossing the land between the bridge and the road at (H043084). Follow the road to Driny (H033090). From there continue around the lake crossing the Waterway on the Lough Scur Road Bridge (No. 11) (H018079). From there follow the roads back to Keshcarrigan Mooring possibly taking in the loop to the Fortified House (Castle John) at H033084 on the way. Having worked up a good appetite consider rounding off the day with a good meal at the Canal View Restaurant which overlooks Keshcarrigan Mooring.

Lock 14

O’Carolan Walk
* *

7 km; 2 hrs; Start: Map 33 H039079
On roads and through fields. Pleasant county walk with a panoramic view. Nearby archaeology interest.

This walk circumnavigates Sheebeg (H025073) the junior partner of Sheemore (G991048). The walk is named after the blind composer Turlough O’Carolan (1670 – 1738). It is a pleasant walk along country roads and through fields. The route is obvious from the map. Jim Murray provided the following description walking around Sheebeg in a clockwise direction.

Starting at the Quay walk to the village, pass Gerties, and about 100m further on take the left turn at the T-junction (H034075) signposted “Sheebeg”. Go right at next fork (H035070) in the road, which then climbs fairly steeply, until you reach a stile and sign “Cairn”. It is an easy climb through a field to the summit. The 360-degree panorama is stunning – bring binoculars. I counted nine different stretches of water, only some connected to the Shannon Erne Waterway. Sheemore, about 4 kms to the south west, is topped by a cross. Return to the road and continue in a clockwise direction around Sheebeg to a crossroads (H022066). Turn right and follow the road downhill towards lake level to Letterfine (H018075). On the way back, I found the standing stones. The site was disappointingly unkempt. I didn’t find the Dolmen (Note 1). Return to Keshcarrigan directly along the main road (R209). Alternatively, turn left at H026076 and return via the Lough Scur Amenity Area. This adds maybe 20 mins. to the walk and is worth the detour.

Jim Murray
September 1999

Canoeing near Lough Scur

Towpath Walks
* *

Up to 5 km; 1.25 hrs;
Towpath walks along the Shannon-Erne Waterway

Surplus crew can be exercised along the towpaths of the Shannon-Erne Waterway. Whilst it is not possible to walk alongside the Waterway for its entire length, towpaths are provided between a number of the locks and other mooring points. These include:

Aghalane Mooring to CorraQuill Lock (L1) (4 km)
Aghoo Lock (L4) to Ardrum Lock (L5) (3 km)
Ardrum Lock (L5) to Ballinamore Lock (L6) (1 km)
Ballinamore Lock (L6) to Ballyduff Lock (L7) (4 km) (On road)
Upper Kilclare Lock (L9) to Leitrim village (5 km)
There are various pick-up and set-down points along this stretch.

Fewer (1997) includes details of the towpath walk from Leitrim village along the canal towards Keshcarrigan, includes the O’Carolan Walk described above, and then returns by the towpath to Leitrim Village.
See Walk 58: The Shannon-Erne Waterway, Leitrim Village, Co. Leitrim.

Summer Meadows