Jetty Hop
Save for offline
Illustration: a cruiser in a lock on the Shannon–Erne Waterway while a boater works the gates, a stone bridge and misty drumlin hills with sheep.

The Erne & the Shannon–Erne Waterway Canal Ireland · Northern Ireland

Shannon–Erne Waterway

A 63 km cross-border link between Leitrim village and Upper Lough Erne, with sixteen Smart Card locks you work yourself, a string of quiet drumlin lakes and the towns of Ballinamore and Ballyconnell.

  • 63 km of navigation
  • 16 locks
  • 23 stops
  • 6 public moorings
  • 3 private marinas
  • ≈ 3 days end to end

Days and hours are our estimate: 5 km/h and 20 minutes a lock, about six hours a day.

Plan your cruise

Start from a ready-made trip, or plan your own day by day: distances, locks and overnight moorings.

Plan “Carrick-on-Shannon to Belturbet on the Shannon–Erne Waterway” Plan your own trip Open on the map

Overview

The Shannon–Erne Waterway joins the island’s two great inland navigations. From the Shannon at Leitrim village it climbs through eight locks to a summit at Lough Scur, then drops through eight more down the Woodford River towards Upper Lough Erne. It began life as the Ballinamore and Ballyconnell Canal, handed over in 1860 and barely used before it fell into ruin; rebuilt as a flagship cross-border project, it reopened in 1994. Today it is one of the quietest cruises in the Shannon and Erne system: reedy canal cuts, small lakes such as Lough Scur, Garadice and Ballymagauran, and locks you work yourself with a Smart Card. Stops come every hour or two. Keshcarrigan is a summit village with a well-known pub, Ballinamore a market town halfway along, and Ballyconnell a busy Cavan town at the foot of Slieve Rushen. Below Ballyconnell the river follows the border with Fermanagh past Corraquill Lock and Aghalane. Allow two or three relaxed days, more if you want to walk the Blueway trails.

Stops, in route order

23 stops from Leitrim Village to Aghalane.

Desk research, not yet checked on site

Motor cruisers fill the marina beside the Leitrim Marina Hotel and its apartments, with wooden pontoons in the foreground under a blue sky with clouds.

Village · Co. Leitrim

Leitrim Village

The Shannon end of the waterway: a lively river village with public moorings, good pub food and the ruin of the O’Rourkes’ castle.

Public

Photo: Laurel Lodged · Public domain

Killarcan Lock (Lock 16) on the Shannon–Erne Waterway, with its stone chamber, a steel walkway over the gates and a small slate-roofed stone hut beside the lockside path.

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Killarcan Lock

Lock 16, the first of the sixteen self-operated Smart Card locks, a short hop above Leitrim village.

Open now · closes 20:00

Photo: John M · CC BY-SA 2.0

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Tirmactiernan Lock

Lock 15, about a kilometre above Killarcan, where a side channel can run fast after heavy rain.

Open now · closes 20:00

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Drumduff Lock

Lock 14, the third step of the climb from the Shannon, with Newbrook Lock only a few hundred metres beyond.

Open now · closes 20:00

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Newbrook Lock

Lock 13, close behind Drumduff on the climb from the Shannon to Kilclare.

Open now · closes 20:00
A white cruiser in the chamber of Lisconor Lock (Lock 12) at Kilclare, with a second boat close behind and dark clouds overhead.

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Lisconor Lock

Lock 12 at Kilclare, the last single lock before the three-lock Kilclare flight.

Open now · closes 20:00

Photo: John M · CC BY-SA 2.0

Looking along a lock chamber at Kilclare on a sunny day, with the paved lockside and control pillars on the right and moored boats and a red-roofed building in the distance.

Village · Co. Leitrim

Kilclare

A small village at the foot of the Kilclare locks, close to Sheemore and Sheebeg, the two fairy hills of south Leitrim.

Photo: Adie Jackson · CC BY-SA 2.0

The tail of Kilclare Lower Lock (Lock 11) seen from the canal below, with stone wing walls, closed gates and grassy banks topped by a wooden fence.

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Kilclare Lower Lock

Lock 11, the bottom of the three-lock Kilclare flight that lifts the waterway to its summit.

Open now · closes 20:00

Photo: John M · CC BY-SA 2.0

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Kilclare Middle Lock

Lock 10, the middle step of the Kilclare flight, closed for winter maintenance from 2 November 2026.

Open now · closes 20:00
The floating pontoons of Keshcarrigan marina seen from the lough, with red service posts, a single moored cruiser and the houses of the village behind the trees.

Village · Co. Leitrim

Keshcarrigan

The summit village between Lough Scur and Keshcarrigan Lough: a fully serviced marina with shore power, Gertie’s bar and the burial hill of Sheebeg above.

Public

Photo: Suse · CC BY-SA 2.0

Castlefore Lock (Lock 8) seen from its gates, with the stone-edged canal stretching away between a tarmac lockside path and green fields.

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Castlefore Lock

Lock 8, the first lock down from the summit towards the Erne, closed for maintenance from 2 November 2026.

Open now · closes 20:00

Photo: John M · CC BY-SA 2.0

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Ballyduff Lock

Lock 7, a sturdy stone lock with a slipway, where the Blueway’s waterside path to Aghoo Bridge begins.

Open now · closes 20:00
A red narrowboat moored on the still canal at Ballinamore, with trees, houses and a stone-edged quay reflected in the water.

Town · Co. Leitrim

Ballinamore

The market town halfway along the waterway, with a fully serviced marina, shops for a restock and some of the best traditional pubs on the route.

Public

Photo: Kenneth Allen · CC BY-SA 2.0

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Ballinamore Lock

Lock 6, right below Ballinamore marina at the edge of the town.

Open now · closes 20:00

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Ardrum Lock

Lock 5, a short way below Ballinamore, where the town’s looped walk crosses the canal.

Open now · closes 20:00

Lock · Co. Leitrim

Aghoo Lock

Lock 4 at Aghoo Bridge, the end of the Blueway path from Ballyduff and the last lock before Garadice Lough.

Open now · closes 20:00
The stone-edged quay at Haughton’s Shore on Garadice Lough, with lawns, young trees and the open lake beyond.

Harbour · Co. Leitrim

Haughton’s Shore

A lakeside harbour on Garadice Lough with a full service block, the one serviced stop between Ballinamore and Ballyconnell.

Public

Photo: Oliver Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0

A small penichette cruiser on the Woodford River near Skelan Lock, passing a navigation marker between reed-fringed meadows and a line of trees.

Lock · Co. Cavan

Skelan Lock

Lock 3 on the Woodford River, the first lock in County Cavan, with a Blueway walking trail nearby.

Open now · closes 20:00 Private · not yet checked

Photo: Suse · CC BY-SA 2.0

Ballyconnell Bridge, a stone arch bridge over the Woodford River, seen from the railed riverside path, with moored boats visible through one of the arches.

Town · Co. Cavan

Ballyconnell

A lively Cavan town on the Woodford River under Slieve Rushen, with a fully serviced marina, good pubs and the Slieve Russell golf resort nearby.

Public

Photo: Deadstar · CC BY-SA 4.0

A green barge in Corraquill Lock (Lock 1) on the Woodford River, seen from above the gates, with the paved lockside, a cottage and the river stretching away.

Lock · Co. Fermanagh

Corraquill Lock

Lock 1 near Teemore in County Fermanagh, where the restored waterway was officially opened on 23 May 1994.

Open now · closes 20:00

Photo: Kenneth Allen · CC BY-SA 2.0

A cruiser on the tree-lined Woodford River at Aghalane, with the banks reflected in the calm water and houses on the slope behind.

Harbour · Co. Fermanagh

Aghalane

The last public mooring before the Erne, beside the border bridge at Aghalane, with a service block and shore power.

Public

Photo: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0

Show all 23 stops Show fewer stops

Also on this waterway: Carrick-on-Shannon (Upper Shannon: Lanesborough to Carrick) · Belturbet (Upper Lough Erne)

Services along the way

6 stops

Pump-out, water, fuel, shore power, showers and laundry where a listing says so, in route order. Tap a stop for who runs it and when.

  1. Leitrim Village Pump-out Showers Toilets Laundry Smart Card
  2. Keshcarrigan Pump-out Shore power Showers Toilets Laundry Smart Card
  3. Ballinamore Pump-out Shore power Showers Toilets Laundry Smart Card
  4. Haughton’s Shore Pump-out Showers Toilets Laundry Smart Card
  5. Ballyconnell Pump-out Shore power Showers Toilets Laundry Smart Card
  6. Aghalane Pump-out Drinking water Shore power Showers Toilets Smart Card

A stop not listed here may still have them: nobody has checked yet. Know better? Report a change

Practical rules

Mooring limits, locks, speed and hazards, in our own words with links to the sources.

Mooring limits

The Shannon rule applies: no more than 5 days in a row at a public mooring and 7 days a month in all; for longer, find a private berth (boater information). From 1 November to 31 March you can book a winter berth (€63.50 for 2026–27); without one the 5-day rule still applies. Power and water at public jetties are off in winter (Marine Notice 107/2026).

Locks

Crews work all 16 locks from a console beside the chamber with a Waterways Ireland Smart Card: one unit per passage. The card also opens the service blocks, pump-outs and shore power. Hours: April–October 09:00–20:00, November–March 09:00 to dusk. Since 1 April 2026 lifejackets or buoyancy aids are compulsory for everyone in the lock, on board or on the walls (Marine Notice 35/2026). Patrollers: Lock 16 +353 87 260 8569, Kilclare +353 87 260 3663, Ballinamore +353 87 260 2478, Ballyconnell +353 87 260 3662, Lock 1 +44 28 6774 8976.

Size limits

Locks take boats up to 24 m long and 4.5 m wide; guide draft 1.2 m, air draft 3.2 m over a width of 3 m. Some hire models may not use the waterway: ask your base. Register every boat with Waterways Ireland, except open undecked boats under 15 bhp.

Speed and marks

5 km/h throughout (Special Marine Notice 1/2026). At Lough Scur the Shannon marks give way to the Erne system (IWAI).

Winter 2026–27

The waterway between locks 8 and 10, Keshcarrigan included, closes from 2 November 2026 and works on lock 1 start on 16 November, each for about three months (Marine Notice 112/2026): no through route most of the winter. Until 17 March, ask Waterways Ireland if the waterway is open before setting out; read the marine notices before every trip.

This is a travel guide, not a navigation aid.

Conditions on the water

Forecast, warnings and water levels

Weather and water

Loading the latest conditions…

Locks & bridges

16 locks on this waterway. The times below are worked out on this device. They change with the season: always read the notice.

  • Killarcan Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Tirmactiernan Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Drumduff Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Newbrook Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
Show 12 more
  • Lisconor Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Kilclare Lower Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Kilclare Middle Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Kilclare Upper Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Castlefore Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Ballyduff Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Ballinamore Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Ardrum Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Aghoo Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Skelan Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Ballyconnell Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00
  • Corraquill Lock Lock · Self-operated with a Smart Card
    Open now · closes 20:00

All lock and bridge times Check the Waterways Ireland marine notices

Itineraries

Ready-made trips that start here or pass through.

All itineraries

Events

No events listed for this waterway yet.

All events Tell us about an event

Marine notices

Current Waterways Ireland marine notices for this waterway. The one-line summaries are ours: read the notice itself.

Show 4 more

Source: Waterways Ireland · All marine notices on Waterways Ireland

Our marketplace buz.ie

Boats for sale: Shannon–Erne Waterway

See all boats for sale

On buz.ie by county: Co. Leitrim Co. Cavan Co. Fermanagh

Sell your boat free on buz.ie

More on the map, from OpenStreetMap

Places on the map that are not near one of our stops. Listed on OpenStreetMap, not checked by us. © OpenStreetMap contributors

Food & drink (1)
Locks & bridges (1)
Things to do (1)