::::TIME OUT CHARTERS::::


:: SHANNON :: LOUGH DERG	LOUGH REE
	Banagher is a town that offers the great fishing that is available all year round. A good sized town, anglers can be found here all year round partaking of the local fare in the pubs and restaurants of the town. There’s also some good places for water sports, and the town has a modern marina for cruisers and pleasure boats. There is evidence that Banagher was once an important crossing point on the river Shannon, and it is believed that there was an eighteen-arch bridge built here in then middle of the eleventh century. A new seventeen-arch bridge was built in the late seventeenth century, and this in turn was replaced by the Shannon Commissioners in 1843.
	Ballinasloe is situated on the Roscommon/Galway border, on the main N6 from Dublin to Galway and is built on the river Suck, a short distance from the Shannon river. This town is the second largest town in County Galway next to Galway city, and has a population of about 6,000 in the town, with approximately 8,000 more in the surrounding areas. Every October, Ballinasloe hosts one of Europes oldest horse fairs, which can be traced back to the early eighteenth century. This fair is the apex of the tourist calendar in Ballinasloe, and attracts up to 100,000 people every year. Napoleons mount at the battle of Waterloo was bought here. Ballinasloe is also famous for the limestone of the area, from which many important buildings were constructed. As can be expected with a town of this size, there are several supermarkets and banks, as well as a good selection of pubs and restaurants. A market takes place every Saturday in Market Square, which is very popular with shoppers, and a traditional calf market also takes place on Saturday. The town also boasts a newly built marina, a short cruise from the river Shannon on the river Suck. Ballinasloe was built on a major ford over the river Suck, and the origins of the town can be traced back to the fourth century, when St. Grellan came to convert those who lived by the river. It is believed that there were settlements here as early as the first century, as traces of three ring forts and two possible Crannog sites have been discovered in the area. The first castle was built here in the twelfth century by Turlough O’Connor, then High King of Ireland. The curtain walls and towers visible today were built subsequently, and have been sieged by both Cromwellian and Willamite forces. The Trench Family took the earldom of Clancarty in the nineteenth century, and their influence changed the town to a typical English Market town. The layout and architecture from this period is still very much in evidence around the town today.
	Shannonbridge is named after the bridge built in 1757 which spanned the river. The village has recently run a small jazz festival, and a vintage car rally and a boat regatta stop in the village during the summer months. The village is close to Clonmacnois, a site world famous for the ancient monastic buildings found there, and is about 8 miles from the town of Athlone. Shannonbridge has two major attractions – angling and ecology. The peat bogs which surround the village are home to an abundance of flora and fauna, and is preserved as a natural habitat to the now rare corncrake. Also along the river are eskers, which are winding ridges of raised ground caused by melting ice during the Ice Age and were used by early settlers to cross the river.
	Athlone is recognised throughout Ireland as the biggest town nearest the centre of Ireland. The town is situated almost halfway between the country’s two major cities, Dublin and Cork, and has always been an important crossing point on the river Shannon. As one of the biggest towns on the Shannon River, Athlone has a great deal to offer. There is a wide variety of pubs and restaurants to choose from, as well as major department stores and fast food outlets. Despite the rapid expansion of this bustling town, it has managed to retain its’ old world charm within the narrow streets. Athlone is at the foot of lough Ree, one of the biggest lakes to be crossed while cruising the Shannon, and as such offers a wealth of water related sports and activities. The name 'Athlone' is derived from the Irish 'Ath Luan', which means 'The Ford of Luan'. According to the story, a man called Luan kept a hostelry here and acted as a guide to travellers who needed to cross the wild currents of the river.
	Glasson is a beautiful village located in Goldsmith country, named after Oliver Goldsmith who spent many of his childhood years living in the nearby village of Lissoy. For a small village, Glasson hosts a wealth of activities, including some great pubs and restaurants, and a championship golf course. Originally an estate village, Glasson has developed into a village of great beauty and character. The writer Oliver Goldsmith lived in a house in nearby Lissoy until 1747, the ruins of which can still be seen.
	Lanesborough is situated on the entrance to the top of Lough Ree, ten miles from the county towns of Roscommon and Longford, and was originally known by the Irish name Beal Atha Liag, which when translated means "Mouth of the Ford." The town was renamed after George Lane, who received large tracts of land in the area in the seventeenth century. Lanesborough has grown into a thriving town and is renowned as a prime angling centre. One of the main features of Lanesborough is the electricity generating station on the banks of the river. This generates electricity using peat from local bogs, and can burn up to 300,000 tons of milled peat in a year.

DESIGN BY | MAGICBEENZ.com