Cycling down the Grand Canal, up the Shannon, back the Royal Canal

Red Soup

Hi,

I've been thinking of this route for a while, and have read through the threads on cycling the Grand Canal and cycling the Royal Canal, both of which have been very useful.

I plan to cycle down the Grand Canal towpath from Dublin on my CX bike, then somehow up along the Shannon from Shannon Harbour (end of the Grand Canal) to Cloondara (end of the Royal Canal) and cycle back to Dublin along the Royal Canal greenway (or as much as possible).

I can't seem to find any way to cycle along the Shannon itself. There doesn't seem to be any paths or even fisherman's trails along the banks, so it looks like I'll have to stick to roads and go through Shannon Bridge and Clonmacnoise to Athlone and then on the East Side of Lough Ree to Ballymahon or Cloondara. It would be great if there was an off road or greenway route along this part.

Just looking to see if anyone has any knowledge in this area. Thanks

benneca1

Red Soup wrote: »

Hi,

I've been thinking of this route for a while, and have read through the threads on cycling the Grand Canal and cycling the Royal Canal, both of which have been very useful.

I plan to cycle down the Grand Canal towpath from Dublin on my CX bike, then somehow up along the Shannon from Shannon Harbour (end of the Grand Canal) to Cloondara (end of the Royal Canal) and cycle back to Dublin along the Royal Canal greenway (or as much as possible).

I can't seem to find any way to cycle along the Shannon itself. There doesn't seem to be any paths or even fisherman's trails along the banks, so it looks like I'll have to stick to roads and go through Shannon Bridge and Clonmacnoise to Athlone and then on the East Side of Lough Ree to Ballymahon or Cloondara. It would be great if there was an off road or greenway route along this part.

Just looking to see if anyone has any knowledge in this area. Thanks

You could pick up the greenway in Athlone and head to mullingar then do an out and back to Cloondara. That is is you wish to avoid roads and have no time constraints.

mr spuckler

All I'm aware of from Athlone to Ballymahon are back roads which run between the main road and Lough Ree. I cycled the main road the last time I did it on a Saturday morning and it wasn't all that pleasant! Similarly, south of Athlone I'm not aware of any trails you could use - you might be stuck with back roads

Carawaystick

The waterlevel in the canals are regulated by lock heights and sluices and designed to have a Tow Path

the Shannon callows flood every year, so no bank really possible, you may have heard of campaigns to drain the Shannon... there's also a campaign to not take water out of the Shannon...


But Roscommon County Council should copy Wexford and create a dedicated quiet cycling route linking these two

a148pro

There's an audax that does this - I remember someone posting about it here. Two lads managed to do it in one day - over 300k off road....

If you're after aesthetics I'd look into a water taxi. I got train with bike from dublin to athlone, boated to banaher, cycled up to shannon harbour and then went back along the canal. The river is beautiful and its a great feeling hopping off with your bike. Otherwise I'm sure there's a route.

caff

Could get one of these kits and cycle on the water https://www.shuttlebike.com/en/

Large bottle small glass

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27445569

I think this is the audax one.

If you have a means of navigation plotting a back road route to Clondara would add lovely variety to canal spin. Modern technology makes it very easy to do

Actually scratch that, had a quick look, great potential to add some bog roads as one heads north, and also follow river at times.

I'd be surprised if that was best part of route

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30794620

KevRossi

I've done that route and would be familiar with the area. I'd propose that from Shannon Harbour to Athlone you stay to the WEST of the river. Going east will lead you eventually on to the N62 and while it's a short stretch, it's narrow, busy and cars drive fast.

So I'd suggest this route:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Shannon+Harbour,+County+Offaly/Shannonbridge,+County+Offaly/Athlone,+County+Westmeath/@53.3911661,-8.0736609,12z/data=!4m25!4m24!1m5!1m1!1s0x485c5a064768273f:0x2600c7a819bae312!2m2!1d-7.9510616!2d53.2219454!1m10!1m1!1s0x485c59a3fb480d23:0xf0c201e663bdcc83!2m2!1d-8.0447213!2d53.279632!3m4!1m2!1d-7.9764463!2d53.3774714!3s0x485c4f519b5c8ac3:0x3208ee5832d80967!1m5!1m1!1s0x485c49013e648c9f:0xdaf91a8d46bde380!2m2!1d-7.9406898!2d53.4239331!3e1

From Athlone to Cloondara there are a couple of options, you could go via Ballymahon, but would be doubling back on this, so I'd suggest sticking to the west of Lough Ree and head up to Tarmonbarry.

So this would be the quick version:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Athlone,+County+Westmeath/Tarmonbarry,+County+Roscommon/@53.5823463,-8.1117398,12z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x485c49013e648c9f:0xdaf91a8d46bde380!2m2!1d-7.9406898!2d53.4239331!3m4!1m2!1d-8.1563713!2d53.533783!3s0x485c3eb2c2620ddf:0xf1599060f12f8052!3m4!1m2!1d-8.1047884!2d53.60553!3s0x485c3afb2b6fff85:0xae165b32165f1930!1m5!1m1!1s0x485c2b829c11bf87:0xa00c7a997322520!2m2!1d-7.9206435!2d53.7422919!3e1

This is a bit longer:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Athlone,+County+Westmeath/Tarmonbarry,+County+Roscommon/@53.3914881,-8.1450393,12z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x485c49013e648c9f:0xdaf91a8d46bde380!2m2!1d-7.9406898!2d53.4239331!3m4!1m2!1d-8.1348497!2d53.5194457!3s0x485c393a7436e15d:0xdd4a226dfe34c69c!3m4!1m2!1d-8.0598289!2d53.609099!3s0x485c307651e1875f:0xc87ce2c33cc9bb54!1m5!1m1!1s0x485c2b829c11bf87:0xa00c7a997322520!2m2!1d-7.9206435!2d53.7422919!3e1

And it you're not going to Athlone it looks like this, two stretches of 1km each on N roads the rest on local roads, a good mix of rolling countryside, sheep farms and bog, very picturesque IMO:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Shannon+Harbour,+County+Offaly/Shannonbridge,+County+Offaly/Rahara,+County+Roscommon/Tarmonbarry,+County+Roscommon/@53.2281271,-8.1786113,11z/data=!4m31!4m30!1m5!1m1!1s0x485c5a064768273f:0x2600c7a819bae312!2m2!1d-7.9510616!2d53.2219454!1m5!1m1!1s0x485c59a3fb480d23:0xf0c201e663bdcc83!2m2!1d-8.0447213!2d53.279632!1m10!1m1!1s0x485c27c7bd04f4a5:0x1800c7a937df8500!2m2!1d-8.1428291!2d53.5239808!3m4!1m2!1d-8.0787299!2d53.6236832!3s0x485c3abbd7deed4d:0x4937bdda5e04472d!1m5!1m1!1s0x485c2b829c11bf87:0xa00c7a997322520!2m2!1d-7.9206435!2d53.7422919!3e1

Red Soup

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27445569

I think this is the audax one.

If you have a means of navigation plotting a back road route to Clondara would add lovely variety to canal spin. Modern technology makes it very easy to do

Actually scratch that, had a quick look, great potential to add some bog roads as one heads north, and also follow river at times.

I'd be surprised if that was best part of route

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30794620

This looks great, thanks for the links. Has the second route (the link route between the canals) been ridden, or is it just speculative? It looks great but wondering if some of those roads are private or impassable. I'll be on 2 inch tyres on a steel Surly Crosscheck, so can manage most terrain

Large bottle small glass

Red Soup wrote: »

This looks great, thanks for the links. Has the second route (the link route between the canals) been ridden, or is it just speculative? It looks great but wondering if some of those roads are private or impassable. I'll be on 2 inch tyres on a steel Surly Crosscheck, so can manage most terrain

No idea, I just got excited when I saw all the bog tracks!

I'd generally use those routes as a guide, a gpx track on my etrex, which is a virtual painted line on road which doesn't change.

Don't cycle into river, only cross main roads, keep heading northish and apologise for any trespass!

Red Soup

So I did this route (or most of it) last weekend. It was a blast.

Headed down the Grand Canal from Portobello and just kept going all day. I had expected most of it to be a decent pathway but most of the 80km to Daingean were along grassy banks thick with grass. From Daingean to Pollagh was tar road along the canal bank. Camped in Pollagh for the night - the Drop Inn is a good pub.


That was my view for a lot of the day




Next day went along the bank to Shannon Harbour (grass and mud most of the way), then followed backroads to Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise and on up to Athlone.


The bike at Clonmacnoise





Changed my plans then because the first day had been much harder than I expected and took the railtrail up to Mullingar. Much recommended, so smooth and easy, with lots of tree cover and good views over the midlands.

Then the Royal Canal was a breeze as far as Maynooth. The greenway is open all the way with smooth surfaces for the 70km or so, before degrading after Maynooth for awhile, and then again after Leixlip to a dodgy path through to Blanchardstown.


Just after Enfield




Great trip, much recommended.

Here are the two days I did:

Day 1: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/40644511
Day 2: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/40644525