Irish Canoe Classics

Hi folks,
This is the first post for ‘Irish Canoe Classics’, having made my first trip over to Ireland paddling for many years during the last week, so events are fresh in my mind.

The idea for this came from new Irish friends at the Canoe Symposium held in May last year at Cappanalea, Co. Kerry, very well organised by Lorcan O’Donnell. My ‘Scottish Canoe Classics’ had only just been published by Pesda Press, and I was looking forward to a rest!

It came out of me saying that I wanted to return to Ireland to paddle the Cork Blackwater again, having done (most of) it with my younger brother in either 1963 or 64. (the Blackwater will feature greatly in the next few months!). The idea formed slowly in my mind, as I chatted to Irish paddlers about what should go in to a book that celebrated the 25 or 30 best, most enjoyable, most beautiful, routes in Ireland, on the same basis as my Scottish book, that is;

• They would be flat, or Grade 1 or 2 water
• Providing at least a day-long paddle, preferably more.
• Portages would be kept to a minimum, and would be an easy walk-round (no Grade 6 gorges!)
• There would be information on access and egress, and campsites, and good maps
• There would be some background on the area, on the history, geography and politics

Why, you may ask?

Well, our experience in Scotland is that this is what the vast majority of the public want – easy to access water, with no hassle – a simple to understand guide. The wider context is that where and when there have been access problems, or unsympathetic developments, for instance new building blocking off an access point, it is simply because canoeing and kayaking have been not known about, or understood, and more publicity is badly needed.

To be continued …

Eddie Palmer