Narrowboat barging in Ireland. An amazing experience!

Thanks for reporting on this unique travel mode. I became aware of its existence in England some years ago and then in Ireland, but I've never seen any first hand reports from someone who actually did it. I believe such travel is available in several European countries that have extensive canal systems left over from the Industrial Revolution. Would you consider providing more detail about the experience? Questions that come to mind include boat moving & handling, sleeping accommodations, space above and below deck, bathroom facilities, kitchen facilities, typical distance between towns and average boat speed. Thanks

Bobbing4data, would you like that information for narrowboating in England as well?

Hello. Here is more info on the barge experience. The barge we rented was a 4/5 barge but they have smaller and bigger ones. There was a double bunk bed and a single bed in the stern of the boat, a small bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink, a small kitchen galley with a small refrigerator, stove top, oven and sink and then a sitting area and table which turned in to a double bed at night. My husband is 6-01 and had to duck for the entry ways but the inside was plenty high and he fit in the double be easily. There was a small peat burning stove (we now love that smell!) and a heating system on the boat as well. We had one cold day where it did rain a bit for a couple of hours so it was nice to have the stove and heat to dry things out. We were very comfortable. Plenty of light and storage space as well. The speed limit for the canal is 6 knots so it is a slow go and we did not go as far as we could have because we stopped to walk and ride bikes (which we rented from the barge company and stored on top.) There are walking and biking paths/roads of different quality that run along the entire route of the canal (not open to cars) so our kids were able to get off, ride their bikes and then we picked them up at the next bridge or mooring spot. I would say that in general, it was 2 to 3 hours or so between towns that had stores/pubs/etc. that were right next to the canal. There are employees for Waterways Ireland that will come and do the locks for you as well as operate the lifting bridge that we got to go through in Monestrevin. (that was cool). You just had to call a bit (40 minutes) in advance. But doing the locks ourselves was pretty cool!

Rlaber -
Thanks for the additional info. Sounds quite doable. I suspect you may inspire others to try. It's been on the back of my mind for several years now.
Nigel-
I think that new information is always useful. Apparently this topic has had little exposure on this forum. . Yes please tell what you know about canal boating in England. Thanks

I have experience with several of the canals and routes in England.

There are two widths of canal locks in England, single width and double width. Most canals are single width, so most narrowboats are narrow and long, with the tiller right at the stern. For river navigation and for stretches of wide locks you will also see double width boats.

Almost all locks are worked by the boat crews - that's where a few keen teens or tweens are very handy to have on board! 4 mph is the speed limit and no visible wake. Almost all are powered by small diesel engines so go on for days and days. Most rentals - and there are both large and small bases everywhere - are for one or two weeks, with some bases offering 4 day out and backs midweek.

Maximum length of a boat is 72 feet - so they fit in all the locks - which is usually good for a large group, and as short as 34 feet, just fine for a couple looking for a bijou experience. Fit out varies, so it is worth looking at photos on base websites, and reading reviews about specific providers. Most have a flush toilet, sharing a room with a shower, hot and cold water, a hob (stove), a microwave, a baby fridge freezer or just fridge, but most do not have a dishwasher. Many provide waterproofs - needed on most trips. Fresh water can be replenished on the journey. Most beds are as described in Ireland.

There is always a towpath of some sort of shape, except that most tunnels do not have them, so the horses would go over the hill while the boat was "legged" through the tunnel (men on their backs on the boat pushing against the walls of the tunnel) but usually the boat can power through most tunnels now.

The canal guidebooks are pretty good at describing the condition of the towpaths, and provide locations of bases, marinas, water availability, shops and pubs along the way. Not much better than drawing up at a good canalside pub, tying up, and wandering in and letting them do the cooking and pouring.....

Nigel, thanks very much for that information about canal barging in England. Since I don't want to highjack this Ireland thread I will add one final comment and then raise any further questions in the England forum. I noted that I became aware of canal barging some time ago. Oddly it was because we saw a play about the lives of the people who worked and lived on the English barges right up into the early part of the 20th century. Apparently the trains did not put the canals totally out of business right away and there was a subculture of folks that hung on to that way of life for many decades.

Thank you. This has been on my list for some years now, but I think it just moved up a bit.

We have tried "ordinary" boats in Scotland and Ireland and I have been collecting links for years :-)

Here are my relevant links for anyone interested:

• https://www.black-prince.com/
• http://www.waterwaysholidays.com/
• http://www.leboat.co.uk/