36th Lock, Shannon Harbour

The 36th Lock, just west of the 35th at the end of Shannon Harbour, takes boats down into the Brosna close to where it meets the Shannon. For Shannon boaters it is the front door of the canal, and the rules change here. There are no lock-keepers and no Smart Card readers: you work the gates yourself with a Waterways Ireland lock key, in daylight hours, and the boat needs a canal permit as well as its Shannon registration. A free visitor permit covers up to 31 days once a year; the CMP covers a full season. The chambers are 18.5 m long and 3.9 m wide, with a guide draft of 1.2 m and an air draft of 2.7 m, so check beam and height first. The water patroller for locks 35 and 36 is on +353 87 245 6587.