Jean's Journal: Life afloat the Shannon

by Jean Farrell

Last week, in my article, I was complaining about the work involved in having a boat at our age. I typed it in Banagher, as rain fell and winds blew.

As I type here today, on July 15, rain is just a distant memory. We have had the most glorious weather for many days, on Lough Derg. Hopefully by the time you are reading this the sun will still be shining.

I take back all my complaints. Any hard work involved in getting the boat ready has been more than worth it. What better place could you be in than on a boat, on a lake, with a lovely breeze blowing, during this glorious weather we've been having?

As we made the journey down river, towards Lough Derg, it was interesting to see all the cattle standing in the water at the river’s edge. How wise! Animals must feel the heat badly.

Our poor old black Labrador was roasting as we travelled along. Bobby insists on sitting outside, on the front of the boat, under direct sunlight. This is because he hates the noise of the engines at the back of the boat. Our solution is to wet an old white bath towel and throw it over him. This seems to do the job of cooling him down, as he never rejects it.

The same Bobby is the cause of us making friends with many folk on quay walls. He visits each boat and sits very patiently outside until he gets a snack! In fact, you’ll be surprised to know that there is a dog on most boats. As I type, the boat moored beside us had three aboard!

Another way that folk interact is by helping each other to moor. As a boat approaches the quay wall, we always go outside to catch their ropes, as they do ours. Some are foreigners on hire-boats who really need and appreciate help. We all chat to each other about the good weather and where we have been on the lake,

Portuma is at the top of Lough Derg. In order to access the lake we have to go through a swing bridge. Having gotten through this bridge, we moored in Portuma Harbour. This is a beautiful spot, on the water, beside Portumna Forest Park, near the castle. Motor homes can also park here. I counted 25 campervans and 15 boats there on the night we arrived.

Any of you who have ever camped, or have been on boats, know the pleasure of walking around looking at everyone and everything.

I know this sounds like nosiness, but it’s not, honestly. It’s part of the very relaxed atmosphere amongst folk, all of whom are on their holidays too and are in holiday mode. “And where are you from?” is usually the start of many interesting conversations. And, Ireland being as small as it is, one nearly always knows someone in common!

What strikes me, when we are living on a boat, is how little space one really needs. If I stand in the kitchen (the galley) and put out my two arms I can touch the walls on either side. Under one arm is a full cooker. In front of me is a full size sink, with a draining board on its left. Under my other arm is a fine worktop, with a fridge beneath it. There is an adequate amount of shelves, drawers and presses in the little galley too.

In this very small space I can cook and prepare meals perfectly. I wonder why do we need such huge kitchens at home. A modern help is that we can connect to electricity, on most quay walls, using a prepaid card. This is great for charging phones and laptops, as well as running the much-needed fridge, especially in hot weather.

In our three bedroomed home, in Athlone, we have one toilet inside in the one bathroom. On our boat we have two toilets, I don’t know why! Six people can sleep on-board, however it is lovely and spacious with only the two of us here now.

There’s lots of room for stuff and I’m a person who brings lots of ‘stuff’ wherever I go. All our rainwear, heavy fleeces, jumpers, warm socks and long trousers, as yet unused, are piled up in the back-cabin!

I wrote previously about the islands on Lough Ree, most with links to monks and monasteries, from times past. Apart from going along the canal to visit lovely Lecarrow, there are only two other places that a cruiser can moor on Lough Ree. These only have jetties, with no village nearby at all. They are Portrun in County Roscommon and Barley Harbour in County Longford.

Lough Derg is completely different. Surrounded in the south by mountains, there are the loveliest little villages where one can moor - places like Terryglass, Dromineer, Garrykennedy, Mountshannon and more.

These tiny villages all have restaurants and a bar, as well as floral displays. There are walks along the lake shore, with seats galore, as well as safe swimming areas. Many local county Tipperary and county Clare teenagers spend their sunny days here.

I was so very sorry to read of the drowning of Martin Greene last month. Whilst I didn’t teach him, I taught his wonderful mother, Yvonne, as well as her brothers and sisters. May Martin rest in peace.

jeanfarrell@live.ie