For just €120 per person, immerse yourself in nature and experience the ultimate digital detox.
3 day canoe trail and wild camping
Truly appreciate the natural beauty that Ireland has to offer on this 3 day canoe and camping trail down the River Barrow.
Travel through part of Ireland’s Ancient East and explore the many gems along the way. Follow the trail traveled by the High Kings of Ireland, the Monks and even what the Vikings embarked on hundreds of years ago.
Get family and friends together and take the 3 day,
self-guided canoe and wild camping trail.
Starting in Bagenalstown and paddling to Goresbridge for the first night of wild camping. Day 2 you will paddle through Borris, Clashganny and take a break in Medieval Graiguenamanagh for your second night of camping along the banks of the River Barrow. Day 3 departing Graiguenamanagh and heading south down the river completing your canoe & camping trail St. Mullins.
The Barrow is one of the safest and most rewarding rivers in Ireland on which to embark on a canoe and camping adventure. Navigate through Ireland’s Ancient East by canoe and wild camp along the way.
When that window of opportunity opens jump right in. Call us for advise and you will be surprised how easy it can be. Do it for your family now and they will include you in years to come.
So what are you waiting for !!
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IRISH Times Magazine – Top ten activities for 2015 – Canoe camping down the Barrow river
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Rough Guides 2011 Ultimate – 1001 things to do with your time on Earth – No.38 Journey down the Barrow river.
We’ve got the canoes and we’ve got the tents and can give you endless advise on how to make the most of your self guided adventure down the beautiful Barrow river.
Day 1
Arrive in Bagenalstown, by train, by bus, or by car, your choice! Your canoe will be tied up at the quay waiting for you. (Railway station to the Quay – 15 minutes walk) Your kit will include: Tent, canoe, paddles, buoyancy jacket, storage barrell.
Heading South you should get as far as Goresbridge where you can wild camp beside the river. Enjoy a relaxing night beside the river and listen to the gentle sound of the water flowing over the weir as you fall asleep.
Day 2
After your al fresco breakfast you head South again along the stunning Barrow trail. Very soon you find yourself in the ancient oak wood demense that is the Borris Estate. Home to the MacMorrough Kavanagh family since Diarmuid MacMorrough was High King of Ireland.
Enter the Barrow Gorge at Clashganny and enjoy the stunning vista as the River squeezes between dramatic forested hills on either side.
Arrive in ancient medieval Graiguenamanagh as the monks did over 800 years ago. Here you can wild camp again beside the river. Explore this beautiful old town with it’s monastic heritage, old pubs and quant cafés.
Day 3
After breakfast under the hills, you pass under the beautiful and historic 7 arch stone bridge. You are now paddling through one of the most visually appealing river valleys in Ireland. A pilgram route for thousands of years. Take your time. This is something to emerse yourself in and not be rushed.
Arriving in St. Mullins, a village steeped in History, built on an ancient Monastic site. Let the historian within you explore the village. St Moling founded a monastery here at the end of the 7th century. He may have been Bishop of Ferns and also of Glendalough. The Kings of South Leinster, including the McMurrough Kavanaghs, were buried here. There are remains of several churches. These include St Mullin’s Abbey, a medieval nave-and-chancel church with a spiral stairway, and St James’s Chapel, a small oratory dedicated to St. James and the people who stopped here on their way to the camino – Santiago de Compostela.
Tie up your canoe and explore historic St Mullins. From there, get a taxi back to the train station in Bagenalstown
Don’t just take my word for it..
Highly recommended …..
Somehow – inexplicably to those who have discovered it – the River Barrow remains one of Ireland’s great secrets. The river boasts a towpath that’s perfect for walkers and cyclists, but really, the only way to properly experience this magnificent river is from water level, and a canoe trip along its length is one of the country’s premier adventures.
Wending its way through six counties, across rippling rapids, through fantastic forests and historic towns, the Barrow takes paddlers on an incredible journey, full of adventure, wildlife encounters, unique characters and brilliant stories.
Whether you’re looking for a full guided experience, or if you’d prefer to be the architect of your own adventure (after getting access to the best gear and local knowledge), Go With the Flow can provide all the expertise, equipment and logistical support you will need for a life-defining trip.
For those who discover this hidden gem, the fact that the Barrow still flows under the radar of the masses only increases its appeal. Charlie knows the Barrow like the back of his hand and you couldn’t ask for a better leader, but the river is also ideal for independent self-guided groups who want to wild camp on the river banks and explore at their own pace.
Patrick Kinsella
Writer & photographer, director of Adventure Types
Beautiful 3 days on the Barrow
Top Class stuff here .if you’re looking for an escape and an adventure that’s different from the norm! Two of us picked up our canoe in Leighlinbridge Co. Carlow with our equipment in it (life jackets , dry bags etc) and set off down stream. We had chosen the three day trip, and had brought a tent for camping. Cruising off down stream was hugely relaxing and we didn’t need to paddle heavily to make good progress. about 4 hours of paddling on day one through beautiful countryside and scenery, with dragonflies and birdsong to accompany us .
Camped in Goresbridge Co. Kilkenny the first night, grand spot with a chipper and a bar, then back on the river day two , past Borris and into Graiguenamanagh.
We actually bumped into Charlie here and he had a chat with us , the guy loves the river and is a total pro. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip .
The Weather was brilliant and we hadn’t any experience but it’s pretty straight forward! just go with the flow!
