Shannon River Boat Hire Reviews

Excellent customer service

We had a fantastic time on the river! We brought the Florida weather with us. Everything was great. All the information you shared was very helpful. I can honestly say that in the last 55 years I have never found a person who gave as excellent customer service as you do. I hope your supervisors realize what an asset you are.

Fred O'Brien, Florida, USA., 18/09/2024

It was seamless.

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on the Shannon. From booking with yourself and the guys in Carrick Craft it was seamless.

Susan Hanly, Ireland, 09/04/2024

We had a lovely time

We had a lovely time and really enjoyed the boat. The bikes didn't work out so well (saddles weren't adjustable and were obviously ridden by people much taller than us, so couldn't be used ??) Other than that everything went well and we hope to do it again in the future.

Michelle Hourihan, Co. Kildare, Ireland, 08/04/2024

We had an amazing time on our cruise, it was one of our best holidays ever!

Thanks for your email. We had an amazing time on our cruise, it was one of our best holidays ever!

Everything from booking with yourself, to checking in, to boat training, then on to cruising to the beautiful riverside towns was just a great experience. 

The main reason we all enjoyed the cruise, was the relaxed pace that you go at. You have no choice but to unwind and chill out. 

Will definitely be booking again

Jennifer Mahon, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 10/11/2023

Thank you again for your help in arranging the boat

Our week on the boat was great ... despite the few days when the weather was ordinary we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We were very happy with the service you provided in arranging our booking. Also we cannot fault Carrick Craft - their staff were excellent and very helpful.

Thank you again for your help in arranging the boat

Mark Redenbach, Canberra, Australia, 25/10/2023

Trip was amazing

Trip was amazing boat was good apart from engine cover kept collapsing and we kept tripping on it the little outboard motor broke down thankfully we were able to get a tow we caught a massive fish got chased by a goat by all means a successful trip thanks 

Ross Brennan, Ireland, 11/10/2023

Your customer service has been stellar.

Thanks for following up for feedback. Your customer service has been stellar. We appreciate that we were able to retain our deposit for so long. As well, the information you sent was helpful in planning our route.

The boat was a bit older and the furnshings were a bit more tired than we expected. Our biggest disappointment was the heating system. In one cabin the sheets were damp and clammy throughout the week. As well, we could not keep the windshield clear because the vent did not work and so the windshield was continually fogging up. If the weather had been better, perhaps these would not have been such a concern.

A small thing, but it would have been nice to have more towels- we were issued just one each for the week.

The staff in Carrick were outstanding. They allowed us to complete our paperwork on Friday afternoon so that we did not have to wait in line to check out on Saturday morning. 

All in all, it was a good experience but just missed on being a great one.

Jean Edmonson, Victoria, Canada, 29/09/2023

We had a great break

We had a great break the service  from your staff we received was friendly and helpful the boat was clean and tidy and we were able to use the cooker for a no of meals etc. 

The boat was well equipped with everything that you would need and the heater at night was a great help.

Nathan Chambers, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 26/09/2023

This is our fourth trip booking with you

This is our fourth trip booking with you and we had a great time once again.

The Silverline cruiser (Silver Shadow) was lovely and in great condition. This year we went south from Banagher to Killaloe and there was lots to see and do for 7 nights.

Louise McAlavey, Co, Cavan, Ireland, 23/09/2023

Thanks for your service

We had a great trip with fair or even superb weather! The flooded fields made for an spectacular impression, only the navigation with the strong current in Athlone Marina gave us an headache. Luckily, without loosing money from our damage deposit... We also had to see a mdical centre there, but the MD was very accommodating and helpful -- likewise a positive experience.

We celebrated our save return to Carrick-o-Sh in the classy Red Bank restaurant.

Only Dubln airport made a gift to us in form of the new Omikron virus: my wife and my son are still suffering somewhat.

Thanks for your service -- we will certainly return to Ireland quite soon, to explore the coast by car.

Jörg-Martin Hohberg, Berne, Switzerland, 19/09/2023

Thank you very much for all your help and information

All went well, we were a bit delayed departing on Friday, it was 3:40pm again we were underway south as the boat was only back that morning, but Emerald Star must be beginning to recognise me as a regular customer as when we went out to the boat there were 4 bicycles, a bbq and a dinghy with an out board engine on/attached to it and we didn't ask for them or were they on our final invoice, I never mentioned them to any of the staff, so they were being nice or someone made a mistake, we had planned to make it to Tarmonbarry for the first night, but it was a bit of a risk and we stayed overnight in Dromad instead, with a pleasant sunset and a nice meal in the Brandywell

We made it to the Purple Onion in Tarmonbarry for lunch on Saturday, excellent as always and on south after. We decided to stay in Lanesborough the second night as once again it would have been too far to make it to the next major town, anyway there was a sailing festival in Lanesborough with a bbq and singsong that evening/night in the marina which was brilliant and a spectacular sunset, with a wee hangover next morning. 

About turn and north Sunday morning, to Richmond harbour after a bit of a traffic jam in the Clondra canal, up the Royal canal on the bikes, out and around the Camlin river, back on the Shannon, through Albert lock and Jamestown canal in a convoy, we were going to stay in Jamestown but the Cottage restaurant was closed for September, so we made a dash to Leitrim village and had a lovely meal in The Barge Steakhouse, a few drinks and saw the rising of the moon.

We had asked and were allowed to be back in Carrick at 11am, a great few days again, weather was sublime, thank you very much for all your help and information as always, Brian and your team. See you again next year for our ninth booking with Shannon River Boat Hire.

Patrick Rooney, Dublin, Ireland, 19/09/2023

Will be on to book again next year.

All went brilliantly ,we were blessed with the weather.

Will be on to book again next year.

Colin Healy, Dublin, Ireland, 18/09/2023

Look forward to booking again with yourself

We had a fantastic time and will look forward to booking again with yourself. We were blessed with the weather we could have been in Spain with the heat we got. The boat is brilliant and is perfect for two people. The only thing I could say is the hatch in the bedroom could do with a blind of some sort. I covered the window in black bags because we were awake at half six every morning.

Dave Cullen, Ireland, 15/09/2023

We had a brilliant time on the river

We had a brilliant time on the river,  weather was fantastic and all the places we visited were top class ie. Food ,Drink,Music and facilities on water side. All your staff that we met could not be nicer and more helpful. The cruiser was more than  we expected, very comfortable.  Instructions on operating the boat and maps were spot on. We are already telling people  about our holiday and recommending the Shannon experience.

Sean O'Malley, 12/09/2023

We all had a great time

We all had a great time, delighted to say the boat was very comfortable, the weather was at its best and the river was just superb & we will be back as soon as we can.

Judge for yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDiRrbETnQ0

Tom Donnelly, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 12/09/2023

Again thank you for a great holiday.

Again thank you for a great holiday. Me and my family had a real good time. Hope to see you again soon.

Juergen Meyer, 06/09/2023

Definitely an experience enjoyed by us all.

Myself and my family thoroughly enjoyed our experience on the Shannon river.  From the receiving of the keys (checking in) a lovely lady informed us fully of the procedures and we felt at ease.  We would also like to mention the great staff you have at Carrick on Shannon berth, Sean who showed us around the boat and was brilliant with our disabled daughter.  Also Padraic who greeted us on our return and explained everything to us in details of the checking out.  Again he was brilliant with our daughter.

They all seemed to have plenty of patience and time for us novice customers which is invaluable as the weekend we went out the weather was very inclement.  Please be reassured Brian that this will not be our last time (hopefully next time it wont be amber weather warning!)

Definitely an experience enjoyed by us all.

Paul Cannan, Co. Sligo, Ireland, 05/09/2023

We had a great time on the boat, everything was perfect

We had a great time on the boat, everything was perfect. The staff & instructor were very pleasant & helpful.

Sharon Fogarty, Dublin, Ireland, 02/09/2023

We had a lovely time

We had a lovely time.  Silverline were great. So helpful and friendly. The boat was spotless and very well equipped. I was particularly impressed with the quality of the  linens, delph and cutlery.  Oftentimes rental equipment feels cheap and shoddy but these were lovely.  Gave me confidence that if  they were particular about the minor details then they would be spot on with the major ones.  

Great trip.

Nuala Kirwan, Co. Waterford, Ireland, 01/09/2023

Thank you very much for your kind assistance and help.

We had beautiful days on the Shannon  and will keep them in our memories. It was (again) a fascinating experience to travel from Banagher to Killaloe then to Alton and inside Lough Ree and back to Banagher. We have seen so much beautiful land and county and met tremendously friendly people. All in all an experience that I can only recommend to everybody. Thank you very much for your kind assistance and help.

Dirk Buhlmann, Frankfurt, Germany, 31/08/2023

We really appreciated your advice and info

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and the many stops along the way. We really appreciated your advice and info in the lead up and would happily book again. 

Adrian Mullins, Ireland, 30/08/2023

Your responsiveness and information all the time was most appreciated.

We had a brilliant time thank you Brian -

Your responsiveness and information all the time was most appreciated. Noel at Carrick-Craft was great with us too.

I really loved the company from the Swans!

James Statham, Dublin, Ireland, 30/08/2023

We highly recommend this to any and everyone.

We had the absolute best time on our midweek River cruise. We loved every minute of it, the freedom of being able yo plan our route and cruise along at our own pace was fantastic. 

This was our first time ever driving a river boat and it was a fantastic experience that we will most certainly be doing again (and again and again) I am sure.

We highly recommend this to any and everyone. We are already considering our trip for next year when we are thinking of doing 10 days in France now that we know how amazing it is. 

Thanks for everything.

John McSorley, Wales, UK, 29/08/2023

A great experience!

We had a great time thanks. The boat with Emerald didn't have the thrusters which we had been spoilt with on carrick craft boats previously. It made a huge difference and to be honest if anyone asked us what we would recommend it would be to take a boat with the thrusters, especially considering the high waters and current on the first day. We saw a few boats getting into difficulty, we were lucky we had taken boats before so could handle it. 

That would be the biggest thing I suppose, otherwise a great experience! 

Vanessa Pinheiro, Co. Cavan, Ireland, 28/08/2023

You were a pleasure to be dealing with.

Everything was brilliant. Your staff in Portumna are exceptional. Check in and out were effortless thanks to you and your staff. We had a great time and are looking for prices for next year already. 

Thanks for all your help also. You were a pleasure to be dealing with. 

Roy O'Leary, Co. Cork, Ireland, 24/08/2023

I found the service really useful

We had a great time thank you. I found the service really useful - it was great to be able to see all the various cruise and hire co.  options in one place.

Yann Mitchell, Dublin, Ireland, 23/08/2023

We very much enjoyed our week on the river.

We very much enjoyed our week on the river. The boat went well with no issues and the team at Carrick Craft were friendly and helpful. 

Paul Mitchell, New Zealand, 21/08/2023

Thanks a lot for all your help

I’m glad to report we had a great trip with no issues! We travelled Banagher on the first evening, GarryKennedy the second and onto Terryglass for the last night. With no late fee for dropping the boat back at 10.15am the following morning.

Thanks a lot for all your help and I’ll make sure to come back to you directly next time.

Jamie Johnson, Dublin, Ireland, 16/08/2023

Thank you for everything.

We had a great time on the Shannon! All of us really enjoyed the experience.

People were always friendy and helping if we needed help.

Thank you for everything.

Olivia Steiger Pérez, Zurich, Switzerland, 16/08/2023

We had a lovely week thanks

We had a lovely week thanks. Got very lucky with the weather and it was good not having to go back to Carrick. Managed to get to Garry Kennedy before heading back to portumna. We all really enjoyed it.

Colin Gibson, UK, 16/08/2023

Thank you for all your help and getting everything arranged for us

We had a great time as always. Thank you for all your help and getting everything arranged for us. We're looking forward to next year already.

Brian Galligan, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, 15/08/2023

Thank you for all your help

We had a good trip thanks ,and thank you for all your help 

Bernadette Woods, Tasmania, Australia, 13/08/2023

We had a wonderful time

I have to say apart from the weather everything was great, boat was excellent spacious and clean, the river it’s self was very easy to navigate do all in all we had a wonderful time, we do plan to return again. 

Robbie Quirke, Co. Wexford, Ireland, 13/08/2023

Would definitely recommend your business

We had a fantastic time on the river - all really enjoyed it!

Have attached a photo for your gallery, all looking pleased. 

In terms of feedback, we were very pleased overall. All of the staff that we spoke with were particularly helpful - would definitely recommend your business for that reason. 

I can only think of a few minor suggestions for improvement:

- The smoke alarm started beeping in the middle of one of the first nights as either the battery was low or it needed testing. Would be good to check this before setting off. 

- The engine stop button didn't seem to work from the top of the boat but perhaps we weren't using it correctly.

- And finally, the deck cushions could have been complimentary as they definitely make the trip more comfortable and are low cost to provide.

Cormac Farrell, Surrey, UK, 10/08/2023

Everything was fantastic.

Everything was fantastic.

Carla Silva, Dublin, Ireland, 09/08/2023

we've no hesitation in recommending Shannon River

We had a few problems with the boat but Liz & John couldn't have been more helpful and arranged for a replacement for us. 

I've attached a few photos of our trip, we were lucky in that it rained mostly during the night.

Many thanks and we've no hesitation in recommending Shannon River to our family and friends.

Suzanne Ryan, Dublin, Ireland, 08/08/2023

We had a fantastic time and everything went well!

We had a fantastic time and everything went well!

David Schloesser, Switzerland, 29/07/2023

Everything was very good, thank you

Everything was very good, thank you. The four visitors from France were very pleased with the experience, and they thought that the design of the boat was excellent.

I would definitely recommend Silver Lines for novices, as the young man who instructed us at the start, and who also helped us at the end, was very thorough and very pleasant

Pádraigín Nic Ghearailt, Ireland, 26/07/2023

We had a great time on Lough Derg

We had a great time on Lough Derg. 

I made a reel of the trip and described what we liked below:

Thanks for the good communication and organizing

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Outdoor Dad ???? (@johnkelly_ontheroad)

John Kelly, Switzerland, 26/07/2023

Everything was fantastic

Everything was fantastic…thank you Brian.

Brian Eustace, California, USA, 23/07/2023

Yes we had a great time and no complaints

Yes we had a great time and no complaints. Will definitely reach out again next time. 

Alan Coyne, Co. Kildare, Ireland., 20/07/2023

Thank you so much for your help in getting this organised

We had a wonderful 3 nights onboard the Lagan Star with Emerald Star on the last week of June. Thank you so much for your help in getting this organised for my Dad’s 50th birthday gift. You were so easy to deal with and made everything straight forward especially when this was something none of the family had any experience with! Thank you for answering all my questions even the silly ones!  

We picked up our boat from Portumna and got as far as Athlone and returned to Portumna on the Thursday morning. 

It was the right amount of time to enjoy and experience cruising down the Shannon for the first time.  

My Dad was the captain and had no experience driving a boat, a special mention to Jason who was so helpful to him!                

Sarah at reception was equally just as helpful to me with the pre board documents and answering my questions! 

We had such a lovely family break away. It was something totally different but so enjoyable. We have some great memories made from this trip and we are already finding our next excuse to book the next one. 

Thank you so much Brian, Jason & Sarah and all who work on the river Shannon. 

Aileen O'Sullvan, Co. Cork, Ireland, 18/07/2023

We want to thank you as always you did a great job

We had a magical time no matter the weather.

Great family bonding as teamwork is the best and safest way.

Brian had one of the best holidays of his life and he's had a good few of those lol.

Highlights wore mooring at Clondra and Drumsna.

Oisín adores his time on the boat with each stop being an adventure.

We will find it hard waiting for next year's summer trip so much to discover.

We have the savings jar on the go for nexts years adventure.

The dinghy was a great final touch the lads made use of it.

We want to thank u as always u did a great job in getting us the rite boat.

We're is best to do a review?

Jamie Butler, Dublin, Ireland, 11/07/2023

Thanks again for all your input and help.

May I take this opportunity to thank you for all your help in facilitating our holiday. Communications started way back in November 2022!

We were supposed to be four chaps on the Fermanagh class boat, but unfortunately one of them had to drop out at the very last moment as his wife became ill and he had to stay behind and look after her. (She is improving now thankfully). His company was missed.

We three made the best of it - although the weather was not really on our side at times - but, I guess that's Ireland for you!

I'm in the middle of sorting out the photos, shot mainly on phones, but will send some when I get a chance.

The boat was great by the way. All very clean and everything that's supposed to work - worked great!

And the staff at Carrick-on-Shannon were all friendly and all very helpful.

I'll be in touch if there is a next year trip!

All the best for now,

And thanks again for all your input and help.

Steve Leigh, UK, 10/07/2023

Thank you for the guidance and advise.

The service during our boat trip from 28 June – 01 July was excellent. Thank you for the guidance and advise.

(worst day on the Shannon is much better than the best day back in the office!)

Henrik Bouwer, South Africa, 05/07/2023

Thanks for all the help.

Another excellent trip and made very easy thanks to you guys. Thanks for all the help. 

Larry Bergin, Dublin, Ireland, 28/06/2023

10/10 - would do it again.

We were blessed with the weather so it was like being on the lakes of Italy :)

We had a lovely time 10/10 would do it again - even the teenager enjoyed it :)

Barbara Hegarty, Cork, Ireland, 28/06/2023

As always, it was simply brilliant

As always, it was simply brilliant. The whole team in Carrick were really lovely and so helpful. I would be a great advocate for you guys and am always telling people just how lovely it is to do the boat trips.

If there was any criticism it would be around the way the fuel is done. We were saying that it would be preferable to do the fuel on the amount used rather than the hours used but that would be our only point of dispute (Emerald Star).

Paddy O'Connor, Dublin, Ireland, 28/06/2023

A good time was had by all.

A good time was had by all. Boat and weather was great.

Micheal Forman, Aberdeen, Scotland, 28/06/2023

It was a pleasure booking with you.

Everything was fantastic. 

Thanks a lot Brian for guiding me through the process and taking the time to answer all of my questions. You were very thorough and extremely helpful in clarifying what to expect.

It was a pleasure booking with you.

Dhruv Reshamwala, Ireland, 25/06/2023

We had a great time on the river

We had a great time on the river

Jason in emerald star was absolutely brilliant

Tom Coade, Dublin, Ireland, 23/06/2023

Many thanks for great organization and support of our holiday

After some days back home we all would like to say many thanks for great organization and support of our holiday in Ireland.

Our journey along the Shannon river was an unforgettable and exciting experience. 

We saw a lot of beautiful Irish countryside but also visited wonderful pubs with great Irish beer and met many nice and very friendly people. 

Thank you once again and maybe we will come back again

Milan Skorpik, Czech Republic., 21/06/2023

An amazing holiday

Everything was fantastic.  An amazing holiday

Mary Hughes, Dublin, Ireland, 15/06/2023

It was a great trip

It was a great trip, thanks a lot! No further comments, everything fine.

Oliver Hoeck, Dusseldorf, Germany, 14/06/2023

Thanks for your help with the booking.

We had a great time on our trip and we were blessed with the weather!

Thanks for your help with the booking.

Barbara Sheehy-Skeffington, Dublin, Ireland, 13/06/2023

The trip was fantastic

The trip was fantastic and we couldn’t have planned on better weather so we feel rather lucky. Everything went very well and we had a lovely time.

Eric Rapin, California, USA, 13/06/2023

Would highly recommend using Shannon river boat hire

We made a last minute booking with Brian for the June back holiday.  Booking though Shannon River boat hire was super easy and no hidden costs.  Brian was accommodating and helpful as were the boat hire company Emerald Star.  Our boat was mid sized, it was clean and comfortable with all basic supplies provided.   We had a fantastic 4 day break with fabulous memories made.  Our youngest is Autistic and he particularly loved the movement and calming effect of the boat.  Would highly recommend using Brian again at Shannon river boat hire

Sinead Marshall, Co. Limerick, Ireland., 12/06/2023

Thank you for all of your help

We had a ball. Everyone was so lovely from start to finish. We felt very supported on the boat, loaded with information and we had a fabulous weekend! The lady at reception was also extremely helpful and kind. 

Thank you for all of your help,

Jenny Condon, Ireland, 12/06/2023

We had a great time again

We had a great time again, the Consul is a great boat for a group of 4. The only issue we had was before taking the boat out, the outside lock could easily be opened by any key like object/tool. It was very easy to tell the lock was old and worn away by looking at it but one of the guys was treating me like I was stupid before eventually going and getting a chain and padlock as a solution (Consul 1 for reference). But as I said everything and everyone else was great. 

Eoin Gribbon, UK, 06/06/2023

I thank you for making this trip happen for us

First let me say, from the moment you reached out to me,  to the moment we finished our trip and backed our boat into its slip, we had the most wonderful time.

The Horizon One was the perfect boat for us, Peter who gave us the safety talk and walk through of  operations of the vessel was amazing !!!!

The boat ran perfectly and  every system worked flawlessly.

The boat was sparkling clean, the white linens were a touch of class.

The Shannon river was spectacular!!!

The weather was unbelievable, the pictures my wife took are so beautiful, she captured the many shades of green, the fields the towns and the people.

Our only complaint was that we wished we had a month on the river.

The whole crew in Carrick were so helpful and friendly.

I thank you Brian for making this trip happen for us, I know it was short notice and you made it work !!!

Thank so very much

John Fox, Utah, USA, 31/05/2023

Couldn’t have been better

Couldn’t have been better - cracking weather, all good will drop a few pictures for the website

Robert Flanagan, Dublin, 31/05/2023

Thanks for your help

We had a great 3 days on Shannon; the experience of navigating the Locks etc was great. Please see attached photo. Thanks for your help .

John O'Hara, Ireland, 31/05/2023

It was absolutely magic thanks

It was absolutely magic thanks

Leo Forde, Co. Meath, Ireland, 30/05/2023

Thank you for all your help with booking our cruise

Many thanks for your email and delighted to say our recent Shannon River Cruise was a great success.

The service from Carrickcraft was excellent, very friendly and professional.  The boat, Linssen 35.0 AC, absolutely lovely.  In fact have to say the quality and fit out of this boat was even better than expected and we certainly never anticipated that it would have not only a toaster, but a Tassimo coffee machine!  It handled really well too and the bow and stern thrusters made manoeuvring pretty easy even in strong winds.  Very pleased to have booked through you and with Carrickcraft - excellent.

Worth mentioning, the Irish Waterway services ashore were generally average.  A few observations: 

Cold, grubby showers at Lannesborough, despite smart card access only.  Facilities also locked at night with no 24hour Smart card access. 

No access to pump out at Athlone on a Sunday until 2.30pm when someone would be in the office, so the sign said.  We didn’t have the time to wait.  The pump out in Athlone is also mounted on a pontoon that is frankly difficult to access on a busy day - it would be much better on an outer pontoon. 

At Shannonbridge the pump out wasn’t working at all.  I phoned four different numbers at Irish Waterways to even speak to someone and they said someone would come out.  They didn’t of course, but when I mentioned this in passing to Carrickcraft they said it had been broken in a flood months ago and not fixed!  Fair enough it was broken, which was inconvenient,  but an ‘out of order’ sign would have helped. 

On the positive side, amazing that mooring facilities are provided for free and no charge for water or use of locks on this stretch of the Shannon.  The poor shore facilities didn’t really impact us as the boat had two excellent showers and heads, but bearing in mind the contribution to the local economy from boats on the Shannon, I think Irish Waterways could do better.

I stress my comments on Irish Waterways are meant to be helpful and for your information.  In no way did this impact on the enjoyment of our holiday, which was great.

Thank you for all your help with booking our cruise, we will undoubtably be back and book through you again.

Kevin Marchant, Cornwall, UK, 26/05/2023

Thank you for all your help

It was great!  Apart from the weather. My grand children had a ball.Thank you for all your help

Eric Martin, UK, 25/05/2023

Many thanks to you for all your help

Excellent trip and many thanks to you for all your help it was great to have all the detail in advance. The Carrick craft team we just brillant to deal with and very helpful.

Richard Kilfeather, Ireland, 22/05/2023

Would definitely recommend this holiday.

We had the time of our lives on the Shannon. It was the first time for the four of us and we all agree we are coming back next year. It was so peaceful on the river and we loved every minute of it. We met some lovely people also and had lovely meals in nice restaurants. We were nervous starting off but that soon changed. Would definitely recommend this holiday.

Claire O'Brien, Co. Monaghan, Ireland, 20/05/2023

We have been singing your praises all around

I hope you are enjoying the beautiful sunshine. We had an absolute ball on the boat. We have been singing your praises all around. It was a trip that has left lasting memories and we definitely hope to be back to ye. 

Sinead McNamara, Galway, Ireland., 12/05/2023

Everything was perfect.

Thanks so much we had a lovely time. Everything was perfect.

Mary Beth Flett, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 09/05/2023

It was great!

It was great!

Sergejs Plastikovs, Co. Meath, Ireland., 04/05/2023

Thanks for all your help in securing me our chosen boat

We all had a fantastic time. The Roscommon Class was perfect for 10 adults, great to be able to cook our own breakfast each morning and handling the boat was straight forward thankfully. We all completed the online Captains Quiz before our arrival and that really helped prepare us. 

I've attached some photos, I don't know if this is what you are looking for, so I won't be insulted if you don't use any of them : )

Thanks for all your help in securing me our chosen boat. Many of the lads onboard said that they would love to return with their families in the future

Brendan Meade, London, UK, 01/05/2023

We had an amazing time

We had an amazing time, all the team at the check-in was kind and happy to help, the boat was great, tidy and clean and very comfortable.

The only remark I would have is when we arrived we took the all inclusive package with the petrol, the card, the insurance etc but since it was the first time and only for 3 days we used maybe 1/8 of the petrol so in fact we lost money and we haven't been well advised at all.

We stayed the first night in Banagher, then the next day in Portumna, then in Banagher to be on time for the check-out the next morning.

Afterwards we really felt he sold us to sell and to make money out of our booking, which was not really pleasant.

Besides that, everything was perfect.

Alex Gage, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, 28/04/2023

It was a very enjoyable trip

Thanks Brian - all went very well and it was a very enjoyable trip. All organisational matters were very well managed by yourself and much appreciated.

Marcus Hufsky, Sligo, Ireland, 17/04/2023

We had a great time and enjoyed every second

Thanks for the follow up ! We had a great time and enjoyed every second

Tina Kappes, Germany, 17/04/2023

We really wanted to thank you both for our booking.

We really wanted to thank you both for our booking.

Yes, we did modified our trip to take the boat from Carrick-on-Shannon but we are really grateful. It was an amazing experience for my husband and I (and our two dogs). It was obvious, when we arrived that it was impossible to navigate where else and we've got some emotions the first day with the strong current.

So, again, thank you for the safety which allow us to enjoy the journey and spend great time at Carrick-on-Shannon the nights before and after.

Amanda Santune, France, 12/04/2023

we had a great weekend. Thanks again and definitely will be back

Just a quick note to say thank you.

The boat was in great condition and the team were so nice and helpful,  and we had a great weekend.

Thanks again and definitely will be back

Stephen Rust, Co. Kildare, Ireland, 11/04/2023

Thank you for your help and support!

Once again thank you for your help and support!

All in all we had a good time on the Shannon. We were, however, a bit unfortunate, that the Shannon had indeed high water (unusually high for this time of year, as we were told), which made maneuvering and mooring considerably harder, especially for an inexperienced crew like ours. Plus, there were a few places we couldn't go to, as the bridges would have been too low because of the water level (Lough Key; Carnadoe Lakes), or where we couldn't moor up because the jettys/bridges were flooded (Clonmacnoise; Shannonbridge). 

On the other side, the weather was better than expected, with the first couple of days being quite cold but mostly sunny (or at least no rain), then it got warmer, with the occasional shower (rain and once or twice even hail). And we were a bit lucky that we had headwind while crossing the Lough Ree, which was the second best that could have happened to us (apart from a calm, of course).

And we saw some lovely places; Terryglass was nice, Dromod was lovely (a pity that the railway museum was closed), and the only angler in our crew of four managed to catch at least one pike (in Ballyleague).

I'll include some photos; please feel free to use any of them if you find them suitable. (Jamestown Canal; Dromod; high water at Ballyleague; high water south of Athlone; flooded bridge at Clonmancoise). [Although possibly the high water photos might not be too suitable]

Thanks again, all the best to you and your family; we will certainly recommend shannon-river.com to anyone interested in a similar journey!

Ingmar Schuette, Hannover, Germany, 09/04/2023

Thanks so much again for an excellent service

Thanks so much again for an excellent service you provided on booking the boat again this year being my fifth year on different boats with different companies it has always being a pleasure  dealing with you and something I look forward too booking every year on one of my favourite holidays. Continued success and best wishes.

Leonard Collins, Co. Clare, Ireland, 05/04/2023

A wholly enjoyable weekend.

We had a lovely time, weather wasnt great but that didn't dampen our spirits.  Boat was perfect, everything was catered for.  We would definitely think about hiring again.  We found the driving of the boat grand, I think because of the time of year and weather the current was strong so mooring the boat was a bit of a challenge.  Otherwise a wholly enjoyable weekend.

David Priestly, Dublin, Ireland, 24/03/2023

Thanks for everything

We had a great time on the lake and will certainly do it again.

Thanks for everything.

Shane O'Connor, Co. Kildare, Ireland, 16/11/2022

As always, everything was excellently arranged

As always, everything was excellently arranged. The driver was waiting for us nicely in Dublin and the welcome at Portumna was very friendly. After a brief but clear explanation, we were ready for take-off ! Ireland remains a beautiful country, especially from the water and we love the Irish people. They always remain friendly.

The weather and fish were unfortunately a little less haha. The six of us had a total of 35 fish in 5 days but unfortunately no big pike, 96 cm was the biggest. But all in all we had a great time.

Yet I also have a small comment. The Vision 3 was big and spacious and it had quite a lot of luxury, but it also lacked quite a bit. The kitchen is actually finished. It really needs replacing. The floor in the boat was also largely loose. Furthermore, the boat had quite a few mouldy spots, but we know that this is unavoidable in this environment. All in all, we managed just fine in this boat, although, to be perfectly honest, I expected a little more.

What was perhaps most annoying is that the sideways thrusters at front and rear did not work. Fortunately, we had quite a bit of experience on board but I can imagine that someone with less experience with this boat would have had quite a bit of trouble on the Shannon. This problem had been reported to us right on arrival though so it was no surprise.

Overall, the holiday was great. The country, the people and the service from you and the people at the port sublime, only our expectations of the boat were perhaps too high and therefore slightly disappointing.

I will see if I have any pictures for you to use. We are already discussing when we will go again! As soon as I have a date I will contact you again. Thanks for your help and patience during the epidemic and who knows, see you soon.

Dave Heisterkamp, The Netherlands, 18/10/2022

The service was great

The cruise was great. Really enjoyed it. Sadly the weather on Sunday (small craft warning on the lake) meant we only had Friday evening & Saturday. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. I’ll attach some pics. The service was great (we had to phone Ivan on Sunday night as couldn’t get the heating working, he was so helpful) We’ll definitely be back.

Many thanks

Judy Bornemann, Co. Cork, Ireland, 15/10/2022

A Shannon River holiday will exceed your highest expectations

A big thank you to Brian at Shannon River Boat Hire, once again we had an absolute blast cruising the Shannon. Brian helped us source the best boat for the best value. He made sure all aspects of our booking was sorted. No question or request was to big or too small...and trust me we had a lot! A Shannon River holiday will exceed your highest expectations and with so much more to explore we will definitely be back again.

Charlotte Quinn, Co. Meath, Ireland, 08/10/2022

Cannot recommend your company and service highly enough.

We had a most enjoyable time and cannot recommend your company and service highly enough.

James Nicholson, Co. Tipperary, Ireland, 30/09/2022

Thanks for your help with the booking

We did indeed have a great time on our cruise from Portumna to Carrick-on-Shannon!  Our boat from Emerald Star was perfect for our group and amazingly easy use with the bow and stern thrusters.  The Navigation Guide that was provided was essential and also easy to follow as we navigated the river and found our overnight parking spots.  Thanks for your help with the booking and please pass on to the folks at Emerald Star our thanks for a great boat!

Kirby Sampsel, Florida, USA, 29/09/2022

the service you provide... is first rate.

We had an enjoyable short break on the Shannon, in no small measure helped by the good weather.

We did have a problem with our boat on the first night as we moored in Leitrim village. There was some sort of leak with the bilge pump operating continuously and I had to contact the on call engineer who came out to us at midnight. He couldn't fix the problem and returned  the next morning, but still no success. We had to go back to Carrick where we were supplied with a bigger boat (clipper model), a very fine boat.We were not charged for the first day's engine hours and the remainder of the engine hours were charged at Consul rates so we were happy enough, these things happen!

Regarding your service, this is at least the third time that I have gone through you to book a Shannon cruise, so that I think speaks for itself. Your website is a fantastic comparison site on which to base a hire decision. Furthermore the service you provide in terms of dealing directly with the company and the practical information you provide on Shannon cruising, once the booking is made, is first rate.

I would (will) recommend you to any of my friends thinking of doing a Shannon cruise and I hope to use your services in the future.

Neville Couse, Co. Donegal, Ireland, 26/09/2022

Nothing but the best to report

Nothing but the best to report it was amazing thank you, I have some drone videos I’ve taken I’m not very good at the editing but if any of you there have an liking I can send you the files, is it here that you would like the files?

Thanks for an amazing experience of it will definitely be booking again 

Rory McNamara, Co. Limerick, Ireland, 24/09/2022

It'll be our annual trip from now on

We had a great time. The boat was perfect, couldn't have asked for better. It'll be our annual trip from now on. We'll be in touch with you again for next year.

Paul Tierney, Dublin, Ireland, 16/09/2022

We had a lovely time on the shannon

We would like to say we had a lovely time on the shannon. The boat was lovely and spacious. The boat was handed to us spotless and we hope we returned it the same.

Joe Waldron, Ireland, 14/09/2022

We had a great time as always

We had a great time as always, weather was fantastic on Wednesday to Friday, some rain Friday night where we stayed in Leitrim village and ate in The Barge Steakhouse, food was excellent and so were the pints. Returned to Carrick early Saturday morning. As before, we will be back next year, to finish off the Balyconnell canal and Lough Erne.

Patrick Rooney, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 14/09/2022

Our short break was great

Our short break was great, quick check in and check out, very helpful guy who gave us the demo on the boat, we were really lucky with the weather, we will definitely be back again hopefully for a longer trip.

Mark Francis, 07/09/2022

Booking through yourself was very helpful

Thanks for your email. We had a fantastic weekend.  We could not have asked for better weather. We stayed in Terryglass on Friday night and then went down to Killaloe on Saturday.  We came backup to Garrykennedy on Sunday evening and got up early on Monday morning and got backup to Portumna for the 10am bridge.   We had brilliant weather. We ate in Paddy’s ,  Flanagan’s by the Lake and Larkins on the 3 evenings. Boat worked out great. We managed to get shore power in the locations and used the shoreside shower blocks with the service card.    As I said the weather was great – lots of swimming.    Booking through yourself was very helpful and we were well prepared before heading off on trip.  We took out the CDW insurance and we also had parking for 2 cars at the base

Thanks again for all your help – We will likely go again and will most definitely book through yourself

Ronnie Murray, Ireland, 06/09/2022

One of the highlights of my year

Hi Brian, We had a fantastic time on the Shannon. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be back again. Unfortunately one of my kids had to cancel as she had to sort out accommodation in Glasgow for her masters but my son and I managed fine. I definitely think I got the best option for a boat with size and features. The bigger ones needed more crew.

The staff were outstanding. We were introduced to the boat by Oisín who was excellent and a credit to your staff. Everything went smoothly and the maps and information included was invaluable - there were a couple of typos on marker numbers but these can be forgiven.

The toilets in the boat took a bit of getting used to from a size point of view (point and shoot wasn't really an option ?? ) and the flushing sequence took a while to get used to. I don't think the engine stop button worked on the top deck but that was a minor inconvenience as I had to go below anyway to turn off the ignition.

All in all, the week was one of the highlights of my year, especially since we were fortunate enough to be able to dock overnight at Clonmacnoise and experience the peace and serenity of a practically mirror-smooth river that evening.

Paddy O'Reilly, Ireland, 02/09/2022

I can't recommend you guys highly enough

Many thanks for your email. We have just about come down to earth after our trip on the Shannon, it was truly one of the best trips I remember and from start to finish everything was wonderful.  I can't recommend you guys highly enough for how professional and friendly everyone has been, and how effortless you made the whole process. A particularly warm thanks to Michael and the guys in Portumna for being so kind and patient and for making us feel so comfortable.

We had never sailed before, and not only did we get to discover parts of Ireland that we'd never seen before (Terryglass was very special!) , we met some of the most genuinely lovely people along the way, the boating community are truly wonderful people.  

I have nothing negative to say, we did find the whole navigating our way a little challenging but that's to be expected for first timers! Map reading on water is interesting and we would be still there without the binoculars. We were blessed with the weather too which always helps of course, and we will most definitely be booking again as soon as we can.

I have enclosed some of our memories from the trip.  I do really appreciate the contact and will be in touch in the future for sure

Helen O'Flaherty, 02/09/2022

Thanks for a great few days

Thanks for a great few days 

We had a terrific few days and everyone had a most enjoyable break.

Just a quick note to say we had an absolutely fantastic cruise on the shannon. 

Many thanks for all your help and particular Padraig from Carrick craft and I must say the level of customer service we received from start to finish was nothing short of excellent.

The kids loved the experience.

We hope to do it again next year.

Declan Cawley, Co. Sligo, Ireland, 01/09/2022

Brilliant, hassle free

Start to finish our boat trip was brilliant, hassle free and helped no end by the good weather.

Ann Wilson, Co. Longford, Ireland, 29/08/2022

We had a great trip.

We had a great trip.  Weather was a bit too windy on the Saturday so we didn't manage to get as far as Dromineer - the quick motor across from Portumna to Terryglass was quite choppy!! The Sunday was fabulous so we headed down an hour from Terryglass to Rossmore Harbour where we all enjoyed a quick dip in the sunshine.

Linda Crosbie, Ireland, 29/08/2022

We had the best time!!

We had the best time!! All the family loved it and would definitely do it again. 

Breda Kelleher, Co. Cork, Ireland, 26/08/2022

Thank you for the services you do

We did have a great time on Shannon River trip, as a bonus we were awarded with  perfect summer weather and enjoyed the trip to 100%. We appreciate the perfectly organised and maintained throughout years Irish Waterways system, everything was clear and understandable. The boat was unexpectendly cosy with all the necessary equipment.  We enjoyed the green meadows along the banks of the river with cattle (cows, horses and sheep) quietly living their natural countryside life and got a very good impression about  Ireland and very polite Irish people. Clockmacknoise, Killeloi, Shannonbridge, The Holy island, these are places to remember. 

Thank you for the services you do and hope to return some other summer to do the Northern part of the Shannon River.

Aina Krastina, Latvia, 24/08/2022

Thank you for your help booking the holiday

I’ve been meaning to email to say thank you for your help booking the holiday.  We had a lovely time and even the weather was kind to us!

Catherine White, Kilkenny, Ireland, 24/08/2022

...will be recommending it to others, and your booking services.

We had a great time, we cruised south to Killaloe and loved it. It was a great few days and will be recommending it to others, and your booking services.

Mike Walsh, Ireland, 23/08/2022

We had a ball

Defo be back next year. We had a ball. Weather made it.

Boat (Vision 4) was a little shabby inside tbh & I told them when we got back.

Daryl Curran, Co. Kildare, Ireland, 22/08/2022

We had a fantastic trip

We had a fantastic trip.  Really impressed with the service from Carrickcraft and how well equipped the boat was. Hopefully get another trip next year.  

John McCullagh, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 17/08/2022

Thanks again for the experience

We had a blast – first time experience – literally a community all of its own – will certainly be going again. Thanks again for the experience

William Atkinson, Dublin, Ireland, 17/08/2022

Can't say enough about how helpful you were

We did have a wonderful time on the river. Also can't say enough about how helpful you were in planning the trip, and the staff in the marina were very helpful. Everything went very smoothly.

A minor point, but I guess because it was early in the season, there was quite a lot of condensation on the ceilings of the cabins at night. As a result of the damp and cold weather, both myself and my daughter ended up with bad chest infections. I think next time we will look at another time of year to take a boat and perhaps take a newer craft.

Jean Moore, Dublin, Ireland, 16/08/2022

We will be back on to you in the future

We had a lovely few days away. The boat was perfect for two people and the dog. Looking forward to exploring more of the Shannon so we will be back on to you in the future

Gavin Halligan, Ireland, 12/08/2022

You're terrific and I will recommend you to everyone I know!

I found your service very prompt and helpful and would highly recommend it because you do such a bloody good job. 

Again, you're terrific and I will recommend you to everyone I know! 

Michael O'Kelly, Co. Galway, Ireland, 10/08/2022

We had a great time thanks.

We had a great time thanks.

You provided all the information we needed in good time and were very good at clarifying any questions we had.

I have no bad comments.

David Duarte, Co. Kildare, Ireland, 05/08/2022

We all had a fantastic time

We’ve just returned from our Shannon Cruise – it was fantastic.

We all had a fantastic time – despite the rain!

We will be doing it again and will be in touch with then.

John McCarthy, Co. Cork, Ireland, 03/08/2022

Customer service from you is great

The booking process, responsiveness and customer service from you is great and it makes a big difference to have a one stop shop that covers the different rental companies. So thanks for that.

The Emerald Star staff are very friendly and helpful although we didn’t encounter any real issues that would see how they are when there is a problem.

We hired the Vision 3 boat, the main attraction of this boat was the size and interior space, especially the bedrooms which have proper stand alone showers. Compared to other boats we have hired, this boat was really clean which makes the experience much better

Despite the boats extra size and higher air beam, with the bow and stern thrusters it wasn’t significantly different to the other boats from a handling perspective, maybe a bit more susceptible to wind but that’s it. It’s not a good looking boat but it’s size and functionality more than makes up for this.

Tony Ferguson, Co. Dublin, 02/08/2022

Thanks for a great service made simple

It was great! Thanks for a great service made simple 

Andrew Nash, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, 27/07/2022

We had a wonderful time

We had a wonderful time and will most certainly do another tour in the future.

All in all the boat was fine. The equipment was sufficient for a holiday hire and everything was nice and clean. A bucket with a rope would have been a great edition, to be able to get water from the river to scrub decks etc. and a few plastic chairs for the table on the sun deck would have been nice. Everybody we dealt with was super helpful and nice. We had a problem with our electricity and somebody came out to us to fix it. Super team. Thank you so much!!

Antje Gesche, Co. Cork, Ireland, 27/07/2022

It has been a pleasure dealing with you

Thank you for a wonderful trip.

It has been a pleasure dealing with you and everything has worked perfectly

Ragnchild Jespersen, Norway, 26/07/2022

We really enjoyed our cruise

We are happy to say that we had a memorable trip, despite misadventure, we really enjoyed our cruise.

We found all the staff team friendly and helpful, and thank you in particular for your kindness after my submersion..

Unfortunately we don't have photos to share as the phone didn't do well in the Shannon!

However, we look forward to a return trip in the near future.

Maria Kennedy, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 23/07/2022

We had an amazing time

We had an amazing time

Tanja Hoeper, Denmark, 21/07/2022

It was very relaxing and enjoyable.

Thanks for all your help with our trip on the Shannon.  We will definitely return again.  It was very relaxing and enjoyable.

Mary McCabe, Co. Louth, Ireland, 18/07/2022

Thank you for the smooth booking process.

We had a lovely time, mainly on Lough Derg.  The team at CarrickCraft were very helpful and efficient.  My Kindle slipped down the back of the seats in the saloon and one of the engineers was kind enough to dismantle the seat to retrieve it when we returned to Banagher.

Our only sadness was that navigation was restricted to main channels and harbours.  We'd hoped to be able to drop anchor in a quiet bay for the occasional overnight stop, but that was not allowed.

Thank you for the smooth booking process.

Ros Wilson, Norfolk, UK., 16/07/2022

We had a terrific few days

We had a terrific few days and everyone had a most enjoyable break.

Many thanks for all your help with our booking and I must say the level of customer service I received from start to finish was nothing short of excellent.

Liam O'Sulivan, Co. Cork, Ireland, 13/07/2022

The ease of booking was brilliant

I can confidently talk for the 4 of us and say it was the best holiday we have had in years, right from the first email to you, the ease of booking was brilliant, thank you. 

Silverline were also amazing, professional and helpful in every way, both at the start and we regretfully handing back the boat.To put it simply the topic of conversation going home in the car was 'when are we booking for next year? which boat will we get? can we afford to go again this year?

Again, thank you, and if you have a newsletter/offers mail please add me to it.

Joe Hurley, Co. Offaly, Ireland, 09/07/2022

Thank you for all your assistance

We had a fantastic few days on the Shannon,  even though the weather was not great.

We will definitely do it again with extended family as it was so relaxing and enjoyable. Everyone at the Emerald Star base in Carrick-on-shannon were so nice and the Console boat was perfect for us. Thank you for all your assistance especially since it was our 1st time on this type of holiday, you explained everything so clearly and were always on hand to answer our many questions.

Marie Kelleher, Co. Cork, Ireland, 07/07/2022

Everything worked out great for us

everything worked out great for us  – we had 4 very nice weather days, then a day a rain, and a day of wind so spent more time in Mountshannon than

Intended, but everything was perfect and as expected.

Joseph Connolly, New York, USA, 06/07/2022

Thank you once again for all your support

The entire staff at Carrick-on-Shannon were exceptionally friendly and helpful, even though on our first night there the key we had would not unlock the showers/toilets. On our final night we had to get another key in order to be able to use the facilities.

The dinette on our PB1400 did not convert into a single berth so I had to sleep on the bench as the others were all paired off. Even the staff were unable to make a bed out of it.

At Coosan Point there was no shore power and no toilet facilities. The inn was closed.

At Shannonbridge FALLON'S PUB and the organic kitchen at the back saved our lives as everything else was closed. Luker's open only at weekends, Killeen's shut down.

Apart from these minor grievances the cruise went very well and the lock keepers were more than cooperative.

The final paperwork on Friday evening was uncomplicated and handing over the boat on the Saturday morning was more or less a formality.

Thank you once again for all your support. Please pass on our sincere thanks to the Carrickcraft staff in Carrick.

Hope the summer goes well for you all.

Jack Reynolds, Lenz, Austria, 04/07/2022

You have been so helpful as always

Overall everything was excellent. Couldn't fault anything. Emerald star staff were so helpful. Great demonstration on boat by Pat who showed us. The boat exceeded our expectation. Especially for my parents as it was their first time on the boat and they loved it and the space. Will definitely book this boat again next year through yourself and do the southern shannon or maybe late August/September if any special offers arise. Unfortunately, the weather was very bad the weekend. That was just unlucky and can't be helped. Otherwise fantastic break and you have been so helpful as always helping to plan the trip.

John Brennan, Dublin, Ireland, 01/07/2022

We had the time of our lives

We had the time of our lives despite the mixed bag of weather and the fact that our little towns & villages were only half open ! You and your team are outstanding , and I have told many friends of our wonderful experience! My sister and her husband from California will definitely be up for a Shannon cruise next time they travel here .

Without a doubt , highlight of our year and one we will repeat sooner rather than later . Lots of great memories made .

Again , thanks for all your help and the team .Hope ye have an outstanding Summer !

Helen & Trevor Coughlan, Ireland, 30/06/2022

We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise

We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise despite the disappointing weather but that hasn’t put us off for a return fixture one day.

The boat was excellent though I think 4 was the maximum number for comfort and convenience.

Peter Yardley, UK, 22/06/2022

I would have no hesitation in recommending you

We had a brilliant time on the Shannon Cruise.  Everything went very well and even the sun shone.  Everyone was very helpful and we were very happy that the cruise eventually came to pass.  

There were eight of us in total and I was very happy that we didn't have to use the pull-out bed in the dining area as it left it more comfortable for us all.

The facilities were brilliant and we all enjoyed travelling to various places each day.  We took lots of photos so when I upload them I will send a few.  Thanks a million for everything.  You were very helpful and patient and I would have no hesitation in  recommending you if I were to book again in the future and I will certainly tell my friends about Shannon Cruises.

Frances Carrol, Co. Laois, Ireland, 21/06/2022

We didn't want the holiday to end.

We had a fantastic time we will definitely be be booking again in the future. The people we met along the way were so nice there is a real sense of community , Despite the fact that I myself had a little accident and ended up and ended up with a broken elbow and torn ligaments in my ankle after our 1st day out, We still had a ball.  Silverline themselves were fantastic and lovely people to deal with very helpful . They gave great advice as to where to go and visit along the way. We didn't want the holiday to end. 

Lisa Divito Kelly, 08/06/2022

We enjoyed an excellent week

We enjoyed an excellent week ,the weather was mixed but mainly good. The cruiser we hired was just right for the five adults and one child. Emerald Star were very friendly and helpful as were all the local and other cruisers we met.

Philip Bowes, Isle of Man, 08/06/2022

The holiday was great

The holiday was great, the boat was wonderful. Only one minor issue with the Bimini, which they promptly resolved. Throughly enjoyed the boating experience, and would definitely do it again. Weather was a bit hit and miss, but we didn’t mind that, as it was all new experiences. The boating community were so lovely and friendly, as was everyone in everyplace we stopped along the way. Waterways Ireland facilities were excellent also, cannot fault the quality of the marinas, jetty’s and services available… well if you had to push me, more shore-power points wouldn’t go amiss!

On the flip side. As a first time boater, I naively assumed that the per engine hour would be something like €8 per hour or something ‘pricey’ like that, I was very shocked that it was in excess of €21 per hour. Quite a hefty cost, considering that the rates are not published anywhere from what I can see, and considering that we are already, in my opinion, paying a premium for the boat rental itself.  

Lastly, the 9am check out is a bit of a cod, considering the comparatively late check in time

Cait Mulcahy, Limerick, Ireland, 08/06/2022

Thanks for making the trip hassle free.

We had a great trip, loved the cruise on the Shannon.

It was our honeymoon, as we had just gotten married on the Friday before the cruise, so it was great to get away and de-stress, just the 2 of us and our 2 dogs on the boat.

The staff in Emerald Star were great, they even gave us a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate our honeymoon on the boat.

Booking through yourselves got me a really great rate, which I don't believe I could have gotten anywhere else, so I was delighted to find your website and avail of your service.

All the information you supplied was excellent too.

Thanks for making the trip hassle free.

We loved the river cruise so much we would hope to do another next year and I'll  be straight back to your website to book it.

I've attached a few photos from the trip.

Colm & Emily Kirby, Co. Carlow, Ireland, 02/06/2022

Would definitely recommend Shannon River Boat Hire.

We had a great time on shannon cruise. It was a little harder than we thought handling the boat coming into moors & locks but was a great experience.  We will definitely do it again.

Unfortunately we did have a bump with a lock, luckily we took out collision damage insurance so not too bad, thank god.

Thank you for all your help, it was much appreciated and would definitely recommend Shannon River Boat Hire.

Ruth Russel, Dublin, Ireland, 02/06/2022

I would recommend Shannon River to anyone

Our trip went very well - we didn't fall in or get shipwrecked!  

We ended up with a different boat to that chosen - a Tyrone class instead of Carlow - there seemed to be a problem with availability, but they let us have a look at it before we decided, and it was fine. The instruction given was a bit brief - at least the mooring part, so we had to figure things out a bit ourselves, but I suppose that's normal! We were very glad we had brought our son, as I don't think 2 over 70s would have managed on our own. 

The boat was very clean and well supplied with everything. The only extra I would have included was an extra mooring rope at the front. Most of the moorings were side on, and we started moored from stern, with 2 ropes at back. At our first stop, some helpful Germans helped us and moved one of the ropes. 

The navigation guide was excellent and the travel guide with the information about towns and villages was very useful. 

Overall, our experience was very positive and I would recommend Shannon River to anyone interested in booking a cruise.

Thanks for all your help, Margery Godinho

Margery Godinho, Co. Waterford, Ireland, 01/06/2022

We had 4 very comfortable nights on our trip

Everything went fine on the boat. We had 4 very comfortable nights on our trip from Carrick to Athlone and back.

Gerry McAndrew, Dublin, Ireland, 31/05/2022

Thank you very much for all your help

Thank you very much for all your help with our recent river cruise booking.We had a great time on the boat. Emerald Star staff were very helpful and informative.

The kids loved the experience.

We hope to do it again next year.

Wishing you a great summer season 

Joan Condon, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 20/05/2022

We had a fabulous time again

We had a fabulous time again, exploring new places, and even met a few old friends from Glasson.

The base was very accommodating but left a few returning renters anxious and puzzled when nobody turned up to check them out on bank  holiday monday.

We were set before we left Bannagher by buying the inclusive CDW/Fuel/Cleaning package so just dropped the keys.

Ian Anderton, 06/05/2022

Thank you for all your help

Thank you for your email, we had a fantastic time and thank you for all your help.

Everything went so smoothly and of course we were blessed with the weather.

Sandra Draper, Sligo, Ireland, 30/04/2022

We had a fabulous time

Thank you Brian we had a fabulous time, my son loves it.

Joy Wang, Ireland, 27/04/2022

Everything was perfect

Everything was perfect we all had a great time and the weather was on our side as well, I will be definitely using your service again and had recommended you to three of my friends and their families.

Graham Carroll, Ireland, 27/04/2022

Great experience had by all once again

Great experience had by all once again. I'm sure I'll be onto you again next year!

Jake Malone, Dublin, Ireland, 25/04/2022

Looking forward for another trip.

We had a great time and everything was perfect. Looking forward for another trip.

Agnieszka Dominiak, Galway, Ireland, 08/04/2022

We had a wonderful holiday

We had a wonderful holiday and really enjoyed our time on the river.  The weather was fabulous so that made for a thoroughly enjoyable experience.  Will definitely be back.

Eilis Slattery, Co. Clare, Ireland, 23/03/2022

Cant wait to go again :)

Just want to let you know that we had amazing time on the Shannon. The weather its was fantastic , a bit chilly at night time but in March its absolutely normal.

Cant wait again:)

Edita Arlauskiene, Dublin, Ireland, 23/03/2022

We couldn't recommend it enough

I just want to respond to your email and let you know that we had an amazing trip. It was our first time we had booked a short trip of this nature and we could'nt recommend it enough to anyone who might be thinking about booking one.

Thanks for the help in booking the trip.

Sheamus Keogh, Dublin, Ireland, 04/11/2021

Thank you, it was great as always.

Thank you, it was great as always. we got the boat out early about 12pm, they are not anywhere as strict as the office in Carrick, this our second year from there, absolutely no problem with anything, do as you like approach, we got groceries next and set off south, a bit windy but fine.

Made it to Garrykennedy first evening, very quiet, had a couple of pints and food in Larkins very good, but only two other tables occupied, a bit of a stroll around the town and bedtime, next morning fine, but very windy, we decided to go to Killaloe, out of the harbour and across to turn down the south leg of Derg and things got interesting, waves splashing over the nose of the boat, with the wind speed high and low speed of the boat we were going nowhere, would have took two hours plus to get down to Killaloe, with the constant banging over waves, so we cut across to Scarriff and had lunch there in The Garden Cafe which was grand and we hoped for the wind to abate, we headed back out and over again to discover the wind wasn't just as bad but decided on Mountshannon as an overnight venue and had a good night in Cois na hAbhna, with a very wet and windy night, the forward bedroom roof was leaking a bit from the start, but it was ok a towel was used to soak it up when it rained. 

The following morning we decided to zig-zag our way north, as to go down to Killaloe would have left us with a very long charge back up to be in Portumna for 10.30am Saturday morning, we agreed this time with the office before we departed. Stephen knew people in Williamstown so we called in there, then to Dromineer for lunch in Lough Derg House,  I know the guy who owns Illaunmore, we spent a few hours there, we spent the best night of all in Terryglass in Paddy's, a pub we know well, with food, drink and a sing song till late and departed there at 9am Saturday morning for base, arriving at 10.20am. 

Once again thanks for your help and assistance and we will be back next year, similar time, to book with you again. We plan on heading north from Carrick, the furthest north we have been so far on the river, is Leitrim village and Boyle, so Lough Allen, Ballyconnell and Belturbet are in our sights. we know there are a good few locks along the way and were made aware of bridge heights over boat when water level is up, so will need to take all that into consideration when choosing a vessel. Looking forward to it already.

Patrick Rooney, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 14/10/2021

I'd like to thank you and the team for an amazing time

I'd like to thank you and the team for an amazing time away on the river. It really was a brilliant experience that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. The Le Boat team were incredibly friendly and helpful, from the receptionist to the young lad who taught us how to drive the boat. They gave great advice on where to go, where to stop, and how to get the most out of our trip so cannot thank them enough.

Please see attached a couple of pictures from our trip, hopefully they'll entice more people to do it in future.

Thank you again for everything and hope to be back on the Shannon again sometime in the near future.

David Killeen, Galway, Ireland, 05/10/2021

It was very positive overall.

Thanks for your interest in our experience, it was very positive overall.

Good explanation en instructions in the first day and a nice exeptance day at returning the craft.

The only negative experience is beyond your influence I guess, its with the waterways card and facilities.

Terryglass Harbour has great facilities, clean, sufficient numbers etc, very good.

Mountshannon, a complete failure, toilets and showers closed until 8.30h (how should I know) 1 toilet, one shower.

But in general a good experience Brian

Walter Zandfliet, Belgium., 30/09/2021

Brian got us an excellent deal

The two of us have just completed a 10 night cruise on the Shannon on a Carlow class cruiser (the smallest you can get) from Carrickcraft at Banagher. As first timers we were initially apprehensive, but the support and reassurance both from Brian Downey at Shannon River and Carrickcraft at Banagher were first class. Learning to “Drive”? A bit wobbly at first but soon more confident. Mooring and unmooring? Plenty of help, but we could also do it on our own – and we didn’t leave anyone behind or in the water. Locks? They look awe-inspiring, especially going up the first time (at Athlone), but it went well and the lock keepers didn’t even have to shout at us. Indeed we spent 20 minutes in Meelick lock (only boat) just chatting to the lock keeper. The swing bridge at Portumna? A breeze. Even the strong(ish) wind at the head of Lough Derg on our way back up to Banagher didn’t give us any real difficulties – just a bit of a bounce. Navigation? No real problems, especially with the information provided – although we must once confess to “being uncertain of our position”.

A wonderful 10 nights on the water, seeing Ireland from a new slant, meeting delightful people, and just relaxing to a slower pace of life. Brian got us an excellent deal, and Carrick were very helpful to 2 expat English. Try it yourself – if we can do it in our 70’s celebrating our golden wedding, you should have no problems!

John & Anne Lucas, Cork, Ireland, 29/09/2021

We had a wonderful time

We had a wonderful time and thank you for all your assistance. 

Delightful villages to visit along the Shannon with great pubs, restaurants and facilities, all very friendly and good value.

I have been recommending the trip to all my golfing buddies, so you might have a few more visitors from Co Down next year.

Only had one complaint,which I mentioned to your representative on our return.

The boat we had was great apart from the tiny wiper on the front window, which gave very little vision for steering when it rained or spray came from the lough!

But apart from that, might see you again next year.

Gerry Hyland, Down, Northern Ireland, 23/09/2021

We had a great time, super relaxing

We had a great time, super relaxing, some pics attached.

Thanks again

Sam Brindley, Ireland, 23/09/2021

We had a great break away on the Shannon.

We had a great break away on the Shannon. The boat was clean and tidy and we had no issues. 

Nathan Chambers, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 21/09/2021

it was trouble free from start to finish

Just a quick note to say we had an absolutely fantastic cruise up the shannon over the past week, it was trouble free from start to finish, thank you for the car parking spaces, there was no need for that, and thanks for your help in organising it. We will definitely be back and i have already recommended your company to friends who are thinking of cruising the shannon next year.

Tom Madden, Cork, Ireland, 20/09/2021

Yes all went well on the trip for the week

Yes all went well on the trip for the week from the check in to check out. No problems signing in and everything was in place. Of course the weather made it as we had 4 of the 7 days of sunshine as can be seen from the below photo and for September that is great.

James Spillane, Cork, Ireland, 18/09/2021

Thanks for the help along the way.

We had a great time on the river and the weather was favourable. Great to get a tight group together on a cruise like it. Thanks for the help along the way. We will be back.

Pat Walsh, Ireland, 17/09/2021

Thanks for all your help.

We had a great time! No issues at all. 

Thanks for all your help.

Eoin English, Zug, Switzerland, 09/09/2021

Your service was excellent

Thank you for your follow up Email. We had a wonderful week and found the whole experience very relaxing. 

Your service was excellent and we will cruise again but not in 2022. We would love to try the lower Shannon next time.

Laura Ryan, Wicklow, Ireland, 09/09/2021

Thank you so much for your professionalism

Trip was fantastic.  As always a river/lake boating holiday is such a wonderfully relaxing experience - not cheap mind! But you get what you pay for. 

Very very pleased overall and be delighted to use your services again (might have to wait a year or two:) ).

Thank you so much for your professionalism and quick responses to any queries I had. 

Simon O'Neill, Ireland, 09/09/2021

We would definitely go back for another trip

We really enjoyed our memorable trip with Emerald Star. Everything went without a hitch mainly thanks to Jason who taught us everything .

He was amazing and had great patience. He also went the extra mile with us. 

We would definitely go back for another trip on the river and would recommend it to our friends.

Kathleen Ryan, Cork, Ireland, 09/09/2021

It was a pleasure dealing with you

We really enjoyed our trip on the Shannon and were blessed to have a week of glorious sunshine.

It was a pleasure dealing with you and you were always prompt in response and everything felt well organised on your end.

Some general feedback which I feel is worth noting which is not directed towards you but you may wish to pass on:

There were 2 life jackets on our boat that were not fully functional and had missing parts which was a bit disappointing given the need for safety on water. We also had to ask for 2 life jackets for our children.

There seemed to be a lack of mooring points along the river and at destinations and on at least 4 occasions we were unable to stop where we had intended to. I think that if services were improved along the Shannon, this would greatly improve the experience for tourists.

Overall it was a great trip and one that I will always remember.

Emily Conroy, Ireland, 02/09/2021

One word, Fantastic!

One word, Fantastic!

Cannot speak highly enough about Carrick craft especially Paidraig, what a laugh, we actually booked into Cryans Hotel for another 2 days after we finished

The Shannon cruise, Paidriag gave us the use of a motor boat free for those two days also. We only had 2 days iffy weather 3 days cloudy and the rest was sunshine.

We will be booking again, I have some great pictures and drone footage also.

Paul Mezzano, Meath, Ireland, 30/08/2021

Your staff were very polite, helpful and professional

We all had a fantastic time on the Shannon.

Your staff were very polite, helpful and professional throughout our stay and it couldn't have gone any better.

I have attached a few photos, which shows what a great time we had throughout our mini break.

Laurence Egar, Cork, Ireland, 27/08/2021

As a family, we loved every minute of it

I just wanted to thank you for your help with booking the boat. We had an amazing time. Boat was spotless and we honestly could not fault it. 

As a family, we loved every minute of it and will def be in contact to do it again in the future. 

Christina Quigley, Cork, Ireland, 25/08/2021

Regarding your service, there is truly nothing to criticize

Just responding to your email. Regarding your service, there is truly nothing to criticize you and your company. We have always found you to be nothing but professional and extremely accommodating to our needs.

The family have already begun to discuss next year's trip ... I have only just got rid of them!

I will follow-up with you after Christmas regarding next year's holidays.

In the meantime, stay well and Covid free.

Johnny Frey, California, USA, 25/08/2021

We had a great time

We had a great time despite the fact that i was bloody ill (Got Bells Palsey the day we picked up the boat), it didnt deter too much from the holiday thankfully. we had good weather which is the first time from our 4 trips with you.

Laurence Lee, Meath, Ireland, 25/08/2021

Thanks a million. Thinking about our next trip.

Yes thank you we had a great time

Went on lower lough Erne as advised by yourself. Amazing scenery with great stop offs in Enniskillen, lusty Beg, Beleek, muckross, kesh and the last night on The Mooring Balnaleck.

The crusisr was perfect a 6 Berth for 4 of us. It was great to have a little extra space. 

Plenty of good restaurants along the way. 

Thanks a million. Thinking about our next trip. 

Siobhan Joyce, Ireland, 25/08/2021

We had a lovely safe holiday.

We had a lovely safe holiday. 

Facilities were very good and staff friendly, accommodating and helpful. 

Other boaters were considerate and cordial. 

Hope to return in the future.

Katrina Hill, Ireland, 24/08/2021

Enjoyed every minute of it

Trip was fantastic, enjoyed every minute of it, we would definitely consider booking again

Laura Melody, Dublin, Ireland, 20/08/2021

We had a fantastic holiday.

We had a fantastic holiday. I attached some pics, tried to include scenery ones. Only one thing to note, it's really 5 nights and 4 days as by time you get going on first day, it's evening time and then you have to ba back night before 9am check out. Might be better other way around. Found booking and checking in easy and always someone to ask questions. Experienced boaters always willing to advice and help. Very friendly.

Aoife Bland, Dublin, Ireland, 18/08/2021

We had a great week on the Shannon

We had a great week on the Shannon and Lough Derg last week, despite the wind’s best efforts to keep us in harbor!

Philip Donohue, Ireland, 18/08/2021

The trip on the boat was just fantastic.

Well what can I say!

The trip on the boat was just fantastic. From the moment i emailed you first to find out about it all, till the check out. Everyone we encountered was most helpful and friendly. Padraig,the guy who showed us around the boat was great and very  patient with us. It all went so smoothly that I will certainly be recommending yourself to anyone enquiring about same.

Thank you again for all your help. We hope to return again in the not too distant future.

Barbara Casey, Cork, Ireland, 17/08/2021

Everybody loved it and enjoyed the experience.

We had an absolutely amazing time on the Shannon River. We had 2 boats travelling both with kids on board.. The kids had a brilliant time. Boats were spotless clean and had everything that was needed. Would definitely recommend anybody to do this and also would be back for the 3rd time.. Everybody loved it and enjoyed the experience. 

Elizabeth Douglas, Ireland, 16/08/2021

It's like a linear village

First time boat renters, 2 couples for 1 week on a boat rented via Shannon River.com from Banagher. Booking was very easy. As novices we needed the very helpful Brian to advise us of the advantages of various boats and itineries etc. Using an agency like his meant we got an overview of all the companies without any extra expense. I would definitely recommend a chat with him before booking.

We ended up with a Kilkenny class cruiser from Carrickcraft. The boat was perfect for 2 couples as it had 2 rooms and 2 loos. It was absolutely spotless eventhough it was an old boat. The sheets and towels were pristine as was the upholstery etc. The staff were lovely and we had no mechanical issues at all. The only fault was a leaky skylight and loo window. There were no hidden costs (we paid all inclusive add on of €350 ish which included insurance waiver which brought excess down to €100 and covered all diesel, cleaning and shower card....well worth it)

Overall we had a great week despite very dodgy weather. People on the river were incredibly helpful, friendly and interesting, as one man said, it's like a linear village. So true.

Cailiosa Murphy, Cork, Ireland., 16/08/2021

We found your service excellent

We had a brilliant week, despite the mixed weather! It was my first time renting a cruiser on the Shannon and we really enjoyed it, so much so that we are already thinking of planning our next trip. We will definitely be in touch with you, as we found your service excellent and really informative and responsive.

Willie Norse, Ireland, 16/08/2021

It was great!

It was great!  The boat was perfect size and we managed to steer & moor it no problem.

We were so lucky with weather for our 1st Cruise , we could have been any where in the world but nothing would compare to a very Sunny, Peaceful River Shannon 

Definitely will be back!!!

Carol Saurin, Co. Meath, Ireland, 16/08/2021

I will be recommending to my family and friends.

Just wana say thanks to you and all the staff at Silver line cruisers.  From the moment we arrived we were welcomed by your friendly staff.  Receptionist was very friendly and helpful as were the instructors on the boat.  We will definitely be booking again and I will be recommending to my family and friends.

Emma McBryan, Dublin, Ireland, 16/08/2021

We had the best time.

We had the best time. Tricky at times mooring but we got there. Weather was on our side too which was a plus.

Heidi Robertson, Ireland, 13/08/2021

The customer service was excellent

We had a great time on the boat and would definitely do it again. We would recommend it to any of our friends. The boat was perfect just two things to mention about the boat:

1. The room behind the kitchen area was very damp and cold you wouldn't sleep in it.  It was lucky we just had four on the boat.

2. The fridge was not working properly items were not very cold.

Apart from these two minor details the boat was perfect.

The customer service provided by yourself and the office in Banagher was excellent and we would have no problem recommending you to any of our friends.

Thanks again and hopefully we will talk again next year.

Mairead Collins, Ireland, 12/08/2021

This was our second trip and would highly recommend Shannon River

We had a great time thank you and the boat was wonderful.  This was our second trip and would highly recommend Shannon River.  The staff are excellent and very efficient.  The whole operation is slick.

One small problem we encountered was that the double bed was made up and we found the duvet inadeqate.  Upon investigation, I realised that the duvet was on the small side, just about covering the bed and 12" short in length and width of the cover.  It was more like a throw than a quilt.  Fortunately, we were able to use the two additional single quilts.  Also suggest new pillows.  We ended up purchasing an additional two for our comfort. 

Muriel McGrath, Wales, 11/08/2021

We had a blast

Thanks for your email, we had a blast. Weather was great until the last day. Attached is the only photo with all six of us at the end.

Both yourselves and Emerald Star were very professional and courteous! I'll most likely book a full week from Carrick down to portumna next year.

Jake Malone, Ireland, 11/08/2021

We really enjoyed our two trips

Week one was amazing with the unusual hot weather, we went from Portumna to TerryGlass, lovely clean marina and the kids had a great time in the water, next day went to Dromineer, that's lovely but the people that frequent it would put me off it, we had to move the boat a few times to get quiet place that evening.Also the water park there isn't open this year so the kids were very disappointed.

Day 3 we cruised down to Mount Shannon which was a pleasant surprise, lovely clean Marina with plenty of space, the playground and village where immaculate and I used the dinghy to take a trip over to Holy Island that was well worth the trip, we finished up in Castle Harbour in Portumna, very small harbour but well worth the stay, the Horizon was a smashing boat, the layout was brilliant and I was able to fit in the shower unlike other boats we rented in the past. The staff in Portumna were very nice and helpful to deal with.

Week 2 on the Vision, the boat was brilliant unlike the weather, we used the large dining area a lot and enjoyed the extra space in the bedrooms and en suites, the fact we were advised to pump out the toilet tanks after 2 days wasn't ideal but we managed it, we needed the built in generator which is a great idea and the boat was fine to handle once we took our time when parking, we went to Lough Key for a night and then south to Dromod for a couple of nights, it was very nice and we got a lovely meal from Cox's just up the road. We really enjoyed our two trips and will be back to book another soon.

Fergus Doyle, Ireland, 09/08/2021

We had an absolute blast

We had an absolute blast and no issues with our cruise. I would definitely recommend this boat and Shannon River as it was a smooth process. Look forward to booking with you in the future.

Katie Pilgrim, 09/08/2021

We had a lovely time

We had a lovely time and weather behaved itself most of the time.

Everything with the boat was seamless.Thanks for your help. Will keep your details and will be in contact when we want to cruise again.

Paddy May, Ireland, 09/08/2021

The Service was First Class

We had a fabulous time although you did not provide the weather you promised us!!!!  So much so, that we are very keen to repeat this holiday next year in a more luxurious boat. The one we had was fairly basic and a little jaded - though you pay for what you get.  My suggestion is that a little attention might be paid to broken curtain hooks which would be fairly cheap to replace (I know men don't see things like that!).  

The service we received overall in Banagher, at the office and outside, was first class and Colum in charge of showing us the boat & how to handle and check on return, was excellent. Apparently he is only 17 but going on 30. Typical Irish hospitality.

Was lovely being able to bring back the Navigational Guide to my 88 year old mother who has been able to relive our holiday

Muriel McGrath, 06/08/2021

Thanks, once again for all your help with this holiday

Everything went very well with us on the Shannon. We had a fantastic time, despite the inclement weather.

Thanks, once again for all your help with this holiday. When we decide to come back we will certainly get in touch and hopefully you will be able to help.

I’ll forward a photograph of our dog, Freddie wearing his life jacket - it was a very new experience for him too !

Jarlath McAllister, Belfast, Northern Ireland., 05/08/2021

We had a good cruise down from Carrick-on-Shannon to Portumna

Thanks for your email. We had a good cruise down from Carrick-on-Shannon to Portumna and back.

A very different stretch of water to our 2017 cruise from Bellanalech to Belleek and back to Carrick-on-Shannon.

I have no criticism of you, Brian, because you were very helpful whenever I telephoned or emailed you for advice.

So thank you for your service.

However as you have asked for comments I'd like to provide feedback about Emerald Star.

The Emerald Star Crusader 29 we hired slept 6 but only had seating on the upper deck for 4 people (helmsman's seat and 3 garden chairs).

We called in at the Emerald Star Portumna base but they could only find us one other garden chair.

There was crockery for 6 people on board but only 5 forks so we had to purchase extra forks from the supermarket which we left on board for the next clients.

We were asked to clean the boat on our departure which we did but as there were no cleaning materials on board we had to use our own bleach spray.

Your email to me dated 13th April 2021 quoted the Emerald Star Crusader fuel usage charge as €12 per engine hour.

The contract we had to sign when we took delivery of the boat was €13.50 per engine hour so we paid an additional €40 over and above what had been quoted.

As you realise this is feedback regarding Emerald Star and once again I'd like to thank you for your help with our holiday.

Roger Turner, Cheshire, UK, 04/08/2021

We had a great time on the Shannon.

We had a great time on the Shannon. We were lucky with the weather. We will definitely do it again but not with Emerald as I think for the price we paid they really should be upgraded. 

Jacqueline Ryan, Dublin, Ireland, 04/08/2021

I cannot thank you enough

I cannot thank you enough for organising what was a very relaxing and enjoyable holiday on the Shannon. The boat was comfortable and easy to drive for my 12 year old who was our designated ship’s captain whilst I supervised from the sun deck. It was lovely to see so many places that we would have never visited if not on a boat. I would most definitely recommend this holiday experience and am hoping to book another holiday through Carrickcraft next year.

Sean Oragano, Ireland, 03/08/2021

Best trip we've been on in a long while.

Best trip we've been on in a long while. The boat itself was absolutely A1, and we only have good things to say about how pain free it was to book with you.

Most of the pictures wouldn't qualify for the website but I've attached a handful of the more family friendly ones!

We'll definitely be back for another trip next summer, maybe starting somewhere different to change it up a bit! All going to plan we'll be back in touch in a few months.

Dennis Lynch, Waterford, Ireland., 03/08/2021

We had a wonderful time

We had a wonderful time, with glorious weather the entire 10 days. The Consul was a bit basic, but it was late when we booked !

Ger Cadogan, Ireland, 03/08/2021

Thank you for all of your assistance and help

We had a wonderful time on the Shannon, weather couldn’t have been better! Kids loved the experience too. Boat was fantastic, clean and comfortable. 

Thank you for all of your assistance and help in advance of our trip. 

We also were so grateful to Padraig from Carrickcraft; who was phenomenally helpful and kind. A star. 

We will return for another trip!! A magical time was had by us all.

Susie Cunningham, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 31/07/2021

It was fabulous

It was fabulous I might be looking again for next June for my 60th Birthday.

We had some issues with the cleanliness of the boat as it was filthy outside, broken stem of a wine class and an old hairbrush left under the seat. Also the water tank was empty and we believe the Waste Water was not emptied either. I let them know when we returned.

Apart from that the boat itself was excellent with good sizes cabins and plenty of outside space.

Dave Forrester, Dublin, Ireland, 30/07/2021

You & your staff were amazing!!

You & your staff were amazing!! Thank you all so much,

Marlene Connolly, Ireland, 29/07/2021

Thank you for all your help over the last few months.

Thank you for your email. We thoroughly enjoyed our few days on the Shannon and is a holiday we will book again and will be recommending. We have only the tiniest negative about the whole trip, us 3 ladies struggled with not being able to use a hairdryer on board, and none of the marina's facilities had plugs which we could avail of, just going forward it would be nice if there was some sort of facility we could use. Apart from that, everything was perfect. Thank you for all your help over the last few months.

Orla Kane, Waterford, 29/07/2021

The service from your good selves was perfect

We had a fantastic time on the Shannon last week.  It was our first time as a family on the water.  My 14 year old boy and 13 year old girl just loved it - especially jumping in and out of the water as we were moored up in various locations.  The weather was perfect so we had an idyllic few days.  We overnighted in Portumna, Dromineer, Terryglass and spent the last night in Banagher.  The service from your good selves was perfect - the boat while old was comfortable and very well equipped. 

We had an unfortunate incident whereby the key broke as we were turning the ignition off in Dromineer.  We phoned Carrick Craft straight away and they set about organising an engineer.  Our boat neighbour with his own boat came with a tool box and managed to turn the engine off with a screwdriver.  We started and turned off the ignition a few times with said screwdriver and phoned Carrick Craft back to explain we had a temporary fix that would work for us until we returned the boat to Banagher. 

Linda Crosbie, Ireland, 21/07/2021

Thanks again for all your help.

We had a brilliant few days on the Shannon. Thanks again for all your help. 

Jason Lynch, Ireland, 20/07/2021

We cannot find fault the service

We cannot find fault the service offered by Shannon River Boat Hire, it was a very easy and simple process to arrange and we all had a fantastic trip... well done guys

Liam Browne, Ireland, 20/07/2021

We had a great week

We had a great week, thanks for your help on making the booking it all went really smooth. The weather was hit and miss but luckily we seemed to avoid the rain most of the time, but sure that’s what you expect when holidaying in Ireland.

Carol Brennan, Ireland, 17/07/2021

We had a great time over the week

All good and we had a great time over the week (Apart from the weather and COVID Restrictions, but nothing you can do there ??)

The only thing that I thought might be helpful would be some advise on what to do when you get somewhere and there is no mooring left. We arrived in Drumsna late on the first evening and all the Moorings were gone. We weren’t sure what to do, but the people there were pretty helpful in telling us to just tie onto another boat. It mightn’t be any harm to let people know what the etiquette is for situations / scenarios like that and some do’s and don’t.

I’ve thrown in a few pics as well.

Thanks for all your help and we will be in touch again to head up North some other time.

Ian Synnott, Ireland, 15/07/2021

We had a great time on the river

We had a great time on the river and I would have no hesitation booking with you for a third time (hopefully next year again).

Thanks again for all the help, quick responses and rescheduling of this trip from 2020.

Eoin Butterly, Dublin, Ireland, 13/07/2021

It was the most relaxing 4 days

We had a fantastic time on the boat. The Carlow Class was the perfect boat for us 1st timers and it was well equipped with all the essentials. 

It was the most relaxing 4 days, we've been telling everyone to pop in on their bucket list. 

We are planning our trip for next year already. If there's any online brochure or early bird offers I'd appreciate it if you let me know.

Thanks again for all your help through the booking process. 

Sinead Doyle, Ireland, 13/07/2021

We met lovely people along the way

We had a fabulous time thank you! The weather was fantastic the first week, we got to the stage we were actually looking forward to crossing the loughs for the breeze!! We went from Belturbet down to Rooskey where we picked up two friends who had never been on the Shannon before, we stayed at Richmond Harbour that night and then on to Lanesborough, back to Termonbarry and left them off at Rooskey totally converted to a boating holiday!!

We then went back up the Shannon Erne canal and on to Enniskillen before very reluctantly returning to Belturbet.

We met lovely people along the way, especially the Waterways guys manning the locks and Sean and the crew at ABC boats were fantastic, pity they don't have boats down south!!

We'll be back!!!

Yvonne Airey, Ireland, 12/07/2021

We had a great time thank you.

We had a great time thank you. I have tagged you on social media.

I booked the trip as a birthday present for my husband. He was very disappointed when he saw the size of the boat. I would suggest when you advertise 4berth you stress that it really only suits 2adults & 2 children. It is too small for 4 adults. Having said that we made the best of it and had a great time. We will hopefully go on the Shannon again and will get a bigger boat next time.

Your staff are excellent, very friendly and courteous. 

Thanks again

Anne Leonard, 11/07/2021

We did have a great time on the water

Hello Brian, yes we did have a great time on the water, darting hither and thither around Lough Derg in the very best of fine sunny weather. Just a pity that we didn't have more time but, as the man says, "Beidh lá eilé ag an bPaoreach!"

Unfortunately, in our excitement, we omitted to take many photos but I have sent you on one of the crew from another address:

On the left is the Boatswain, Joan Moore (tipping 87!) and on the right is the Cabin Boy Marie Rogan, both Shannon Boating veterans.

We hope to repeat the experience before the Summer is finished. Just keeping a weather eye out. You see, we're really just fair-weather boaters.

Paul Moore, Kildare, Ireland, 09/07/2021

Had a great week thanks and all went well

Had a great week thanks and all went well

The weather quite unexpected was a serious bonus!

William O'Neill, Leitrim, Ireland, 08/07/2021

Thanks very much Brian for your help with my booking,

Thanks very much Brian for your help with my booking, and for the helpful information before we set of on our cruise . We all had a terrific time on the Waterford class boat,  and took the opportunity to perfect our lock skills by going north , this was our first time to take a right turn out of carrig. 16 locks later and some lovely stop off’s along the way.

We were lucky with the weather also , we got through upper and lower lough Erne and some great towns and villages along the way. We went as far as Kesh, and a great spot for a nice pint and lovely dinner was the Mayfly in the little town staff super friendly as well. The following day was turn around day, and made our way back south, again taken in some lovely town’s and villages along the way. Oh and the locks again, handy with them now.

Cheers ,will definitely book through your site in the future and recommend it as you have all the boats and pricing up there,  without having to go through every cruiser company’s web sites.

Declan O'Connor, Dublin, Ireland, 07/07/2021

Yes we had a great time.

Yes we had a great time.

Weather was superb which made it fantastic.

Negatives were electricity and fridge constantly a problem. Toilets also very smelly at times. We emptied toilets/waste ourselves after a few days.

Fridge constantly leaking and food going off/ice turning to water as a result. Engineers came out but recurring problem.

Some more training on how to use the boat would be ideal. Young guy who met us initially just wanted you to sign the paperwork in a hurry.

Padraic was very helpful and more interested, engaging and helpful and a better ambassador for the company.

Next time I would hire a wider boat as it was quiet cramped for the family. We had a drink with others in an 8 berth which would be more suitable next time ie better living areas etc.

Information on activities with phone numbers on the boat (simple stuff) would have been expected.

Despite above experience was good and weather compensated for issues to be honest.

Noel Burke, Ireland, 07/07/2021

One of the best family holidays we have had!!

We have to say that we had an absolutely wonderful holiday, the weather was magnificent but also of the entire experience was superb. We explored from Lough Ree down to Lough Derg. 

The scenery was outstanding, the food offerings excellent and everyone we met was smiling and friendly! I attach some photos which you can use on your website.

One of the best family holidays we have had!!

PJ Maher, Ireland, 07/07/2021

The only problem was that it was too short!

We had a fantastic time on our trip, the only problem was that it was too short! We would love to hire one of your boats again next year for a week. The boat was so compact yet comfortable with clean, fresh duvets and pillows. We really appreciated the little touches like new teatowels, plenty of washing up liquid and all the utensils that you could possibly need in the kitchen. The boat was spotless too and it all made our trip so memorable. The scenery along Lough Erne was spectacular, and we had a ball swimming and kayaking every day.

Thank you again

Tara Fairbrother, Dublin, Ireland, 07/07/2021

Brian, we had an absolute ball!!!!!

Brian, we had an absolute ball!!!!! It was a relaxing holiday and an adventure all in one!!! Now, we were blessed with the weather last week, there’s no doubt, but we all agreed we would do it again!!!

The boat was fantastic, the sleeping arrangements were perfect but if we could suggest, having a place for the person sleeping in the dining area to store their gear, would be a great help. 

The cooking area and facilities were perfect, we even had a steak dinner one night!!! 

We went north to Clonmacnoise, spent our first night there away from the party spot of Shannonbridge!!! Then went to Athlone for a night and from there to Lanesborough. We loved that spot so much we stayed two nights there!!! Then back to Athlone for a night, and then to Shannonbridge on the Thursday for a wonderful day of exploring, a fab tea in The Boatyard and lunch in the River Cafe. 

We made it back to Banagher on the Friday night and JJ Houghs didn’t disappoint either!!!!!

We met some lovely people all along the way and the support was invaluable!!! It was great to be able to pay it back too as we got more comfortable with the handling!  

All in all, it was a holiday worth waiting for with something for everyone, the boat was perfect and taking the All Inclusive option before we started gave us great peace of mind!!! 

Thanks so much for all your support over the past year and a half!!!!!!! 

Rosemary McCarthy, Cork, Ireland, 07/07/2021

Everyone had an absolute ball

Hi all, we went with Carrickcraft on the Wave Queen from 12 to 19 June. Headed south onto Lough Derg. Started in Terryglass, Dromineer, Killaloe, Portumna, Athlone, Shannonbridge and spent the last night in Banagher onboard. We eat out every night and we never disappointed.

I found the hot water tank on the Wave Queen small for showers for 5 adults. 2 people may have had a shower but that was it. Otherwise plenty water for washing kitchenware and flushing toilets.

We used Waterways Ireland toilets and showers regularly where we found the ones in Killaloe to be fantastic by comparison to others. Portumna facilities were dirty and smelly. Although we paid €12 for a mooring point in Meath Country Council's Athlone Marina we were very disappointed to see such poor toilet and shower facilities there. If it's being paid for then the least someone could expect is some privacy in the shower but not having a shower curtain (nevermind a shower door and with insulation tape holding one of the shower heads together) is just unacceptable in this day and age.

Mooring points were great. Could probably have been more Marina "parking" spaces. Luckily we met family in Shannonbridge that we had met a number of times during the week who were happy to move their boat outside and let us move our boat inside theirs after we had arrived about 7pm on the Thursday evening as they were leaving early the following morning.

It sounds like we didn't have a great time but we have been talking over the past few weeks about the experience we had and everyone had an absolute ball. As a family of 5 (with our children being ages of 22, 20 and 17) I can honestly say that everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

The online course and quiz is very good but I was unable to complete the Captains quiz on Google Chrome but when I tried doing it on Microsoft Edge I had no issues.

The waterways Ireland book that is given to you on arrival has so much valuable information in it to plan routes and mooring points etc would be better to be given to boaters 2 to 3 weeks beforehand. We were lucky that my sister went last year and had the book but they only got to plan their break last year when they arrived at the Emerald Star base in Portumna.

All said, we had an amazing experience from the slow pace of life on the water, the peace and tranquility, the superb food and the friendliness of other boaters

Looking forward to next year.

Martin O'Flaherty, Cork, Ireland, 07/07/2021

A fantastic experience,

We had a great time. The staff were helpful and friendly and all the visitors were great too.

The only issue we had was the steering on our boat made it unusable on the Thur evening we arrived. And it wasn’t fixed until the next afternoon, so we didn’t get to actually go out on the boat until a day after we arrived, so we lost time.

I understand everyone did their best but we still lost a day. You’ll see what time the boat was fixed in paperwork. 

Be great to get feedback on that. Do definitely intend coming back ASAP but would want to be assured the boat was in full working order next time.

In general zero complaints about from that. A fantastic experience,

Laura Lynott, Dublin, Ireland, 05/07/2021

Thank you for a great service

Good to receive your mail as I wanted to write and thank you for a great service. The whole experience was very positive from the time we made contact with you right through to returning the boat. No complaints and look forward to the next time. Thank you.

Damien Pierce, Ireland, 05/07/2021

We absolutely loved it!

We absolutely loved it!

Ciara Kelly, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, 05/07/2021

Thank you very Much for a wonderful holiday.

From the start I was very happy with the communication, the service and the pricing. I found the company and staff very easy to deal with. We had a great week on the River Shannon and Brian even managed to organise the sun for us everyday. Thank you very Much for a wonderful holiday. 

Barry Rafferty, Ireland, 05/07/2021

We had a lovely time thank you

We had a lovely time thank you. Really enjoyed our few days and were very lucky with the weather. I have attached a few photos of our trip. We went from Banagher to Portumna, then visited Terryglass and Mountshannon and back to Banagher the last night.

My only comment is the map you gave us on email shows old times according to the staff at Banagher and they said we could have made Shannonbridge for the last night because its only 2hours but it said 4 hours, so we didnt even try. He said those maps need updating as they are based on old boats etc on their times and as newbies we took those times as gospel. So maybe updating would help next groups?

Denise Hanlon, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, 05/07/2021

We found the booking process very easy

Yeah we had a lovely time , thanks for all your help. We found the booking process very easy and helpful and would definitely use it again or recommend.

We had some bother with the check in with CC and did not find them helpful.

Jim Hynes, Dublin, Ireland, 05/07/2021

We had an absolute ball.

We had an absolute ball. Weather was amazing and kids were so happy and entertained on the boats. See you in carrick soon 

Orlaith Fay, Dublin, Ireland, 28/06/2021

We had an amazing weekend,

We had an amazing weekend, thank you very much, and I have recommended your services to family and colleagues. 

We will be availing of your services again next year.

Andrew Dolan, Ireland, 27/06/2021

It was very enjoyable

It was very enjoyable once the intimidation eased. The first day was very windy and the training was brief so it took a while to get the hang of it. Mind you, getting a rope,I hadn’t noticed caught around the prop in Victoria lock after an hour didn’t help! Once that was sorted all went very smoothly. People at mooring are so helpful which is very beneficial.

The only issue we had was the fridge did not work at all so we had to dump food , milk etc. It is beyond repair as seals as well as motor are gone. It really should not have been sent out in that condition. Besides that it was a very good few days.

If I was going again, I would try get a boat with twin props or side trusters.

Michael Galvin, Ireland, 25/06/2021

A zen experience.

Apart from poor training and a leak in our boat - on the starboard side. It came in during a night of rain and our pillows got wet. 

It was a most relaxing holiday nonetheless a zen experience. 

We moored for two nights at a village and we enjoyed doing very little; a cycle a read and eating out. It was a great slow down and a great experience. 

I have recommended this holiday to friends already. I attach a few photos. 

Deborah Culhane, Cork, Ireland, 23/06/2021

Yeah, we had a very good time

Yeah, we had a very good time, but the boat had some faults.  Especially the steering had some play and was difficult enough. I reported this to Carrick. Also we were left short of roaps 2 instead of 4. Some internal stuff like a leaking kettle the boat was not very clean when took it. All these have been given to Carrick.  Also the boat was slower then all other boats , a little more difficult to handle without thrusters.  I suppose you get what you pay for. Anyway, it was a good trip.

Dick O'Reilly, Ireland, 23/06/2021

Thanks so much Brian for a great service

All I have to say that I am going on the baot holidays twice a year and absolutely love it. Its great way to spend family time together. Highly reccomend:)))Thanks so much Brian for a great service 

Edita Arlauskiene, Dublin, Ireland, 23/06/2021

We had a great time

We had a great time thanks very much we will be booking again next year 

Keith Haskins, Dublin, Ireland, 20/06/2021

We had a lovely weekend thank you

We had a lovely weekend thank you. The only down side being that the boat wasn't ready so we were late setting off Friday. I would highly recommend the cruise, between yourselves, carrickcraft for instruction, lock keepers and other river pilots being most helpful when navigation got a bit tricky. I would hope to be back.

Clodagh Flynn, Ireland, 19/06/2021

Very professional service

We had a great time on the boat and will for sure be returning to rent one with ye in the future.

Very professional service with rapid response with any issues.

I can't think of any complaints or suggested improvements.

Colm Doherty, Waterford, Ireland, 19/06/2021

Thank you for all your help in organising the break

We had such a good time on the Shannon and want to say thank you for all your help in organising the break for us. 

From the very start we were happy with the communication and information we received about what to expect etc. We were delighted with the reception we got when we arrived in Portumna and the gentleman, a man called Fergal,  who guided us through the workings of the boat was really helpful and patient and good humoured with us all.

We would love to do this again and would recommend it to others (and have already done so).

Anne-Marie O'Malley, Galway, Ireland, 19/06/2021

Cruise was great

Cruise was great, a couple of photos attached you can use, thanks  Hugues 

Hugues Traonmilin, Waterford, Ireland, 19/06/2021

It was an exceptional trip

It was an exceptional trip with exceptional service from yourself and from ABC Boats!

Larry Bergin, Dublin, Ireland, 17/06/2021

The trip went very well

The trip went very well and I would certainly do it again, we all enjoyed being afloat and gave us a chance to spend some time with my mother and my sons' grandmother. 

If I may flag just two things you might find relevant, first, the German woman I dealt with at le boat was somewhat flustered by my booking as she did not see it on her system even though I submitted the crew list online as requested. She said you did not send on the relevant information. I was initially a little stressed by this (the total opposite of the objective of this trip!) and asked if I had to cancel the trip the day before, she said no and to present at the appointed time! Some miscommunication there which I believe needs to be remedied.

Second, the boat chosen turned out to be too big for Drumshanbo, a place my mother was set on visiting, it wasn't the end of the world but I would have liked clearer information about the limits of certain craft in certain areas, I noticed a photocopy list of the restricted boats on the wall at the le boat office!

The two points above are mentioned for objective comment and not intended to in any way negate the overall positive experience of both dealing with you and the cruise itself.

I will be cruising again in the future. Stay well and every success with your business. I attach a pic of myself and one of my navigators

Martin O'Dwyer, Ireland, 16/06/2021

Could not recommend ye more

Thank you so much for having us, we all had such an amazing time and will most definitely be back again. Could not recommend ye more, and have done so already to the 20+ people who have been asking us about it. 

Turlough Barret, Co. Clare, Ireland, 15/06/2021

It was a pleasure to deal with ye

We had a really good time on the river, it was a pleasure to deal with ye from start to finish. Will definately book again.

Roisin Ryan, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, 15/06/2021

We really enjoyed our trip

We really enjoyed our trip and will definitely be booking through you again in the future. I have been recommending this type of trip to my family and friends over the last year and Shannon River is the first source I direct them to.

Kieran Grennan, Ireland, 14/06/2021

Truly happy with your service and all you've done

Thank you very much; it's most certainly a weekend to remember.

Truly happy with your service and all you've  done and arranged.

The only slight discomfort we experienced was that the boat we had D4, wave Duke, was leaking diesel, which could be seen where ever we moored for the night and the steering cabin always has that slight diesel fuel smell hanging in the air, which our son, who slept in this area, did not much like but, he got used to the smell and all was fine.

Still an absolutely wonderful experience.

Upon arrival, my wife already asked for a bigger boat but, there were none to upgrade to!??

Was a busy weekend! 

So, we'll most defenitely book again but, I'll resort to the likes of the Longford or the Limerick; we're from Africa and love our SPACE.!????

We'll most defenitely be in touch when the next plan comes up.

Rui Carvalho, Dublin, Ireland, 14/06/2021

We loved the boat experience

We loved the boat experience, took a while to get the hang of the boat, especially the parking but it was a lovely thing to do. From check in, loading our luggage, showing us around the boat to check out, everything went smoothly and we look forward to doing it again. Hope we get the great weather again

Bridget O'Dwyer, Tipperary, Ireland, 14/06/2021

Had a wonderful long weekend break

Had a wonderful long weekend break last week. Everything went very smoothly and the Longford was definitely better than the Linssen, fate worked out well for me??

Weather was super and the river was quiet, plenty of spaces on marinas everywhere. Noel and Jennifer in Banagher were brilliant letting us return the boats at 2pm on Monday. I had a small problem with the Longford having to dismantle the upper helm dash a few times over the weekend to bypass a faulty switch and relay to start the engine. 

Charlie Donaghy, Dublin, Ireland, 04/06/2021

We had a super time on our cruiser

We had a super time on our cruiser - the boat was fantastic and more than enough room for 9 adults!

We sailed from Banagher to Killaloe and back to Clonmacnoise. The facilities at Terryglass were fantastic and we stayed there twice as the pub/restaurant had opened up so we could enjoy a meal cooked for us for a change! We were lucky with the weather and only rained at night time.

Lorna Stone, Ireland, 24/05/2021

We really enjoyed our trip on the Shannon

We really enjoyed our trip on the Shannon, it was a much needed break from work as it was highly relaxing and allowed us to unwind. We couldn't have got better weather for mid October and we got in before the level 5 restrictions so everything worked out perfectly :D

Please see some attached photos of the trip and feel free to use them on your site.

I am eager to book with you again as it was a pleasurable experience and you offered us great piece of mind with the current Covid situation (especially with the voucher and refund policies). We wanted a trip that we could be sure of and your service was ideal as there was no stress involved.

Kieran Grennan, Ireland, 28/10/2020

It was absolutely fabulous.

It was absolutely fabulous.

It was difficult of course with the restrictions on pubs and restaurants. Jackie and I simply moored at Victoria lock for 3 nights. She drank GnT’s and I fished and swigged Beer. At sunset it was totally silent. No road noise. Nothing. Heavenly. Service was first class as usual and boat was brilliant

We’re both looking at retirement so will be able to get down more often

Many Thanks.

Brian Jamison, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 14/10/2020

Thank you for your help and support

We had a wonderful cruise, everything was great.

Thank you for your help and support

Doru Olteanu, Co. Louth, Ireland, 14/10/2020

You were very helpful and responsive

We had a great trip. We will definitely be back next year!

Thanks for your help, you were very helpful and responsive.

Finbar O'Grady, Dublin, Ireland, 05/10/2020

Very enjoyable trip

Everything was great for the trip.. we really loved it especially John cos he had wanted to do that for years and years. We would like to go again next year  please God. We had a great young fella Karl who gave us the once over before we left. The only thing i would comment about is the signs and markers on the Lough Ree and rivers.. many of them could do with fresh red and green paint. That is all, it was a very pleasant experience and thanks again for the advice Etc at the beginning

Anglela Rafferty, Wicklow, Ireland, 03/10/2020

In one word CLASS.

Wonderful time was had . Telling all my friends about it.  In one word CLASS.  

Kenneth Kelly, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 03/10/2020

We had a great time on our cruise

Thanks so much for your mail. We had a great time on our cruise. We were very happy with the vigilance given to covid 19 guidelines too. We really have no negative feedback as we had no issues at all and were very happy with the boat and the service we received. 

Joanne Sheehan, Dublin, Ireland, 30/09/2020

Many thanks for your assistance.

Had a great trip on the Shannon. Many thanks for your assistance.  Your help made It easier for me to make the booking. Comparison of costs and boats were simplified by you. 

Marie Garahy, Ireland, 30/09/2020

We thoroughly enjoyed our boat trip

We thoroughly enjoyed our boat trip thank you very much.  Couple of points though:

The online tutorial is out of date and too slow to load and watch.  All of party had problems accessing and viewing it.

On the last evening our toilet stated to emit a very bad smell.  I had asked before we left port if we needed to worry about emptying the waste tanks and I was advised that it should not be an issue with only 8 people on board for 3 nights.  The smell on the last evening would indicated otherwise.

Overall excellent craft and very comfortable as well as great fun!

Geraldine Wren, Ireland, 24/09/2020

We had a great time on the Shannon

We had a great time on the Shannon, the boat worked well and was clean - very enjoyable and hope to have another go next year.  Thanks for your assistance

Rupert Maddock, Waterford, Ireland, 24/09/2020

We had one of the most amazing trips

We had one of the most amazing trips! thank you so much for all the support in planning and booking. Is there somewhere i can leave a review for you? my only regret is that i had not done this sooner and we would love to do it again next year, hopefully earlier in the summer with the longer nights :)

Rachael O Hegarty, Wicklow, Ireland, 23/09/2020

We had a fantastic trip on the Shannon

Just wanted to report back to you that we had a fantastic trip on the Shannon. The boat was amazing and the whole process that you put in train for us worked like clockwork. Thanks to you for giving us excellent boat options and making the whole process go so smoothly. We will definitely be back to do this again. Happy for you to use my comments as part of your testimonials.

Ray O'Neill, Dublin, Ireland, 22/09/2020

We had a fantastic time

We had a fantastic time. 

Thanks to yourself for making the booking/organising process very easy and hassle free. We will be booking again next year for sure.

David McKeon, Mayo, Ireland, 21/09/2020

It was fantastic

It was fantastic. We were nervous as we had not done this before, but once we got going, all was ok. Learning how best to moor it took a bit of time, but we got better each time. The general consensus was that we would all do this again next year. We were blessed with the weather which always helps.

The only issue we had on the boat was the toilet at the back near the two bedrooms seemed to have a problem. There was always a really bad smell, even on the day we picked it up. apart from that, everything was great.

I'll have to check with the better half if there are photos that she'd like to share.

We've recommended your company to anybody that asked us, so you may be getting a few enquiries from this part of the country.

Thanks again, and we will be in contact for another booking next year. 

Patrick Dillon, 21/09/2020

We had a great time thanks

We had a great time thanks - we spent the week on Lough Erne as apparently the canal was a bit high to pass down the Shannon. It worked out great and we loved the peace and isolation of the lower Lough.

I have only good things to say about the service from Shannon River so thank you very much for all your help and for answering all our questions. If I can leave a public review anywhere please let me know

Miriam Kinsella, Wicklo, Ireland, 21/09/2020

We had another absolutely amazing holiday

We had another absolutely amazing holiday . That was our 6th visit and we enjoy it more each year. 

We found going that bit earlier this year was a huge bonus with weather.  We caught some lovely pike In Roosky and had lovely meals In Leitrim and Dromod !

We will certainly be back for more next year.

Thank you for all your helping In booking yet again this year 

Louise Heary, Dublin, Ireland, 21/09/2020

We had a great time on the boat.

We had a great time on the boat.

(I did telephone Locaboat a few days prior to our departure date and asked if we could have the boat at 2pm but the response was that boats are not available until 4pm. and when I said that the material received from you suggested that the company strives to have boats available to weekenders at 2pm rather than 4pm, the response I got was "oh did it now? Boats are available at 4pm, in line with our material but if there is any chance of us having it before 4pm we'll ring you". I didn't get a call. No big problem ) 

So we arrived at the office at 2.50 pm. The place was crowded with people either queuing to be seen or waiting for boats to be available. When I got to the top of the queue, I was delighted to hear the guy say to me "...and your boat is ready" . We boarded at 3.10pm, and departed at 3.50pm, demonstration completed.  That was fast when we were not expecting it.

The river was fast flowing and there was a constant breeze, varying in strength depending on our direction and whether on a wide or narrow stretch of the river. The bridge at Tarmon was tricky, water very fast and we could have come to grief but we powered out of it in time. An Emerald Star bigger boat lost control and got slammed against one of the arches on Saturday and it took some hours to get it free. I saw pictures too of a Carrickcraft boat that went on fire at Jamestown and the lads back at Carrick said that it sank.  Even though we had no booking we were accommodated in Keenan's in Tarmon for dinner on Saturday night, despite they being booked out. That really made the day.

We all expressed a desire to do this again next year with a bigger boat and more family members but with a similar type boat even though the Locaboat engineers advised that our flat-bottomed boat is harder to manoeuvre in conditions such as we had. However, we were out for slow progress and got as far as Lanesborough, and were delighted with a final charge of €86 for diesel. The Locaboat/Carrickcraft guys on the Monday were nice and easy going too so that added to the feeling of satisfaction.  

I thought it was terrific that Shannon River could find us a boat to suit our requirements thus saving us having to search websites, and could secure the booking.

I would have no hesitation about using you again next time.

Tom Branigan, Dublin, Ireland, 12/09/2020

We had a great time

1. The booking procedure was very easy and accommodating.

2. Carrick Craft , our boat supplier, were also very accommodating regarding time of pick-up.

3. The boat was presented in great condition.

4. The "run through" before we left was very short and a few items were left out., e.g. the water pump operation, the fact that the bilge pump would kick in, the filling of the storage tank for water waste also would kick in. Also the staff had no idea what a PB2 (Power Boat 2 ) certificate is.  

5. The period of hire is not explained fully - a 5 day hire is actually 4 1/2 days as boat pick-up is supposed to be 16.00 hrs on 1st day (we were able to get it earlier) and return is 10.00hrs on 5th day. To achieve the 10.00 hrs hand over we had to be in Carrick on Shannon on the 4th night

6. There are no additional ropes / warps on board if "springs" are required due to tying up in windy weather.

7. The boat we had seemed to be a bit under pressure going against the 5kt current in Lanesborough - we achieved approx 2kt over ground due to the "governor" on the engine.

8. The fuel usage was much less than I had calculated which was a good thing but the €1.40 / litre charge is very dear - road diesel was €1.16 - €1.19 at the time.

9. The pontoons in Carrick Craft need serious attention with loose fittings, rusted supports to cleats and loose boarding. Some of the boarding was a bit of a health & safety issue (I have said this verbally to Carrick Craft management and will be writing to them as well.)

10. The facilities along the river varied considerably from brilliant in Lecarrow to not so brilliant in the Carrick Craft depot in Carrick on Shannon  - no showers and no security on the yard as a whole.

Kevin Burke, Ireland, 12/09/2020

We had an amazing trip

We had an amazing trip and will definitely be booking again soon.

Christine Cummins, Dublin, Ireland, 09/09/2020

One of the best trips we’ve been on

We had a great time. One of the best trips we’ve been on as a group. We’ll definitely be back next year if not sooner (a smaller group of us are considering going again before the year is up)

Dylan Kehoe, Carlow, Ireland, 09/09/2020

I would definitely recommend your Company

We had a very good time thanks, and I would definitely recommend your Company.

The staff were all very helpful and friendly everywhere.  The boat was well appointed.

A few small suggestions to make life easier:

There are only 2 trolleys at Carrick-on-Shannon for loading supplies.  There should be some more.

Our navigation guide book informed us that we needed a bridge lift at Roosky.  There were stickers on the boat stating that also.  That was not necessary, and as the bridge operator knew that,  he didn’t answer his phone, and left us waiting for a long time to figure out ourselves that a lift wasn’t needed.  Maybe the Guidebook could be updated?

Maureen Black, Dublin, Ireland, 09/09/2020

We had an amazing week overall!

The boat was fantastic and we had an amazing week overall!

A couple of things:

- the driver's side wiper didn't work and that made navigating in really bad weather on the lake really difficult, we only had visibility out the middle pane

- the waste guage didn't work, so let's just say we were alerted in other ways

- the young lad who did the demo, did it very half heartedly, he was half telling us things but at 100mph, maybe it was just because it was late in the day, who knows.

- a small leak kept appearing in the back room, no idea where it was coming from, but it was never serious enough to be worried we were taking on water!

The boat was immaculate and definitely the right choice for us, if we go again, we will choose the same one

Roisin Gray, Co. Meath, Ireland, 09/09/2020

Thank you for a most enjoyable holiday experience.

Thank you for a most enjoyable holiday experience. We will definitely be back on the Shannon!

Ger Cadogan, Ireland, 08/09/2020

It was good to get a break.

Many thanks for your email. We did indeed have a very nice time on the river. It was good to get a break. We have been boating for many years and had not been with Aghniver before. The boat was really super nice and very new. It would be lovely if it  could be possible for investment/newer boats in the companies that are based in Carrick-on-Shannon. However, we understand how difficult things have been for all businesses, so this is a hopeful wish as opposed to a criticism.

Jean Hughes, Dublin, Ireland, 08/09/2020

We had a great time

We had a great time, free upgrade to Kilkenny class. Service was very good, both your own and at Carrickcraft

Gerard Hassett, Tipperary, Ireland, 07/09/2020

The weather was bad

Unfortunately the weather was bad when we had the boat and a lot of the time it wasn’t that pleasant. It was a real pity as we definitely didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped.

The one thing I’d like to mention is I felt that the practical demonstration should be more in-depth. We needed more training regarding handling the boat due to bad weather.

Fiona McVitty, Wicklow, Ireland, 07/09/2020

We had an absolute brilliant time

We had an absolute brilliant time on out cruise. We had a bit of trouble one of the nights with the storm when the ropes broke but we were fine and had a great story to tell! Brilliant weather for the week great to relax. 

Hoping to book again before the end of the year.

Stephen Doran, Ireland, 04/09/2020

Fabulous Holiday

It was a fabulous holiday from start to finish. We will definitely be doing it again. There were a few issues with the boat that we raised with Carrickcraft so they are aware.

Trina Dooley, Co. Limerick, Ireland, 03/09/2020

We had the best holiday ever

We had the best holiday ever and will definitely be doing it again.  It was so good we even rented the boat for an extra night. The staff in Carrick Craft were so helpful and very customer oriented.  The boat was spotless . I have nothing bad to say about it at all. Have hundreds of photos but choose a few here as I dont think you want to see them all ??????

Thank you again

Cera Burns, Co. Waterford, Ireland, 03/09/2020

A definite for another trip

It was all good. Superb break, great service,  excellent boat, beautiful scenery. If I had one complaint its that the fish were not hungry. No bites.

A definite for another trip. The waters north of Belturbet  are just amazing, its a hidden treasure. 

Kieran Walsh, Co. Meath, Ireland, 03/09/2020

Thank you very much for all your help

Thank you very much for all your help. Our week on the Shannon was fantastic from start to finish. The boat exceeded all of our expectations and everyone associated with it were really very helpful. I've passed your details on to several people and we are hoping to do it again next year so I will be in touch.

Ken Kelly, Ireland, 02/09/2020

The service was great

We had a great time even though we didn’t get the best weather. Definitely would love to do it again in the future.

It was a new experience and made some great memories with the kids.

The service was great and to be honest there wasn’t much to fault.

The only negative I would have is the amount of condensation at night/morning on windows dripping onto beds and clothes all wet in the storage areas.

The windows never seemed to clear in the living area so we always had to steer from top deck in the rain as viability was very bad.

I’m sure we will be in touch again in the future, thanks for all your help.

Michelle Waine, Dublin, Ireland, 31/08/2020

Will definitely be doing it again

I delighted to say that we did indeed have a great time on the Shannon and will definitely be doing it again. Everyone at Emerald Star/Le Boat were helpful and friendly.

We of course got caught in storm Ellen and had to hang tough in Glasson for 2 nights but made it safely back to Carrick on Shannon shaken but not stirred!!

Next trip will hopefully avoid any Lough crossings.

Aisling O'Kelly, Dublin, Ireland, 31/08/2020

Many thanks for your professionalism.

Been meaning to send this email, since July. Thanks we had a fabulous time, everything was perfect. The fridge broke and they replaced it within hours. All the family enjoyed it and will hopefully be back. 

I'm attaching a few photos... 

Many thanks for your professionalism.

Marcella Joyce, Ireland, 31/08/2020

Thank you for a great experience

Thank you for a great experience, it was fantastic, loch Erne was was so relaxing and peaceful and the scenery was amazing. 

Aideen Nolan, Co. Wexford, Ireland, 28/08/2020

We got the best price booking through your service

Thanks so much for your help in booking the cruise. We got the best price booking through your service and were delighted to have some help in selecting the right deal for us. Despite the weather being a bit unpredictable we had a brilliant time and are already talking about our next trip on the Shannon. I would highly recommend using Shannon River and wish you all the best in the future.

Allison Hickey, Dublin, Ireland., 25/08/2020

Thank you for your help in deciding on the booking

Thank you for your help in deciding on the booking, we all really enjoyed it and it worked out very well given the year it is.

Mark Gardiner, Ireland, 25/08/2020

Thanks for all your help with the booking

Thanks for all your help with the booking, and all the reassurances with Covid-related issues.

We had a great time.

We were very lucky with the weather and saw rain only one of the evenings, and were fortunate enough to avoid Storm Ellen.

The team at Silverline were great and provided any help that we needed. The boat was clean and well-maintained. The introduction given by one of the young guys working there was excellent. Anyone that we met at the many places we stopped was friendly and helpful.

I think we'll definitely be booking another break soon.

Thanks again for everything.

Chris Dawkins, Wexford, Ireland, 25/08/2020

We had a great time

Yes we had a great time and definitely will do it again thanks

Jim Ward, Ireland, 24/08/2020

We had such a relaxing and fun time

We had such a relaxing and fun time on the Carrick Craft boat that it has been difficult to come back to land again.

As we said to your CC colleagues, we had everything, between nearly sinking and saving others and everything in between .... where do you get all that in a week!!

The service from Carrick Craft was second to absolutely none. The lads there were top drawer, both in Carrick on Shannon and at Balneleck.

Deirdre Roddy, Co. Sligo, Ireland, 24/08/2020

We had a brilliant trip

We had a brilliant trip thank you.  The weather was kind to us and everything was grand with the boat.

We really enjoyed it and would love to do it again sometime.

Brenda Temple, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 21/08/2020

We all had a great time

Thank you for your email and for all your help with our booking.

We all had a great time, the weather definitely helped.

All went really well from picking up the boat to checking out. All the staff were really helpful and friendly. We had no issues at all (well bar the usual of just getting used to the boat at the start) but we got the hang of it pretty quick. We found that the river was definitely busy and had to ensure we were moored early enough in the afternoon to ensure we got a slot. A number of occasions at the lockes and bridges it was chaotic enough so definitely challenging. It was a pity there wasn't more open in the towns to enjoy but these are the times we are in.

In all we will definitely be doing it again and are looking forward to it.

Many thanks for all again Brian

James Whelan, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 21/08/2020

We had an absolute blast

We had an absolute blast, my wife, kids and I really enjoyed every minute of it.

Firstly the support and responsiveness for you guys was first rate, the on-boarding process with Carrick was simple and to the point and the general facilities coupled with the charm of the villages along the Shannon was fantastic

We have recommended it and you guys to all of our friends and work colleagues since we got home ??

John Malone, Ireland, 19/08/2020

We had an absolute ball on our trip!!

We had an absolute ball on our trip!! We were so lucky with the weather!! We went all around Lough Derg (Portumna, Mountshannon, Scarriff, Dromineer, Terryglass and Banagher). We only had rain on the way back through the lock at Meelick!!! It was fabulous! Myself and Simon have been on the river loads of times before but it was our son Charlie’s first time and he absolutely loved it. He actually cried on the way home in the car!!!

Anyway thank you again for organising for us. We loved our boat and the service from you and from Silverline was excellent!

Lisa Freeman, Kildare, Ireland, 19/08/2020

We had a brilliant time.

We had a brilliant time.

We got really lucky with the weather being sunny all week long.

The Boat was the best one I have rented so far over the years that I have been renting.

The company were very helpful and very easy to deal with.

We just have to receive our damage deposit back into my account.

Please find link below of some photos that you can use if you want to.

Ben Lambe, Dubiin, Ireland, 19/08/2020

We had a very pleasant holiday

We had a very pleasant holiday which was greatly helped by the excellent weather that week. The boat was presented exactly as was detailed. Connell did a great job on the orientation I was very patient and good humoured.

Here are a few pics from our trip. We headed north around Devenish Island, back down to Belturbet and then over to BallyConnell before returning to Bellanaleck. 

Mary Fitzgerald, Limerick, Ireland, 19/08/2020

Recommend it as a holiday idea to one and all!

Hi Brian, we had a great time, thanks for organizing the good weather all week!! Recommend it as a holiday idea to one and all!

Tom McHale, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 19/08/2020

We were delighted with your service

We had a great time, it was wonderful.... all went to plan.  We were delighted with your service.  You were always at the end of the phone when we rang and we never felt rushed or pressurised.

Nuala Whyte, Ireland, 19/08/2020

We had an amazing time

We had an amazing time, staff of carrickcraft were great to deal with and boat had everything we needed. We will be back again.

Andrew Howley, Dublin, 19/08/2020

Everything was great

Everything was great Brian.

Thanks for all of your help in getting this organised, we really enjoyed it.

Rory O'Neill, Dublin, Ireland, 18/08/2020

Will definitely be back.

We’d a fantastic few days on the river!
Glorious sunshine. Will definitely be back.

Ann Conway, Ireland, 17/08/2020

We had a super break on the Shannon

We had a super break on the Shannon, all the family enjoyed the time on the boat and that is coming from four teenagers as well !!

Lovely scenery, castles, walks, wildlife,  clonmacnosie, Hudson bay waterpark, reading, playing 45, connect four and catching up with each other through the choppy lough Ree up to Ruske from Banagher, lovely food on the ways as well as trying fishing but we didnt catch anything  J

Meeting very helpful people along the way as well

It was very relaxing, great fun as we all  learnt  new skills, managing the docking, Locks, ropes and bridges too  J

We will definite be back.

Rose Slattery, Ireland, 17/08/2020

The trip was great

The trip was great we had two small breakdowns but the boat company were very good to us and looked after our fuel bill.

And the weather was fab.

Pether Hanifin, Westmeath, Ireland, 17/08/2020

Thank you for all your help and information.

Just a quick note to say we had a fantastic week on the Shannon. Thank you for all your help and information

Kim Walley, Ireland, 15/08/2020

The perfect holiday in Ireland

Thanks for the email. The cruise was excellent and the boat was perfect - spacious, well equipped and clean. I loved it, my teenage daughters loved it and my elderly father loved it. We spent the week just pootling around Lough Derg and visited every one of the villages marked on the cover of the Waterways Guide given to us at Carrickcraft. At one stage, I thought if this was a foreign country I'd want to live there.

I couldn't recommend it enough as the perfect holiday in Ireland. Thanks for your help organising it.

Darragh O'Loughlin, Dublin, Ireland, 13/08/2020

Thanks for all of your assistance.

Yes we had a fabulous time on the boat! Although the size was perfect for our family, I would like a Premier boat next time. I like a bit of comfort and luxury ;-)

It was great to have some sort of holiday despite the pandemic. Thanks for all of your assistance. 

Shivanthy Gately, Ireland, 13/08/2020

Thanks so much for your great service

We had wonderful time , and thanks so much for your great service. Vision 3 boat its a amazing!

Edita Arlauskiene, Dublin, Ireland, 10/08/2020

We really had a wonderful time.

We really had a wonderful time. the Monday night was a bit of a nightmare with the wind and the rain, I was really quite nervous but got over it and enjoyed the remaining 2 days thoroughly. We saw everything we had planned to see on lower lough erne. The staff at the manor marine were really great, so nice and helpful as was your good self. Will definitely be recommending to family and friends.

Edel Corcoran, Co. Donegal, Ireland, 10/08/2020

Simply brilliant on all levels.

Just a quick note regarding our recent boat cruise. There were 4 of us, 2 adults and 2 kids age 13 and 16 who are never too impressed with anything usually. However all four of us were simply blown away by the cruise. We now know that team work is required and the kids loved helping out on board and on the ground. We hired bikes and these were a magnificent addition to the boat. We sailed from Banaher to Tarmonbarry and back without even a hint of a sulk from either children. It was simply magical. We couldn’t believe the amount of equipment and space on board. Everything was there cups, saucers, plates, small medium and pint glasses. Cooker, grill,  fridge, coat hangers and lovely hot , incredibly hot showers. Everything was there and easy to use. All you have to do is turn up and go. I can’t recommend it highly enough. The staff in the office in Banagher were simply outstanding and extremely helpful regarding our incessant questions. There is nothing negative I can write about this trip. We are now saving up to repeat this trip next year. Simply brilliant on all levels.

Regina Flanagan, Galway, Ireland, 10/08/2020

We absolutely loved the trip

we absolutely loved the trip on the boat ..the boat was perfect for us .Thank you so much for all your help ..we will definitely do it again

Martha Williams, Ireland, 07/08/2020

We got on great

We got on great -it was a huge boat but we handled it fine. Thanks for your help and support. People on the river and lakes helped along the way.

Feedback for Carrick craft mainly:

• We followed the instructions and rang the day before (Sunday) for a pick up time. I had rang earlier in the week and e-mailed but was asked to call back the day before. Until Monday morning I still didn’t know the time to pick up -if we were coming from further a field that would have made things difficult -as it was it was difficult to plan. There was no one available Sunday. We picked up around 3pm on Monday also and returned it Friday before 10 am so really the first and last days are very short. 
• There are also 3 options on Insurance -I had thought there was only one, but picked an appropriate one on the day.
•  Last point was that Diesel was not included -I didn’t realise that in advance also.

 Once out and about it was great and a great holiday, but hopefully the points above will benefit others.

Tom Ryan, Ireland, 04/08/2020

We had an absolute ball

I can confirm we had an absolute ball and would totally recommend the experience. I look forward to making a future booking. Thanks to you and your staff who made the whole experience professional and guidelines easy to follow. 

Mark Weir, Ireland, 04/08/2020

The cruise was great as always

Thank you , the cruise was great as always , that’s a second time that I rent a boat thru you’s.

Marcin Odelga, Dublin, Ireland, 01/08/2020

Thanks for organising everything so efficiently

We all enjoyed the cruise very much. Thanks for organising everything so efficiently. The boat was great, and we found  lots to see and do while we were exploring Lough Erne right up to Belleek.

Anne & Kevin Noonan, Co. Cork, Ireland, 01/08/2020

Shannon river were brilliant to deal with

It was great! 

Thanks a million we all had a fantastic time . 

Shannon river were brilliant to deal with especially Brian 

Ann Nolan, Dublin, Ireland, 31/07/2020

We had a great time

We had a great time, thoroughly enjoyed it. Boat was great with all that's needed and staff very friendly and helpful. We're already planning our next trip.

Dympna Murphy, Ireland, 30/07/2020

Thanks so much for all your help with booking it

We had a lovely time thanks. The weather was a bit iffy but we enjoyed the break. The boat was lovely. I wasn't expecting it to have as much space as it did. It has everything that we needed on it and the guys in emerald star were lovely to deal with. 

Thanks so much for all your help with booking it, much appreciated.

Antoinette Kavanagh, Co. Clare, Ireland, 30/07/2020

Thanks for all your help In organising Our staycation

We had a lovely time on the Shannon, it was so relaxing and wonderful to see the Irish countryside from a different perspective. Carrick Craft were incredibly friendly and efficient even though we picked up our boat on the busiest day so far this year we were all sorted and cruising to Leitrim within an hour!! The boat was spotless and had everything we needed!!

My highlight was Lough Key, I used to caravan there every Easter as a child and it held wonderful memories for me, it was great to see the essence of the park has not changed... maybe next time I’ll bring my a Dad along!!

Thanks for all your help In organising Our staycation, we will most definitely be doing it again!!

Elaine O'Beirne Morrisey, Kildare, Ireland, 29/07/2020

The trip was amazing

The trip was amazing! We had the best time - will definitely be doing it again!

The boat was lovely and everyone at Silverline were so helpful and organised.

Ciara Bergin, UK, 29/07/2020

It was great!

It was great! 

We loved it and the staff in Le Boat were great.we will be back ??

Louise Dunphy, Dublin, Ireland, 28/07/2020

We had the time of our lives

Thanks a million for everything. We had the time of our lives. I’ve attached a picture of us all. I’m the one driving. Thanks again. I will more than likely be in contact again next year.

Michael Kelly, Wicklow, Ireland, 28/07/2020

It was a great trip

It was a great trip - too short though! 

A couple of comments for feedback. 

The smaller double room had a musty smell in it no matter how long we aired it out.

There was no table on the top deck and no cushions on the seats on the top deck.

The bathroom door in the twin room (on same side as the kitchen) had to remain open as the door handle did not always work (just twisted around and around).

It's a great sized boat and was easy to manoeuvre. We went to Lough Kee, Leitrim, Boyle and Roosky as well as anchoring in the middle of a lake for a few hours to swim and soak in the sunshine. We were lucky with the weather too.

Thanks again for all your help.

Priscilla Lawrence, Ireland, 28/07/2020

The holiday was so relaxing.

The boat was brilliant and of an exceptional standard. Despite its size, it so simply to operate. The holiday was so relaxing. 

David Dillane, Dublin, Ireland, 27/07/2020

Thank you, really happy!

A great, exploring and amazingly scenic holiday! 

In relation to the service, all was organised in a fast, professional and efficient way, starting from booking via www.shannon-river.com to end of the trip. 

Thank you, really happy! ?? 

Modris Silkens, Co. Louth, Ireland, 25/07/2020

We will be back

All went really well, enjoyed by one and all on board.

We will be back

Liz Greer, Ireland, 24/07/2020

We got on fairly well considering we were totally new to this

We got on fairly well considering we were totally new to this. The boat was how I expected it, very clean and had everything we needed. We had an issue with a "cable" that snapped but we came back to carrig on shannon and it was sorted within a couple of hours by very helpful mechanics who also gave Tom some very useful tips on how to steer the boat.. Our only issue was that the beds were wet/very damp... this was all beds. We had to put towels underneath which helped alot. I did mention this to the gentleman that was checking the boat on our return. We would certainly consider doing it again now that we are a little wiser..

Thanks for your help and answering all of our many queries before we booked.

Anne Walsh, Tipperary, Ireland, 24/07/2020

We will do it again

We had a great week cruising, first time we did it so it took a bit of getting used to.

Would suggest maybe a little emphasis on the difference between the river and the Lake when inducting customers. We got quite a scare going into Dromineer due to strong westerly winds.

Will know better the next time.

The boat was in excellent condition and we had no problems with it other than we did not take the bikes as when we mounted them on the front rail I felt vision was too restricted and we left them in the van until we returned to Banagher.

It was definitely a really good holiday and we will do it again but maybe with a bigger boat than the Tyrone Class.

Turlough O'Brien, Carlow, Ireland, 24/07/2020

Definitely will go again.

We had a great time on the cruise, really enjoyed it.  Definitely will go again.  Found the mooring hard in spots but got better as went along. 

Derek Goode, Roscommon, Ireland, 21/07/2020

We had a great trip, really enjoyed

We had a great trip, really enjoyed it and will do again next year hopefully.

The only negative was the boat broke down on the Sunday and we had to call out your engineer. It just meant we finished Sunday morning instead of Monday. It had stopped earlier in the week too, think it was an intermittent electrical fault. You guy was great came in a few hours and had it fixed in an hour or so.

Besides that great time and kids loved it too.

Paul Nash, Co. Cork, Ireland, 21/07/2020

It was a complete joy from beginning to end

I meant to email you to complimentary you and the team at Kiladeas for a wonderful experience last weekend.

It was a complete joy from beginning to end. Myself and the 3 other lads had a great time - so much so we are thinking of doing it again in september in the lower shannon if our plans allow. 

Richard Prenderville, Kerry, Ireland, 20/07/2020

Everything was perfect

Had a great time and everything was perfect from booking to the cruise.

 Many thanks for your help

Paul Thompson, Ireland, 16/07/2020

Trip was good and bad.

Trip was good and bad. 

Bad was weather and everything was closed.  We were not aware all the public jetty facilities were closed.  No toilets/showers/laundry etc.  All tourist attractions were closed. (Due to covid 19).

Good- When it did stop raining it was lovely but that was one day !

Manor Marine was really nice and staff were good.

Boat was nice. Would defo do it again and hope we have nicer weather and facilities are open.  

Jefferson Byrne, Wicklow, Ireland, 16/07/2020

Thanks for all your help and flexibility

We had a great time, thanks for all your help and flexibility with everything going on in the world.

Garreth Molloy, Kildare, Ireland, 16/07/2020

As always your service was second to none

Thanks for the mail - we had another fabulous and varied cruising holiday. As always your service was second to none and I have recently given your number and email address to 5/6 different couples who are interested in booking a cruiser through your company - I believe some of them have already booked boats in fact .

Aisling Watters, Tipperary, Ireland, 12/07/2020

Have already recommended you

The staff at MHM made us feel very safe in the current situation, tuition was done one to one and the cruiser was spotless. I fear however we were spoilt with the quality of the cruiser this time and a high standard has been set.

We would not hesitate to book MHM or another company via yourselves in the future and have already recommended you on a number of Facebook groups and to friends. 

Could I suggest a couple of minor things for future clients:

1 - I should have known this but the north Lough isn’t for bad weather and MHM advised us to travel south which was the opposite to our plans. We had planned our route and food provisions based on heading to Belleek and Kesh and had to review this when we arrived. Had we been alerted in advance that this could be the case we could have made two plans for either good or bad weather.

2. We almost chose a cruiser without a covered flying bridge and it was only luck that we had one. Going forward, unless there is no alternative I cant imagine that we’ll book a cruiser without one. It was an absolute god send. It would be useful to have a little advice page with different features of cruisers that non boating people wouldn’t be familiar with and why they can be useful. 

 3. A reminder to purchase a Smart card at the hire place. 

Louise McAlavey, Ireland, 08/07/2020

I would recommend your company to anyone

I have been on good holidays but the cruise on the erne was the best holiday ever.

The boat was very good and abc boats rang to warn us that the heavy rains were causing problems on the canal around balinamore . This was correct and we stayed on Lough erne. I would recommend your company to anyone and next year I will be back again.

Vincent O'Connell, Cavan, Ireland, 08/07/2020

All in all everything was great

Thank you for reaching out. All in all everything was great, we had a great weather although I would suggest people to go earlier in the season as it can get very cold during the nights and you have to hassle with the heating. :)

Berta Agnes, Budapest, Hungary, 11/11/2019

Very happy also with your service

Yes, we had a great time on the boat, going on Lough Derg only  - probably one of the most beautiful lakes of the country, and an area I hardly knew before.

Very happy also with your service, despite all the hiccups with the preparation, none of which was your fault.  I loved your website, as it is very CLEAR and to the point - unlike most others! - and it is very handy for comparing boats and offers of different companies.  As to Emerald Star, I was pleasantly surprised by their friendly and efficient service; twice we had a serious technical problem with the boat (starter battery flat and engine overheating), but they came out in no time to fix it (thanks god it didn't happen in the middle of the lake...)

Peter Schneider, Sligo, Ireland, 09/11/2019

I can recommend every trip to such a family

Yes we had a very good time on the river.

With a clear conscience I can recommend every trip to such a family.

Thank you for helping me rent the boat

Robert Kubica, Cork, Ireland, 05/11/2019

The booking process obviously worked perfectly

We had a wonderful time on our Silverline Cruisers Silver Swan.  The booking process obviously worked perfectly and the people at Silverline we’re very friendly and helpful.  

Our boat was spotless when we got it.  After we left Banagher, we realized that neither of the console gauges for the fuel level or water level were working. That didn’t cause us any problems though, as we regularly topped up the water and re-fueled with diesel in Carrick on Shannon.

Maurice O'Connor, Kilkenny, Ireland, 13/10/2019

From start to finish we had a fantastic experience

We had a great time on the shannon. Weather was fantastic which helped. From start to finish we had a fantastic experience. 

Kevin Ross, Wicklow, Ireland, 07/10/2019

Your service was great

We had a wonderful time over the 3 days. One day it poured rain but the others were so nice and thank you for your recommendations on where to go. 

Your service was great, no comments on that. From the boat hire, I think it would have been a bit more beneficial to have some more practice runs of parking/reversing etc as this was quite challenging for people who have never taken a 30ft boat out before, but we improved with time. The only other piece was that we were unable to drive when it poured rain as the wind shield was completely fogged and there were no windows big enough to open to clear it so we needed to stop for the day.

Helen Geoghan, Ireland, 07/10/2019

Best holiday we have ever been on together

What can I say about our time on the boat ... it was simply wonderful .. best holiday we have ever been on together.  From start to finish it was truly brilliant.  Great staff, great facilities and outstanding beauty on our trip, so much so we have already pre booked for 2 weeks in June/July 2020 ... could not fault anything .. amazing time and thank you and all your professional staff for such a wonderful experience. Here’s to next year ?? can’t wait 

Andrew Walshe, UK, 01/10/2019

Thanks for arranging the trip for us.

Thanks for arranging the trip for us. We had a really good time!

Lucy Vickers, Oxfordshire, UK, 13/08/2019

Unreal weekend on the Shannon.

Unreal weekend on the Shannon and thankfully the weather wasn't as bad as first warned.

Thanks again for arranging an amazing weekend for us.

Clive Slevin, Ireland, 13/08/2019

It was a pleasure dealing with you

I had a great time thanks and it was a pleasure dealing with you. Send me on a link to your google review page and I will put one up for you as well as personally recommending your service

Cathal Coats, Dublin, Ireland, 13/08/2019

Thanks for Everything

All went well and we had a great week. Even the weather was great. Tks for Everything. Will be in touch soon for next years reservation

John Daly, Switzerland, 09/08/2019

Had a wonderful cruise.

Had a wonderful cruise Brian...míle buíochas! Hope to be back in the near future! Le gach dea-ghuí,

Katie Ui Caoimh, Ireland, 09/08/2019

I would recommend you.

Thanks, the experience of booking through you guys was very good and I would recommend you guys to friends and family. 

Tony Ferguson, Dublin, Ireland, 08/08/2019

We had a super holiday.

We had a super holiday Brian and the clement weather made it all the more enjoyable. Really feel we have a good grasp of the Shannon now as when we do Lough Derg we seem to around in circles. I loved all the Loughs and what a beautiful county is Leitrim. Hopefully we will be back next year. Waterford class so comfortable too. Thanks for sending all the information too. It was a great help.

Louise Doyle, Wicklow, Ireland, 07/08/2019

The time on the river was pleasant for us

The time on the river was pleasant for us, the weather was much better than during our following two weeks in Ireland.

Regarding your service there are no complaints but we learned during the trip, that we propably should have chosen another type of boat, because climbing the stairs up and down proved to be laborious for some of the crew and the size of the toilets was also a problem for some.

Nevertheless it was a gratifying experience for us.

Gerhard Guttenbrunner, Linz, Austria, 01/08/2019

Let me thank you very much indeed

Let me tell you it has been a great cruise and we really enjoyed the mix golf and cruise and …… pubs !

All the friends were really pleased with the trip and in their name let me thank you very much indeed !

Roland Mader, Paris, France, 23/07/2019

Thanks for everything

Thanks for everything Brian. We had a great time

Seamus Dennison, 18/07/2019

Thanks alot for all

We had a great time - everyone enjoyed it alot. The countryside, the locks, the nice jetties. We went as far as Glasson. Carrick Craft were helpful and easy going. The boat although a little dated was clean and well maintained. 

So all in all a great experience which we can highly recommend (and have been doing)

Thanks alot for all 

David O'Donnell, Germany, 16/07/2019

Fantastic time

Fantastic time , we will definitely come again

Jason Stubbs, Wicklow, Ireland, 12/07/2019

We had a good time

We had a good time with rather pleasant weather on the well prepared boat.

The navigation without bow thruster was more difficult that I thought.

Christoph Engel, Switzerland, 07/07/2019

I’d give a 10/10 rating

We had a good time thanks. We were very lucky with the weather too.  I was however a bit disappointed with the sleeping accommodation.

As you know, we’ve used Carrick Craft before, so l knew it would not be overly spacious. However this was very obviously a boat meant for 6 people, but the main bedroom had been converted into two very limited rooms, so that it could sleep 8 at a tight squeeze. I would think twice before hiring this kind of boat again.

A holiday is meant to be a rest, but if you can’t get a good nights sleep, it defeats the purpose.

For all other aspects I’d give a 10/10 rating, but the cabin space would only get 5/10. Sorry, but we don’t feel this boat is appropriate for 8 people.

James McColgan, Ireland, 07/07/2019

Thanks for your help

We had an excellent time, there were a few small issues with the boat (faulty fuel gauge, small leak, via the central wipers) but the service was excellent and we were well looked after.

Thanks for your help, we may return next year for another short break and would not hesitate to contact you further.

Joe Cox, Anglesey, UK, 26/06/2019

We had a wonderful time

We had a wonderful time and really have no complaints about the service provided by you and Carrick Craft. The boat was reliable, well equipped and comfortable and the support excellent. The river is beautiful and the Irish people, with the exception of only one lock keeper, are friendly and helpful.

Our only minor suggestion would be to stagger the arrival times/days a little to avoid the inevitable crush at 4.00pm on Saturday.

Many thanks once again we will certainly be using your services again in the future.

Paul Fallon, Sussex, UK, 26/06/2019

I've always found you to be a great person to deal with

We had a great time.  Over the years I've hired a number of boats from you and I've always found you to be a great person to deal with.  Definitely be back to you again

Paddy Faughnan, Dublin, Ireland, 11/06/2019

I would highly recommend your service to anyone

Thanks for your email. We had a fantastic time; weather was a bit if everything which created a baptism of fire for our first trip out, but we had a fantastic time all the same. We would love to do it again. 

Nothing but positive feedback Brian; you were prompt, efficient, helpful and professional. I would highly recommend your service to anyone.  (And you can quote me on that)

Catherine Hassett, Co. Cork, Ireland, 10/06/2019

Your service was excellent

Everything went according to plan. A terrible downpour on friday as we began but it only lasted 10 minutes. The evening cleared up really well.

We actually had fantastic weather on Saturday. Sun cream required. We had a ball in Banagher on Friday night and Athlone on saturday night.

We travelled to lough Ree on Sunday, the wind was a bit challenging which made it even more enjoyable.

Overall we had a great time. Your service was excellent, as was Emerald star on Friday.

Joe Ryan, Co. Cork, Ireland, 10/06/2019

We all had a great time

We all had a great time and hope to do it again next year.  It only rained a couple of days and I’d told the crew it would rain every day so that was a bonus.

The two of fishing wasn’t very successful but we didn’t really try that hard.

There were no mishaps, accidents or things going wrong.  The only problem we had was the refrigerator didn’t work or there was a switch we didn’t find.

Dave Spragg, Southampton, UK., 06/06/2019

Many thanks for arranging a n enchanting week on the Shannon.

Our boating from Carrick craft was splendid.  Staff at the yard were delightful and very helpful.  We went south to Tarmonbarry and north to Loch Key through splendid scenery.  With three of us on board, the Carlow class boat was fine, very practical and performed well.  Another time we might consider a different type of boat with a better helming position.  The view through the screen was rather poor due to reflections, and I personally felt rather cooped up, being used to a boat where the helmsman stands in the open air!  Just a personal observation, not a criticism.  My wife has already recommended your company to one of her friends who enjoys boating.

Many thanks for arranging a n enchanting week on the Shannon.

Iain & Sarah Gilmour, UK, 29/05/2019

Definitely recommended.

Great trip. Everyone thouroughly enjoyed it. The boat was fine, and all arrangements worked well.

And Irish hospitatility was absolutely superb as usual

Definitely recommended. Thanks for sorting for us

Steve Nutall, Ipswich, UK, 26/05/2019

Thank you for your help and the organisation.

We had a really great time on the river and I`like to say thank you for your help and the organisation.
It was all really perfect and we had a lot of fun travelling with the Boat.

Only thing I have to say is that the Carlow Class is may be a little too small for 3 adults. There was no problem but for more than a week (or with other friend`s :-D) it could get crowded.

Andreas Grubmüller, Austria, 23/05/2019

As for your service, Excellent.

All went very well although there were a couple of things that caused problems.  On the first night we found that Carricks had only supplied us with bedding for 2,not 3. Resolved next morning. Then in Terryglas the boat broke down but again resolved within the hour.

 As for your service, Excellent.

Richard Eagles, Somerset, UK., 22/05/2019

Overall we really enjoyed our trip.

Thanks we had a great time on the Shannon and we had amazing weather.

The boat was great pleanty of room fir us all.

Lough Ree was a bit hairy on the way down from Lanesboro very windy but we managed it. It might be worth mentioning to future customers that Lough Ree can be very windy even on fine days.

Overall we really enjoyed our trip.

Majella Kelly, Galway, Ireland, 21/05/2019

Thank you for a very good service!

We thoroughly enjoyed our 4 days on the Shannon and Lough Derg. It was our first time driving a cruiser, and we were so lucky with the weather, which was sunny and calm, though fairly chilly. The main thing is that there was no rain, and no wind to stir up the waves.

We enjoyed the wildlife, the relaxation and the stops at nice pubs/restaurants. We hope to repeat the experience in the future.

Thank you for a very good service.

Marian & Gerry O'Keeffe, Ireland, 20/05/2019

We had a great time cruising up and down the river

We had a great time cruising up and down the river for the few days, so much so that we are expecting to ba back again this summer with some friends - so in the words of Martin Brody 'We're gonna need a bigger boat'.

Robert Hirtes, Co. Meath, Ireland, 14/05/2019

We had a lovely weekend

Thank you for your email. We had a lovely weekend.  We were so lucky with the weather.

The service which you provided in regard to our booking from start to finish was excellent.  It was a pleasure to deal with you.

We will certainly book again and would explore the river North of Portumna next time.

Rosaleen O'Kelly, Co. Cork, Ireland, 14/05/2019

Really appreciate all the help

Thanks Brian, all was great - especially appreciated the emails at the outset which had all the details of the boat options. We had a brilliant time.

Really appreciate all the help.

John Sexton, Dublin, Ireland, 14/05/2019

We had a wonderful time on our cruise.

We had a wonderful time on our cruise, and really enjoyed the boat – The Classique.  It had everything we were needing.   It was a great venue for our family re-union, very relaxing, and interesting.  We were on the lake and also on the river, so enjoyed both experiences.

Ruby Schoemann, Surrey, UK., 06/05/2019

Everything went brilliantly

We had the most wonderful five days on the Shannon. Everything went brilliantly especially the weather. I was going to contact you again re next year. We are definitely going again but can’t decide on Easter or the May bank holiday for five days.

Patricia Williams, Co. Kildare, Ireland, 30/04/2019

Thanks so much for great service

Thanks so much for great service and we had the best family weekend over Easter time !!! Looking forward to my next trip which is August bank holiday weekend! 

Edita Arlauskien, Dublin, Ireland, 28/04/2019

Everything was perfect

It was the best holiday we have ever been on as a family! The kids had a ball and cried when we had to give the boat back. Everything was perfect, the boats are so well equipt they have everything you need. We were so lucky with the weather too!

Brilliant service from start to finish we will definitely be booking with you again!

Niall & Ann-Marie Coughlan, Wicklow, Ireland, 27/04/2019

To say we had a fantastic time would be an understatement

Thank you so much for your email.  To say we had a fantastic time would be an understatement. We are already trying to decide when our next holiday with you is going to be!!  I wanted to email you to say how wonderful your staff in prtumna were. They were incredibly kind and helpful and I couldn't praise them enough. This is another reason we will be booking our next holiday in portumna again.

Letitia Kavanagh, Carlow, Ireland, 23/04/2019

Can't wait for next year.

Great time, very nice crew there at emerald star, can't wait for next year.

Ed Heffernan, Dublin, 05/11/2018

We'll certainly be back again sometime.

We thoroughly enjoyed our 3 days cruising on The Shannon. This was the first time helming a boat for us.

Carrick Craft were very caring and efficient. We were pleased to be able to collect the boat earlier than we thought on the Saturday and we were delighted with the boat. It was clean, comfortable and well equipped. The only thing we didn't have was a corkscrew. When I mentioned this to a Carrick Craft staff member he went to fetch one for us. 

The waterways are a joy to experience and there's such a variety; from canals to rivers to enormous lochs. The large map we were provided with was excellent.  We'll certainly be back again sometime.

Paul Green, Essex, UK, 24/10/2018

Already planning next years trip

We all had the best time and are already planning next years trip!! We feel like we have been missing out over the last few years because we haven't been doing it!! Lots of hens, stags, 30th's and 40th's coming up and I think a lot of these will be cruising up the shannon!!! Thanks for all your help

Kelly Teahan, Kerry, Ireland, 15/10/2018

The service was excellent.

The service was excellent and we had a great time on the river.  Everything was straightforward. So no lows all highs.

We were lucky enough also to get a reasonably good week weather wise to fully enjoy the trip.

Thanks so much for your help.

Thomas Finnegan, Ireland, 05/10/2018

I recommend Shannon River Boat Hire to anybody who wants to rent a boat in Ireland.

My experience with you has been extraordinary good - feel free to post it on your website: 

"Very quick response time and good understanding of my needs. I was impressed by your knowledge of the availabilities and the boats - and your advice (like taking the train instead of the bus) which saved me some money. 

As a former travel consultant of KUONI travel, I might belong to the very demanding clients. I enjoyed this exceptionally professional and positive experience with your company. 

I recommend Shannon River Boat Hire to anybody who wants to rent a boat in Ireland. 

The boat was perfect for us (Lake Star) - and the second steering wheel was highly appreciated - actually it would not have been the same good experience if we would have needed to steer the boat from inside all the time. This was a very good recommendation which you gave me on the phone - and I would not rent a boat which can only be steered from the inside. We also very much liked the design of this boat - extremely well for a family with 3 children and 2 adults. 

Everything worked well in the boat, even the fridge. 

The only recommendation: some better knives for cutting (we used our swiss army knife ??) - and we already told that to the people at the wharf.  

Polo Looser, Switzerland, 01/10/2018

Thank you for your excellent service

We had an awesome time on our river adventure on the Shannon

Even though we had some rough weather from time to time it never dampened the spirits

The 8 or so towns that we visited provided endless entertainment and memories.

The locals that we met were just as friendly as I had imagined

Thank you for your excellent service and I look forward to booking with Shannon-River on a future trip

Joe Culleton, New York, US, 01/10/2018

We had a fabulous time .

We had a fabulous time . Boat hire people very good and boat good size for 2 (Horizon 1).

Managed to get in the Cottage Restaurant at Jamestown which was great.

Anthony Bray, Chesire, UK, 30/09/2018

All in all, a very enjoyable and memorable holiday.

The staff at Carrick were fantastic, the lockkeepers were pretty good too, can't say the same about the weather!!!  Not your department tho!

I am not sure whether this is your department either but are you responsible for the navigation buoys/routes?  Having studied the detailed chart of Lough Ree, and on a windy day, we ignored the marked route and hugged the lee shore instead, deep enough and calm but it looked to be very uncomfortable out in the middle.

All in all, a very enjoyable and memorable holiday.

Thank you, we'll come again.

Mike Loveless, Wales, 28/09/2018

We had a wonderful and most relaxing week

Yes indeed, we had a wonderful and most relaxing week.  Even the one very wet day that we experienced failed to dampen our enjoyment!

We opted to go north out of Carrick and, over the next few days, travelled as far as Geaglum (lunch stop) while overnighting at the Crom Castle moorings and taking in a bit of shore time on the Castle grounds.

On the way south we diverted for a night up as far as Acre Lake, Drumshanbo.

When we arrived on the first day in Carrick we had a great lunch in The Oarsman, so much so that we booked in for dinner there on the following Friday night when we returned to Carrick.

That was a spectacularly good dinner with superb service so, thanks again for the recommendation.  It was a brilliant finish to our week.

Overall we were very happy with Emerald Star – there was only one minor hiccup and that was that the pre-ordered BBQ  wasn’t on board when we took over the boat and it delayed our start by about 40 minutes.

We would certainly be tempted to cruise the Shannon/Erne again – particularly to spend time on the two Lough Ernes, but I suspect that we would have to start our week from a more northerly point to allow plenty of time to explore the lakes.

David Betson, Kildare, Ireland, 24/09/2018

We're glad we took the Lough Erne route.

We had a fantastic time and would love to do it again some time. 

We got as far as Kesh on the Lower Lough and then returned down the other side of the Lower to the river and down to the top of the upper Lough and back up to Ballenaleck.  We stayed the first night in Enniskillen at the Forum, the second night at Kesh and the third night at Carry Bridge. We're glad we took the Lough Erne route.

My father absolutely loved it and he's talking about doing it again next year, although on a route further down the country. Thanks for all your help in picking the route.

Niall Marshall, Ireland, 23/09/2018

Thanks for everything Brian!

It was great! Thanks for everything Brian! Check in was super smooth. Pack had everything we needed. We were already planning 2019 when we were leaving on Sunday.

If I was to offer one piece of feedback, it would be great if there were large bins left somewhere onsite in Carrick so we could get rid of our rubbish on the Sunday. But to be honest we are nitpicking. Brilliant trip and would highly recommend to anyone.

Ciaran Doyle, Dublin, Ireland, 21/09/2018

We had a great time cruising down the Shannon

We had a great time cruising down the Shannon. Pity the weather wasn’t a bit better but it didn’t stop us enjoying ourselves.

Imelda Dunne, Co. Kildare, Ireland, 21/09/2018

It was just such a relaxing holiday.

We had such a good time - loved it and hope to do another trip some time - either Ireland again or another country perhaps. 

It was just such a relaxing holiday.

Veronika Otty, South Africa, 18/09/2018

We had a great time traversing the Shannon Erne waterway

Thanks for your note, yes we had a great time traversing the Shannon Erne waterway. Your help and the efficient service at the boatyard made for a super vacation. Hope to do it again sometime.

Richard Shadwell, Cork, Ireland, 18/09/2018

Can definitely recommend your company

We had a great time on the river. the only downside was that the boat was a little bit too small for me as I'm 6 ft 7, but that's not your fault :D everything else was perfect.

Thanks again for organizing everything. can definitely recommend your company and spending some time on the river.

Stefan Nießner, Austria, 15/09/2018

We would definitely recommend this company

We had a great time on the Shannon. The Carrick Craft staff were great. They were friendly and very helpful. We would definitely recommend this company.

Peter Cook, Australia, 14/09/2018

I'd like to thank you for all your help with our booking

Yes we had a fantastic time on the river Shannon and Erne. My Grandson loved the locks ( even though they WERE automated ), so we went up and down a few times???! Everything went well and I'd like to thank you for all your help with our booking.

Linda Cook, UK, 11/09/2018

We had a fantastic time

Yes we had a fantastic time and we’re looking forward to getting back again next year. Every part of the cruise was excellent including the boat, the people we met, the places we went to and the pubs/restaurants we visited.

Thanks to you for your assistance and help

Richard Fox, Ireland, 10/09/2018

We did have a wonderful time

Thank you. We did have a wonderful time. We were fairly fortunate with the weather. We were very happy with the boat and its facilities and the prompt, efficient back-up  when we lost power due to a snapped cable.

It is a unique sort of holiday - very relaxing and contemplative at times and very exciting at others ( locks, mooring,casting away etc.)

The scenery and birdlife are also amazing.

We hope to do it again,perhaps next year.

Thanks again for all the prior information - it was very helpful.

Nora Hamill, Dublin, Ireland, 10/09/2018

Wonderful holiday

Wonderful holiday and appreciated the great service in getting us on the river – very helpful and prompt responses to our many queries!  Will ask Robbie to send on some photos – we had a few amazing days on Lough Derg and enjoyed fabulous sunsets in Terryglass.

Caitriona Hatton, 05/09/2018

Everything was great

Thanks for the e mail. Everything was great, thanks. The only comment I have is the beds are not the most comfortable and the boat (Consul) we were on could probably do with a bit of freshening up, especially in the sleeping cabins. Other than that, its a great break and experience.

We hope to be back.

Ronan Ryan, Ireland, 05/09/2018

The boat trip was great

The boat trip was great thanks very much for your assistance. We look forward to booking through you again next year.

Deidre Canning, Dublin, Ireland, 04/09/2018

All very satisfactory.

•  Myself, my wife and two friends  picked up our boat in Carrick on Shannon  at the appointed time. Everything went as you indicated when I agreed the deal with you.  Arrived at your depot ‘ 12.30 pm and met by a very courteous woman, who provided all the boat details and documentation as well as accepting the agreed money. She pointed out training would not be available before 2pm  but we could bring our personal things onto the boat before then. She also advised on the most suitable restaurants.
• Training was provided from 2 pm onwards and trainer accompanied us out for a short journey. All very satisfactory.
• The trip went very well and we managed to cruise as far as Lanesborough and overnighted in Rooskey and Tarmonbarry.
• The Consul was not the most ideal model of boat for us as it has too many steep steeps when getting on or off and moving from room to room.  We are all in our early 60’s and the extra climbing is hitting our limbs hard this week.   Also we felt the boat is too small for 4  adults, particularly the toilets/washrooms. 
• My wife and I had the en suite bedroom at the rear of the boat and were very disappointed with the bed linen. The duvet and its cover had the smell of diesel fumes and did not feel to have been freshly laundered.  Access to the bed was also difficult for us.  Our friends sleeping at the front  had a better experience and had no issue with their bedding and linen.
• No issue with the kitchen or cooking facilities. The quality of the cutlery etc was excellent.
• All locks was negotiated successfully and lock keepers were courteous and help full.
• Found great restaurants in Dromad and Tarmonbarry, however Dromad Mariana had no space for us to berth and we had to progress to Rooskey and resulted having to take a taxi back to Dromad for our meal.
• Overall our experience was positive and we will be going on further cruises, however a more ‘flat bottomed’ boat will be sought the next time.

Tony Clarke, Galway, Ireland, 02/09/2018

We had a wonderful break

We had a wonderful break for the few days. We have been discussing doing it again next year!!

We had inquired about the break very late and you were able to pull together options for us which was great. 

We found your website very good to use to plan our trip in terms of distances between towns and facilities in each place. 

We will be back on again once we finalise dates for 2019. 

Thanks again for all your help and support

Mark O'Sullivan, Ireland, 31/08/2018

Will definitely stay longer when we come again!

We had a very nice stay on your boat and will definately stay longer when we come again!

Your technician was also really friendly and did not hesitate to come and help us when we were having a problem while he was having dinner.

Next time we will see to rent a bit better weather though. ;) But when the sun did come through, we were indeed able to sake some nice shots, some of which i attached.

Lukas Peter, Vienna, Austria, 28/08/2018

Everything was perfect

Everything was perfect. We really enjoyed ourselves despite the weather not being great.

Thanks a million and will recommend your site to friends.

Brendan O'Sheehan, Wicklow, Ireland, 27/08/2018

We just loved the whole time on water

We had such a good time on board. It was very hard to say goodbye to our really good boat  

We just loved the whole time on water  it’s a great experience & we will definitely come back  

Sarah Klee, Germany, 22/08/2018

I honestly could not be more delighted

I honestly could not be more delighted with the way everything went on our boat hire. The boat was in fabulous condition and extremely clean. Everyone was friendly and seemed to appreciate our business. The available stops on the river and lake were amazing and we were delighted to see our own family name on the first grave we found. Turns out many Flannagan’s came from this part of Ireland. We hadn’t really researched too much on our Irish roots and it was a pleasant surprise to stumble upon so many Flannagan’s!

Thanks for all your assistance!

Ken Flannagan, Alberta, Canada, 22/08/2018

Thank you so much for all your help.

Yes, we all had such a good time and enjoyed our time on the boats a lot! Everything worked out well, the transportation, boats etc.

Thank you so much for all your help and patience with my questions … I only realized later that half of my questions would have been answered, if I would have actually read the Captain’s handbook earlier ??

We will definitely do this again!

Gregor Kneitz, USA, 22/08/2018

A great holiday and experience

Just a quick email to say it was a great holiday and experience. Special mention must go to the staff at Carrick Craft .... From the reception to the lads on the marina who were outstanding and couldn't do enough to help 

Damien McSweeney, Cork, Ireland, 21/08/2018

Great service all round

Great service all round, from everyone, boat was ideal for us.  Only glitch was on the last evening when a mechanical malfunction caused the top controls to fail.
Would do it again, a great way to see the countryside and some beautiful villages.

Mary King, UK, 20/08/2018

Absolutely marvellous . Absolutely no complaints.

Thank you we had an absolutely marvellous couple of days on your boat on the Shannon.

The boat was well fitted out and had all the basics that are needed for a few days on the river. Absolutely marvellous . Absolutely no complaints.

Most importantly your staff were so helpful and so courteous - when we arrived explaining all about the boat and when we returned finalising matters and getting us on our way. They were all friendly, efficient and competent. 

Thank you so much. This wasnt our first time on the Shannon and certainly wont be our last.

Denis Hennebry, Ireland, 19/08/2018

We had a wonderful couple of days.

We had a wonderful couple of days. I really couldn’t fault the boat. A couple of recommendations though- 

- our boat was a 6 berth boat. We were provided with 6 single duvets but only 4 single sheets. The single sheets don’t fit the double berths so we had to use 2 leaving us short for the remaining berths. I would recommend either providing 4 single and a double or 6 single sheets. 

- we had a bow line and a stern line but no spare sheets (ropes) were provided. We got our bow line caught around the propeller. We got it free but in the interim had no spare ropes to tie up the boat. A neighboring barge loaned us one. The ropes provided also weren’t long enough in many cases to provide a good spring to keep the boat in place.

As I said, we had a great 3 days and the comments above are only to assist and not to detract from a super service! Many thanks - we will be back! 

Sarah McDonnell, Dublin, Ireland, 19/08/2018

It could not have went better

I would just like to say that we had a fantastic experience on the Shannon River Hire. Everyone on the boat thoroughly enjoyed it and everything we needed was on board which was great. The staff we met on the day were fantastic and ensured we were comfortable with everything before we set out. For our first experience on a trip like this, it could not have went better. I'll be recommending Shannon River Boat Hire to everyone I know, and I look forward to booking again with you in the future. Thanks again for all you help.

William Browne, Cork, Ireland, 17/08/2018

We had a great time

I just wanted to drop a note to say we had a great time on the boat and it is a trip I will recommend to others.

Emmanuel Hasstrup, Meath, Ireland, 16/08/2018

It's a unique way of seeing Ireland.

We had a great experience on the River Shannon last week. It was really relaxing and a great way to unwind. It's a unique way of seeing Ireland.

We found Carrick Craft exceptionally helpful and easy to deal with when necessary. 

However, we did have a very negative experience with one private boat owner in Shannonbridge. We were unaware of the issues between private and rented boats on the River Shannon. There is a need for more understanding between the two parties. 

Perhaps it would be more beneficial to have separate mooring spaces for rented boats if Waterways Ireland were agreeable. Some private boat owners were exceptionally friendly and helpful when mooring, yet some were rather hostile toward our rented status!

There seems to be a loophole for private boat owners to exploit the liability involved in driving a rented boat. 

I'm sure you are already aware of this issue but we thought we would highlight it.

Overall, we had a lovely week and would definitely do it again!

Roger Mee, UK, 16/08/2018

Had a ball.

Had a ball. I just enjoy being on the water so was never going to be any other way.

Thanks for looking after us.

Paula Murray, Dublin, Ireland, 10/08/2018

Everyday was an adventure

Myself and the girls had an amazing time.   It was a fantastic experience from beginning to end meeting the most helpful people from the lovely guys at Carrick Craft to the men on the locks and waterways and also the regular cruisers helping us dock.  Everyday was an adventure with laughter and fun topped with the kindness we encountered on our way.

You haven't seen the end of us, its the beginning of a whole new way of seeing our beautiful island so many many thanks for all your help, truly appreciated.

Caitriona Flanagan, Mayo, Ireland, 10/08/2018

We had the best holiday possible.

We had the best holiday possible. All went well and we anticipate another river trip in a year or so this time going north. Thanks for all your help. God bless Ireland.

Rick Scully, Hawaii, USA, 09/08/2018

We had a great trip

We had a great trip... thanks for all your help and advice. I’ve given your info to two friends who may go next summer and will contact you.

Thanks again!

Kristen Bishop, US, 08/08/2018

We had many positive experiences on the River

We had many positive experiences on the River.  Our three teenagers really enjoyed the experience of being on a boat; Lough Derg (where we spent the bulk of the time) was beautiful and we really loved being able to stop off and appreciate the small towns, villages and great pubs on the Lough banks.  The explanation we received on the day we took the boat was excellent.  Well given, lots of detailed explanations and very well articulated.

We gave detailed feedback on the boat itself the day we returned the Gowna.  We had a couple of very practical challenges.  The double pull-out bed broke (with one of our two younger children) on it during the third night of our 5 nights.  The mechanism for holding it in place was not strong enough we felt for the two children (though it is slated to be a double bed).  We managed the trip but we had one night of very disrupted sleep as we tried to put it back together and make sure the kids were fine -- no injuries thankfully. 

The boat itself just seemed quite well-worn and used.  For example, a number of the windows in the back cabin did not close -- either insufficient oil or worn out -- with the result that we had a lot of bugs of various descriptions in the cabin at night.  In the kitchen/living room area the floor covering was peeling off from the sides - making door slide from the bathroom a challenge.  We gave feedback on other small but unnecessary maintenance issues.  As we noted in our feedback form, our family loved the river and the experience, but the boat we had given to us was functional but a little too well used, and really needs a fairly substantial overhaul to make sure that all parts if it are functional for any future users.

Oren Gross, Minnesota, US, 06/08/2018

We had a fabulous holiday in the Shannon.

We had a fabulous holiday in the Shannon.

The information and video links that you sent on were very useful to help prepare for the trip.

The boat was excellent and everything went very smoothly from the booking with yourself right through the entire trip. 

Thanks Brian for your help.

John Manning, Waterford, Ireland, 03/08/2018

You were so helpful

You were so helpful and all the attachments and information  set us up. Carrick craft were also very good to us. We definitely recommend your company and will book through you again. We plan to book again early next year. This time we will book a larger boat and for a week. It was our first time for this type of holiday and we learn s loads for future planning. Thank you very much again from us all and I'll be in contact with you soon again for future bookings.

John Brennan, Dublin, Ireland, 03/08/2018

The experience was great

The experience was great we all really enjoyed it.

Your staff were very welcoming, helpful and friendly, I filled in the survey before we left and name a couple of individuals whom we dealt with that were very friendly, helpful and accommodating.

We will definitely be back – maybe a slightly bigger boat next time as the boat worked, but was a little cramped for 5 of us.

Pat Larkin, Kildare, Irealnd, 31/07/2018

Our time on the river was most enjoyable

Our time on the river was most enjoyable. The Tyrone class boat was everything it said on the tin. It offered comfort while economising on space.

The Carrick Craft staff could not have been more friendly and helpful. Evenings in Dromod (Cox's) and Carrick (Oarsman) were great fun and great food. 

The whole thing was a really good experience.

Chris Weldon, Hampshire, UK, 31/07/2018

Had a great time

Had a great time, have been recommending it to everyone since we came back. I will definitely be doing it again. I will forward any inquiries your direction

John Casey, Tipperary, Ireland, 20/07/2018

Everything was perfect

Everything was perfect. I don't have any negative comments. The map book told us everything we needed to know.

It's definitely something I'll be doing again.

Nick Cosgrave, Laois, Ireland, 16/07/2018

Everything went smoothly and as planned.

Thank you for all your help in organizing the trip. It went really well and the lads enjoyed it very much. We all agreed it would be fun to do again but maybe with a bit more space next time. It was fine for a first trip and the boat was easy enough to maneuver. 

The staff at the marina were great and everything went smoothly and as planned.

Barry McNelis, Ireland, 13/07/2018

Would highly recommend your service

Thanks we all had a great time, will definitely do it again and would highly recommend your service for a trip away!

Ross Gildea, Dublin, Ireland, 12/07/2018

Everything went very smoothly

We had a lovely week on the Shannon – helped by the amazing weather of course. We enjoyed going through the locks and found the river and Lough Erne to be very quiet with few other boats doing the same route as ourselves. We saw several kingfishers, an eagle and lots of other less unusual birdlife. I have attached a couple of photos  we took. Everything went very smoothly and our taxi ride from Bellanaleck to Carrick was very enjoyable, so thanks for organising that for us.

Ruth Campbell, UK, 12/07/2018

We had a lovely time

We had a lovely time thank you,   Staff were efficient and helpful, and very pleasant.  We were  blessed with good weather too! 

Clare Lai, Scotland, UK, 12/07/2018

Great time Brian would definitely cruise again

Great time Brian would definitely cruise again.

Edward Mcloughlin, UK, 07/07/2018

Many great memories were created on the water

We had a great cruise and as you probably know incredible weather.  Many great memories were created on the water and in the various towns.

Everyone at Le Boat/Emerald Star was helpful and accommodating at both ends.   The boat (Caprice 20) was in good shape when we took control of it.   The orientation by John was very good and he did a great job of assessing our skill level and experience with boating.

The only feedback on the slightly negative side was that when we spoke with you earlier in the year you told us no problem to get bikes on day of departure; however, there were no bikes available at Carrick-on-Shannon.

The good news is that Le Boat made it right by delivering us bikes in Athlone, halfway through the trip, and did not charge us.

Kevin Kearny, Wisconsin, USA, 06/07/2018

The service all round was Excellent

Michael felt the service all round was Excellent service all round and he had a fantastic time.

He looks forward to booking with you again.

Michael Fetherston, Kildare, Ireland, 04/07/2018

We all thoroughly enjoyed the holiday

We all thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and we felt so lucky to have caught such amazing weather

I have already made a recommendation to someone at work who might be making enquiries in due course

The only minor comment I’d have is maybe some sort of template checklist for the things that are in the boat and the things you’d need to get at supermarket. Things like washing up liquid, salt, pepper etc. . .

Thanks for such a great cruise and sure I’ll be in contact in the future 

Matt Warner, UK, 29/06/2018

We are extremely satisfied with all service

We are extremely satisfied with all service. The boat was great and very clean, your staff very friendly and knowledgeable. We have had a very nice time on the Shannon river. 

Koen Everts, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 26/06/2018

WE RECOMMEND strongly to float on the so beautiful Shannon

On lough Ree we had a 4 till 5 windy Beaufort, and we did not know anymore or it was of the good Irish Guinness or by the waves, but pictures showed us afterwards perfectly that it was… the very strong Irish wind, blowing (y)our boat very perfectly on it’s side…(!). Water came in…. .

So we are still going from the left to the right side, even up and down, still walking around…. .

So we remembered and spoke during hours, during that "little" Irish storm,   with Your Irish St-Patrick and with his Big Boss, our  Jesus, remembering His storm on the lake of Galilea, with his apostels, (just as we are), who begged Him to calm the wind.

Further on, we survived at last, after a coke of 3 afterwards and further on…

WE RECOMMEND strongly to float on the so beautiful Shannon. The Irish flag (we bought at the beginning) and that was proudly waving at the back on (y)our boat at the back on the top.

Eddy von Sompel, Antwerp, Belgium, 25/06/2018

It was a beautiful holiday

First of all,the people who works on carrick craft are very nice and helpful, so we feel very well at this company. The weather couldn´t be better, we had only about two half days with rain,the rest was very nice weather. Maybe it was not so easy to drive a boat if you dont made it before but at the end oft the week it was better. The teaching at the beginning was very nice but difficult because it was only in English.

All in all it was a beautiful holiday in my lovely ireland and maybe I came back sometimes with a group of friends, and the i am sure I come to your company.

Markus Friess, Austria, 15/06/2018

Everything was perfect.

Just a quick message to say we're back on dry land and its not half as much fun! We returned the boat yesterday and back at work today! We had an absolute ball and 3 days was not enough. We already want to go again! Many thanks for all your help and organising. Everything was perfect.

Lauren Finnegan, Ireland, 12/06/2018

The trip was awesome I must say.

The trip was awesome I must say. The best thing I would like to tell u is your quick service. Our gas was not working and we called your helpline number and one of ur agent showed in 15 minutes, which was wonderful. Other than that everything was perfect.

Manisha Dubey, Dublin, Ireland, 11/06/2018

I am delighted that I dealt with you.

The cruise was a great success. The people at Carrick Craft were very kind (especially Doris), professional and accommodating. We we were able to collect the boat at 12pm on the Friday which was a great advantage particularly because the weather was good. The boat was entirely suitable for our needs.

The only but minor annoyance is the business with the damage waiver. Just like renting a car, one is confronted by this “ultimatum" when collecting the boat. In the end, we paid €120 to cover the excess. Why can’t they include it in the hire charge or have it as an option in the booking process. Or was it there and I missed it.

On the plus side, I went through the on-line tutorial and passed the test which saved me the time and trouble of an extended training period before taking the boat. Mind you, I think they might have waived it anyway as I was asked if I had steered a boat before (I had). In any event, I recommend that you highlight to future clients, the benefits of completing the tutorials and taking the test ahead of time. 

I am delighted that I dealt with you. Your advice and service saved a huge amount of time for me. I would happily deal with you again and recommend you to other people.

John Moylan, Ireland, 25/05/2018

Your service was excellent,

Your service was excellent, and for this we are most grateful.

Le Boat people were also most helpful, the only problems we had were,

(i) The showers would not pump out, however, after reading the boats instruction book, we called Le Boat; they responded quickly and sent a mechanic to sort the problem out. It was found that the front shower discharge line was blocked and the aft shower pump filter was clogged with hair. This sort of indicated to me that the pre cruise check wasn't that good, and these sorts of things should've been checked.

(ii) Then on the second to last night the water pump started to pump air. We had topped up the water both at Shannon Bridge and at Athlone so didn't consider that we'd be running low on water. Again after checking the Boats instruction book  we called Le Boat, and again they responded quickly. In the mean time we took on more water, so that when the mechanic arrived he was able to bleed the system and get us sorted, and to show us where the water tanks were located. I think that the original briefing was disjointed and no one had shown us that there were two water tanks, and where these were located. I think both the people who beefed us thought the other had/would cover the lay out of the vessel.

But these were only minor hick ups in what proved to be a great time and a huge experience for us all.  We loved our boat and we saw Ireland as we had never seen it before. Our friends from New Zealand were amazed and very happy they had suggested this mode of travel for part of out Ireland visit. The lock Keepers were excellent, helpful and truly professional. The pubs, the people , and the food were all great. 

I will recommend yourselves to anyone who asks about doing a Shannon boat trip.

Bob Hawkes, UK, 21/05/2018

Thank you for your help in booking our trip on the Shannon

Thank you for your help in booking our trip on the Shannon. We really enjoyed our cruise. We had great weather, which couldn't have been planned but really helped!

Shannon River's service, both prior to and after booking, was great. Your website has lots of very helpful information on the routes, the area, the boats, etc. The interactive map and guidance on cruising times between locations was very useful in planning our route. I would use your service again if we were booking on the Shannon in the future.

Nuala Finnerty, Ireland, 17/05/2018

We had a ball and the best weather possible

We had a ball and the best weather possible - we headed up, stayed in Banagher one night, Shannonbridge another - family came by car and we met them in Clonmacnoise for the day.   Would certainly recommend it - great holiday.

Many thanks to you for all your help and prompt attention at all times.

Kathy Flanagan, Galway, Ireland, 14/05/2018

We had a lovely trip

We had a lovely trip and cruised almost all Shannon and Erne from Mountshannon up to Belleek. Transfers and boat administration were perfect. We are still another 1.5 weeks on a tour through Scotland and Ireland. After our return, I will pick a few pictures and send them to you.

Kind regards and thanks for your support.

Hans Baumann, Switzerland, 14/05/2018

We have spent a wonderful time

I am just on my way back to Germany- will come back with images and feediback then. Just can say that we have spent a wonderful time and thank you very much for great and straight forward support

Arno Krause, Germany, 05/05/2018

We all had a comfortable, really good time

Unfortunately the trip was over in no time, should have stayed on the river for around 3 weeks! Nevertheless, we all had a comfortable, really good time. Boat was excellent and behaved really well!

Paolo Massolini, South Africa, 02/05/2018

We had a great time

We had a great time and we were very happy with the boat and friendliness of the team one and all. I would happily recommend directing people your way. Thanks again.

Terry McDonnell, Kerry, Ireland, 23/04/2018

The whole Irish experience was definitely great

We had such a good time on the boat! And the whole Irish experience was definitely great: nice places, really kind people, great pubs both for drinks & music (only weather might have been a bit better, but nobody can do anything about that)…

Thank you for your great assistance!

Danilo Zeni, Italy, 23/04/2018

Lots of memories made

We all had a lovely time, and I’m sure we will all be doing it again.  (Next time in the summer). Lots of memories made, the week just flew in even although the weather was bad.

Boat was fabulous and just perfect for us all. Thank you for all your help.

Jacqueline Paton, Scotland., 13/04/2018

Very much enjoyed the boating experience

We had a good weekend and very much enjoyed the boating experience. We would consider doing again. Everything was well organised.

Craig McKee, Ireland, 10/04/2018

We had an incredible experience of a life time

Just returned to the States last night, but still over the moon!  We had an incredible experience of a life time, it exceeded everything I could have hoped for ! 

Glenda (I believe that was her name ?) was terrific when we arrived a little late, on I suppose her Easter Holiday weekend,  but just so nice!

Shane was also terrific guy.  Based on my conversations with him we mapped out a terrific itinerary completely different than the one that I had tentatively planned before arrival.  I've had considerable prior seamanship experience, including 2 years in the USN and he is spot on with his briefings.

I will be forwarding to you, with my son's help, suitable photos and commentary for you to use as you see fit.

For now, thank you for all of your seamless help on the computer and all of your wonderful staff help at Quigleys !!

Robert Whitehead, New Jersey, USA, 10/04/2018

We will definitely be booking again next year!

We had a great time on the river and all went smoothly with the two boats. We will definitely be booking again next year!

Elaine Murray, Dublin, Ireland, 09/04/2018

We had a great time last weekend

We had a great time last weekend.

That was or 5th time on the Shannon, but the elegance 9 was the best boat we've had to date. The kids really loved it. 

Hope to get back on the Shannon this time next year...

Paul Clooney, Dublin, Ireland, 05/11/2017

The Boat itself was magnificent and of a very high Standard

We would like to thank you for making our  cruise so easy and enjoyable , we had such a great time on the River shannon , the staff of "Le Boat " were so wonderful , very helpful and accommodating. 

The Boat itself was magnificent and of a  very high Standard.

Thank you once again for all your help and patience with us , we hope and look forward  to booking another cruise with you again hopefully next year .

Many thanks  !

Farid Souid, Kildare, Ireland, 02/11/2017

It was a perfect trip

It was just an amazing trip woaw so many good memories !! I think we will do it again but more longer than a week this time !

we really had a great time on the Shannon river it was a perfect trip !! nothing to say ?? thank you for everything ! it was perfect vacations !!

Marion Perrottet, Switzerland, 18/10/2017

Will definitely be booking with you next year

We had a brilliant time will definitely be booking with you next year everything you need on the boat and everyone so helpful, The process of paying very easy no complaints.

Eoin Grace, Ireland, 09/10/2017

Highly recommend you to anyone who asks.

Just a quick message to say thank you yet again for your help in booking our trip this year .  We had a lovely time and really appreciate your help In getting booking sorted so easily.  We want to send a special thanks for Pat from Emerlad Star who was extremely helpful getting us started , it had been 5 years since our last trip so he helped refresh our memory.  That's now our 4th trip down and we enjoy each one even more than the last. 

 Highly recommend you to anyone who asks. 

Louise Coleman, Dublin, Ireland, 01/10/2017

We all had a fantastic time last weekend

Thanks for all your help, we all had a fantastic time last weekend. Found your staff to be particularly helpful and welcoming (had the pleasure of meeting Padraic who was an absolute gentleman).

We look forwarding to booking another cruise with you and Carrick Craft and will most definitely be recommending it to friends!

Tiernan King, Dublin, Ireland, 29/09/2017

We had a fantastic trip on our hired boat

We had a fantastic trip on our hired boat cruising up the Shannon River. It was our first experience and we were a little apprehensive but the team in Carrick-on-Shannon made us feel confident and at ease with cruising. We were impressed with the the organisation of marinas and mooring spots along the river as well as the signage indicating the channels and the facilities on the boat were perfect for self catering. It made for easy cruising. Mostly though, we appreciated the incredible wild beauty along the river meander and would highly recommend this destination and especially cruising experience to others looking to get a unique look into Irish country side and the everyday life in small towns and villages in this picturesque area

Loiuse Bragge, Belgium, 25/09/2017

We had a great time

 Thank you for asking, we had a great time, didn't go to far, Leitrim town on Friday evening, Boyle for Saturday night, and Jamestown for Sunday and Sam!!!. Weather wasn't bad a little cool during the nights and mornings, the Sunday was absolutely gorgeous we were up early in Boyle marina to catch the rising sun and the whole day was beautiful, Monday morning was very foggy and we were back at about 10.15am, I had phoned them to let them know. Got good introduction to the boat by Emerald staff, the boat (Crana Shannon star) had a good few outings in it's life with a few little things not working, the showers in the two rear bathrooms were set on cold and could not be adjusted, the heating only worked at one vent in the main dining/living area, a very strong odour in the front toilet/bathroom, the cooker could do with a good service, very low flame, there was a good bit of play in the steering and the upper steering position was missing the transparent wind deflector and stop engine button didn't work, we had no key to open clean water tank but didn't need it. I told the woman at reception about these and she said they would check them out. We still had a great time and will be back again for more, hopefully in a newer boat.

Patrick Rooney, Dublin, Ireland, 25/09/2017

We really enjoyed our trip

Yes we really enjoyed our trip, was well equipped and amazingly easy to manage the food, sleeping was a bit on the small side as we expected

Everybody very friendly on the river and willing to help each other out, a lovely way to spend a few days away. Thank you for everything.

Paula Murphy, Dublin, Ireland, 22/09/2017

Thanks for your very efficient help when booking

Thanks Brian we had a lovely time.  The boats were great and the weather was fairly good:)  Here are two photos.  Thanks for your very efficient help when booking.

Clare Healy Walls, Cork, Ireland, 21/09/2017

Would recommend your company again

Despite the sudden change of plans at the last minute everything turned out well and we all enjoyed the trip. As it was our first time and the boat was fairly big it was stressful doing our first mooring  and perhaps a little longer instruction could have helped we got the hang in the end and would recommend your company again. 

Peter Dooley, UK, 21/09/2017

We were very impressed with the boat and your service

We are home safe and sound having had a lovely holiday on the Shannon despite the inclement weather. We were very impressed with the boat and your service. The staff were very helpful and pleasant. The only problem we had was getting the heating to work  -  we were unable. We could have rung base for help but any night we tried to get it going, it was after 7p.m. and next day would be so full on that we forgot to get advice during office hours. So it was probbly our own ignorance but someone might just check that it is working.

Overall though it was a great holiday and ye provide a very good service, thank you.

Micheal McNamara, Cork, Ireland, 21/09/2017

Thanks for the good organisation, all worked out perfectly.

We had a great time on the house boat! The whole family enjoyed the few days on the lakes and rivers of Ireland a lot.

We will surely book a house boat holiday in Ireland again. Next time even for a few days more, so we get to travel further.

Thanks for the good organisation, all worked out perfectly.

Thomas Frei, Oberlunkhofen, Switzerland, 17/09/2017

The cruise was lovely

The cruise was lovely, and the Caprice boat was really nice. Weather wasn't so great at first as it rained a lot but got better as we headed South.

The comforters in the rooms were not clean though, you could tell they had just been used.

The grill was hooked up for us upstairs but we were unable to use it as all the gas leaked out,not sure how.We paid 47 Euros extra for it and we were disappointed that it leaked and never worked.

Other than that, it was a lovely cruise and ground team was very helpful.

Virginia Mutinda, United States, 16/09/2017

We had a great relaxing time

We had a great relaxing time and enjoyed the cruise very much. Again, thanks for your support and all your bookings. We keep in touch for further cruises. Have a good time and take cake.

Kathrin Goman, Krailling, Germany, 10/09/2017

It was a most enjoyable Holiday.

It was a most enjoyable Holiday , due to my father in laws health we had 5.5 days in total but the Holiday went well. I contacted Banagher directly and they were most helpful, the lady met us at 7pm and as it was to late to set of we slept over night and went away Monday morning about 10.30am. A half hour into the trip we had a issue to the speed  control upstairs ( it wasn’t responding ) but two very helpful staff met up and it was replaced within 10 minutes and we went on out way…

I would say the interior is looking “tired” (Silver Crest) at this stage of its use i.e fabric, cabinets, it was clean but musty.  We would recommend more pillows, and very importantly a double duvet for  the double bed. We asked about the duvet but they didn’t provide it. The maps and information given was very helpful and the Staff from start to finish were very good.

Aileen Hayes, Ireland, 08/09/2017

I am sure that we will be back in the future.

Thanks, we had a great holiday.  Even the weather was reasonably kind. The boat was comfortable and well equipped. The only negative was the pump out toilets. The Aghiver Boat Company was very helpful and accommodating.

I am sure that we will be back in the future.

Roger Lewington, UK, 08/09/2017

We had a great holiday.

We had a great holiday. Your staff were excellent especially the receptionist( sorry I forgot her name.. But has glasses) and Pat who done the boat handover on arrival and departure.

We are already talking about our next boating trip on the Shannon.

Pat Lehane, Ireland, 04/09/2017

A very relaxing holiday

My kids and I had a fantastic time on the boat , from start to finish your staff from reception and the guys that showed us round the boat at first could not have been more helpful, you're included in this also. A very relaxing holiday made even more special because of lack of Internet my kids actually spoke to me during the day. Thanks one and all for a first rate service and lots of great memories on our trip down the Shannon 

Tony McLaughlin, Ireland, 04/09/2017

We will certainly do it again

Everything was a joy from start to finish and we will certainly do it again. When we do we will be back to you

Ger Sweeney, Ireland, 01/09/2017

We had a great time

We had a great time. Locaboat people were great and we would definitely consider them again

John Callanan, 01/09/2017

I found your service great

Thanks for your email. The booking, value for money, Emerald Star: le boat as they are now known were all great. The weather however let us down badly and unfortunately put a bit of a damper on our trip. There is however one issue that should be addressed and its quite out of your control but maybe yu may be able to get a word in some day. The problem is that the information provided on the facilities available in towns on the river is all hopelessley out of date. The Waterways Ireland booklet and Emerald Star Book all describe wonderful pubs and restaurants that simply do not exist, in some cases having closed over 5 years ago.  One example , Drumsna, one small pub and shop in one is all thats left. The information is seriously in need of updating.  So much is just not there.

Anyway, I found your service great and will book through you nexttime and happy to reccomend your site to anyone interested in hiring a boat.

Peter McGrath, Meath, Ireland, 30/08/2017

A super trip

A super trip although we left the good weather in Dublin and had rain for the 3 days but nonetheless all enjoyed the experience.  The boat was quite old and with 10 of us on board and no air conditioning the condensation each morning was off the scale but apart from that it was super.

 No issues to report and we will again return soon. 

Ruth Brady, Dublin, Ireland, 30/08/2017

We had a brilliant time

We had a brilliant time thanks. The boat was great fun with more amenities and space than we had expected. It was just the right size for us plus the dog! We couldn’t really find anything negative to say about the trip, our boat broke down on the 2^nd last day and the engineer came out very quickly and sorted it out which was super. A couple more bin bags might have been good but I really can’t think of anything else!

We will hopefully cruise again with you in the future! 

Teresa Gillespie, Glasgow, Scotland, 30/08/2017

We had a most enjoyable holiday

We had a most enjoyable holiday although I was very disappointed that there was no DVD player on board our boat because the booking confirmation stated that there would be one. When I raised this issue with the office on Day 2 of our holiday I was simply told that our boat did not have one because not all Elegance boats have them ! It did not seem to matter that our booking confirmation stated that we would have one ! This was particularly disappointing as three nights in a row we also had no television due to no signal!

Paul Murray, Dublin, Ireland, 25/08/2017

We had a really enjoyable few days on the Shannon

We had a really enjoyable few days on the Shannon, renewing its acquaintance and happy memories of earlier trips, after a gap of about 40 years. We enjoyed some peaceful moorings and lovely evenings at Drumshanbo, the Jamestown canal and just below the lock on the Camlin River at Cloondara - lovely places. The locks and canals, bridges and piers and their wonderful stonework remain a tribute to the quality and elegance of the engineering of bygone days.

Everything went smoothly and many thanks for all your assistance in making the booking.

Albert Pratt, Dublin, Ireland., 22/08/2017

We had a fantastic 3 days on the river

We had a fantastic 3 days on the river and got a lot further down the river than anticipated as we made use of all the drivers onboard.

I would highly recommend Shannon River due to the service we received from the early check in, to the instruction received on the boat and to the after service provided when our personal belongings left onboard were returned to us.

If I had to critique on anything it would be the fuel, we were not given a key to refuel so we could only refuel when we got back to the base at €1.35 p/litre as opposed to €0.93 down the river, this was a huge increase in the cost but we got over it. It was explained to us the reasons why the key was not given out, but we had four more than competent mariners onboard, that knew the difference between a water and fuel tank.

Overall, it was one of the best short trips we did and we will definitely be back again to ye. A big thank you to the lady in the office who returned our purse very promptly via post.

Gillian Power, Ireland, 21/08/2017

Your service was really perfect

Your service was really perfect. The boat was perfect. Everything was working. The entire journey was great. Nothing to complain.

The weather could have been better. But I guess your possibilities are restricted in this topic. Right?

Stefan Voegeli, Switzerland, 20/08/2017

We had an excellent time on the cruise

We had an excellent time on the cruise. Polish Seamus saw to us on the first day and got off without a hitch despite none of us having previous experience. 

We were truly blessed with the weather and we got to visit some great places such as Carrick, Dromod, Roosky, Tarmonbarry, Lanesborough, Cloondara, Athlone, Clonmacnoise Monastery.

Daniel Haydock, Dublin, Ireland, 18/08/2017

We absolutely loved it

I was planning to send you an email this week to say thanks for all your help. We had a brilliant time on the cruise, we absolutely loved it. The booking process and service was excellent. I would definitely recommend it to my family and friends. I'll definitely be back to do it again, hopefully every summer!

Emma Scarborough, Dublin, Ireland, 18/08/2017

We strongly recommend it to our friends.

We had a very enjoyable week and are really glad we tried it. We strongly recommend it to our friends.

One small observation. Unlike, say, a rental car, there is no indication of what fuel is in the tank before and after the cruise so it's unusual to be billed for usage at the end when you don't know what you started with. 

Frank Shouldice, Ireland, 16/08/2017

We had a great time

We had a great time and would do again. Only gripes if I had any would be where to get rid of rubbish in one or two places though an amazing lady in a shop in killaloe took ours so maybe knowing where the bins are would be good eg. mount shannon. I also mentioned to the cruiser company that the water hose on the boat was about 10-15 feet short. Only very minor things so.

Scott Rankin, Dublin, Ireland, 14/08/2017

We had a marvellous time

We had a marvellous time and really appreciate all of your very kind assistance and advice throughout the booking process. Looking forward to next year !! I'll be sure to get in touch with you then !

Albert Lennon, Ireland, 14/08/2017

We had a great trip.

We had a great trip and the picking-up / dropping off the boat was all seamless. We had a minor mechanical problem with the boat on the first day but Carrick cruises came to the rescue as soon as we phoned them and we were on our way again.

One point I have just noticed is that we got a cleaning bill of €100 which I thought was a bit excessive. I admit that we had left some dirty dishes but we had attempted to wash them only to discover that we ran out of water. We emptied all the rubbish etc. We may not have folded the linen but this is removed anyway for cleaning, would I be correct?

To their credit they had asked for a deposit of €1,000 but when I mentioned that we thought it was a choice between that and the €220 waiver they agreed to go with the waiver. Which was lucky as this is what we had budgeted for.

Just some points of note.

Alan Stack, Cork, Ireland, 11/08/2017

Everything was shipshape

We had a lovely few days – unfortunately too short. Everything was shipshape

Diarmuid O'Sullivan, Cork, Ireland, 10/08/2017

We very much enjoyed our cruise

thank you. We very much enjoyed our cruise from Banagher to Carrick and back. Lots of fresh air (not too much rain!). Highlights were visits to the Purple Onion at Tarmonbarry, Athlone Castle, and Carrick.  

REVIEW:

7 day Shannon River cruise on a Carrickcraft Tyrone Class boat, August 2017

+ points:

·      we found shannon-river.com to be friendly, informative, and efficient

·      the route planning maps provided prior to picking up the boat were useful

·      the online tutorials on boat handling were helpful   

·      our boat was well equipped and comfy if a little dated

·      the river maps provided were excellent and the binoculars a good idea too

·      the Carrickcraft showers at Banagher were good (less so at Carrick)

- points:

·      the set of saucepans provided were poor (the ones in my granddaughter’s toy box are better!)

·      the dvd player looked ancient and would only play 2 of the discs we brought with us

·      like most people these days we have electric toothbrushes, shavers, and iphones / ipads – the single inverter device on this boat was totally inadequate

·      diesel costs and collision damage waiver should be included in a single upfront price

·      there is a shortage of suitable mooring spots on this river which can cause difficulty

Tony Mead, Uk., 08/08/2017

Even better than last time

We had a wonderful holiday, even better than last time, we saw lots of new places and thoroughly enjoyed each one. How can I write a review for your website?

Caroline Mueller, Switzerland, 07/08/2017

Your service was excellent as advertised

Your service was excellent as advertised and I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise.

Some minor feedback regarding Carrickcraft

1. Ablution facilities at homebase need upgrading as does the reception area which smells mouldy
2. The boat although clean, also needed a "revamp", cracked broken tile in the galley and also fire damage to the stove surround.
3. The boat was definitely the slowest on the river, one of the mechanics admitted that thy were waiting for a part. This made planning a day difficult as the times and distances supplied on the guide were impossible to achieve.

Tom Cumming, 14/07/2017

We had a lovely time on the shannon.

We had a lovely time on the shannon. Compliments to yourself first of all you were very helpful. Doris in the office in carrick was so lovely and the guys on the boats were also very friendly.

We went to Boyle (Clarkes restaurant was actually closed on the Monday so that was a pity) lough Key was great. Went to clondra / Richmond harbour and cycled the canal to longford which was great but nobody seemed to know about it and the cycle paths werent really highlighted anywhere which is a shame. Considering we had the bikes with us more info on locations with possible cycle/walking paths would have been great.

We used a little brochure from the office that had descriptions of the villages but not much info on cycling/walking options. That said we probably were winging it a little we didn't do a whole lot of research beforehand. Got a lot of info from lock keepers the guy at Rooskey lock was great, was also very helpful teaching us boat stuff etc.

The cottage restaurant in jamestown was gorgeous also. What a treat.

Not much on trip advisor about shannon boat trips either which we tend to use a lot when we land somewhere without a plan!

All in all had a great time and would def consider doing it again maybe with friends and a bigger boat now that we might be a bit more confident.

Rachel Finnegan, Ireland, 12/07/2017

we had an absolute fantastic time!

Thank you for your email, we had an absolute fantastic time!

The gearbox on our original boat broke down on the second day, but the staff were brilliant in supplying us with an alternative boat in no time at all.

We are a bunch of old pals that have boated together every year since 1992, but this was one of our best years yet.

We will certainly be back to do the rest of the wonderful Irish waterways & meet more of the most friendliest people in the world.

Mark Jones, Shropshire, UK, 12/07/2017

It was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Thanks for your help with our trip - It was exactly what the doctor ordered. Hugely relaxing with great experiences. food and people.

Garech Mulcahey, 11/07/2017

We had a great time!

We had a great time ( weather did help – best 2 days so far this year) everything was perfect and the lads took over ! Pardon my ignorance – never knew the canal existed going down to the lock – really beautiful. Got down as far as Lanesboro before turning back. Thank you for all your help

James Quinn, Dublin, Ireland, 28/06/2017

We loved the trip

We loved the trip and would definitely recommend it to anyone. Have you anywhere for reviews that we can write up on? The fact that some of us had gone before we knew what to expect so that was an advantage. Perhaps the next time we need to do better research into where we go and what is there to do.Thanks very much for all your help in organising this.

Niamh Merrigan, Dublin, Ireland, 28/06/2017

Cant wait to do it again!

. We had a wonderful time on the river. It was Maggie’s first time cruising and she absolutely loved it! Cant wait to do it again! We posted the feedback form separately, however we found the staff particularly helpful and knowledgeable.

Kevin Duffin, Northern Ireland, 15/06/2017

It was a wonderful trip

It was a wonderful trip which we enjoyed a lot. Carrick-Craft was very well organized and we loved the boat. Caught 32 pikes, had a lot of nice evenings on the boat and in the pubs. For sure this was not our last trip! We'll be back (as the Austrian say).

Mario Lechner, Germany, 30/05/2017

I did not expect it to be so nice.

We had a great time on the Shannon River. I did not expect it to be so nice, with the river winding through great country side, with the banks of the river formed naturally by fields of reeds, or bordering wide open pastures, and everywhere all sorts of trees and bushes thriving and surviving at the edge of the water. It by far exceeded my expectations - of course we also had splendid weather. And definitely, our Lake Star was a good choice. Nothing fancy - a good solid boat with plenty of space for us two! The one week was plenty of time to for us to cruise leisurely from Portumna to Lough Key, ending in Carrick. Many thanks for your expert guidance and professional support!

Janis Vitins, Wettingen, Switzerland, 23/05/2017

Everything was perfect

Hey hey, everything was perfect. They enjoyed it very much and are very greatfull for the hospitality and kindness. One remark, one dinghy had some pro s with the motor. That s all. For sure they come back to Shannon river.

Kim Sweers, Rotem, Belgium, 17/05/2017

As always service was top notch!

. As always service was top notch! We ended up extending our stay by one night, the weather was amazing. I didn’t take my camera with me as the whole idea was to take a break from taking the pictures :), I am sure my wife Rozalia has some pictures on her phone of Inish Davar, this island was amazing, all covered in Bluebells…There was not too much traffic on the lakes so everywhere we stayed we were on our own so it was like staying on private islands… We are already planning to take a boat in September for a week, this time we want to take our parents so it will have to be a bigger boat and since we have a Dog I think our choice will be limited to Emerald Star

Stepien Wojciech, Dublin, Ireland, 09/05/2017

The best holiday I ever had in Ireland.

Just want to let you know that it was the best holidays I ever had in Ireland. I am soooo happy I discovered that type of holidays and definitely we all will be back soon! Thanks so much!

Edita Arlauskiene, Dublin, Ireland, 05/05/2017

My booking experience was excellent.

We had a great weekend on the Shannon. The boat was clean and very well equipped. We were well instructed before the boat was handed over to us. The only comment I'd make about any of the facilities would be the lack of waste facilities in the harbours. We didn't mind taking our rubbish home as we couldn't find any recycling facilities in Carrick on Shannon and the facilities in Dromod were full. As I say we took ours home but if you are a foreign visitor it's a different story. My booking experience was excellent and I would definitely use you again. In fact my husband has 3 boats booked with you for the end of this month. Just hoping the weather will be a bit warmer this time.

Edel Robinson, Ireland, 01/05/2017

I would like to thank Brian for all his help with our booking.

We are just back from a week’s boating on the River Shannon, on Magnifique 3. The boat was indeed magnificent, and everything went to plan. Even the weather was kind to us. But most of all I would like to thank Brian for all his help with our booking. Every time I contacted him I got a reply in a few minutes. We enjoyed the experience so much that we have already made another booking for the end of August!

Max Tiano, UK, 26/04/2017

We had a fantastic time

We had a fantastic time ! We'll definitely do it again.

Seamus Cullen, Dublin, Ireland, 26/04/2017

Loved Every Minute

Loved every minute Brian. Will definitely book with you again. Thanks, Noeleen

Noeleen, Ireland, 25/04/2017

We'll be coming again!!!

Brian, We had a great time. The only criticism I would have is that you should tell people how to cross a lake on a windy day. When the waves rock the boat it can get quite scary if don't face your boat into the waves. We managed fine but it should be mentioned. We'll be coming again!!!

Tiarnan O'Ruairc, Co. Clare, Ireland, 20/04/2017

We all loved it

Just wanted to thank you very much for everything. We had an absolutely amazing weekend, we all loved it - although perhaps having a 5 star boat helped!

Oonagh Carney, Dublin, Ireland, 19/04/2017

We had an excellent time

We had an excellent time and really enjoyed it, and have recommended it to family and friends

Padraig Ward, Ireland, 18/04/2017

Great Service!

Thanks for you help with booking this trip. I found the booking experience easy and efficient. I hope to be booking with you again soon. Emerald Star were also very efficient and friendly. We had a great few days on the cruise, no negative feedback whatsoever. In summary Great Service!

John Norton, Galway, Ireland, 12/04/2017

We had a great time

We had a great time and were impressed by the great service we got. Hope to be back to you in the future for another boat. Thanks for all your help.

Kate Kalin, Cork, Ireland, 25/10/2016

We had a lovely time on the Shannon!

We had a lovely time on the Shannon! Thank you for making the booking so easy. Emerald cruisers were lovely to deal with too and very accommodating. The boat was ideal and everything we needed was provided. We will definitely be booking with you again in the future.

Julie Bermingham, Galway, Ireland, 25/10/2016

All went smoothly and can't wait to go again!

All went smoothly and can't wait to go again!

Pawel Debakowski, Ireland, 10/10/2016

We had a fantastic time, and were very lucky with the weather.

We had a fantastic time, and were very lucky with the weather. The guys at Carrick Craft Banagher were amazing, especially when we discovered that our transfer back to the airport at the end of the trip was a problem (they had our name on a list to be transferred, but had not assigned us to a bus, so if we had shown up at 10am for our ride to the airport we would have discovered that all the rides to the airport left at 9am or earlier!). Sean stayed late to make some calls and sort it out for us. The boat was just the right size for us (thanks for helping us select the right one), and was easy to operate. Thanks again for you help in putting together this adventure for us!

Sheila Trant, 06/10/2016

we had a great time

Yeah we had a great time, when we were checking in the guy warned us that the force 9 winds that were forecast would make lough derg fairly brutal so we went up river to Banagher the 1st night, then on to shannonbridge for the 2nd night, swung around and headed for Terryglass on the 3rd night, in hindsight we probably should have just parked off in Portumna on the 3rd night as there wasnt much in Terryglass to write home about. Got lucky with the weather in fairness, when it did rain we were either in the pub or asleep. There was an issue with one of the toilets getting blocked up on the saturday, rang it in and the guy said to get a plunger that there was nothing he could do. Got one in Shannonbridge (theres a pub that is also a shop) but it didnt solve the problem. It wasnt ideal as it made the whole boat smell horrific. That aside, it was a great trip and will definitely be back, definitely worth the hassle trying to get the Mrs. to sign release papers for 4 days!

Alan Padden, Cork, Ireland, 05/10/2016

We had a ball

Hi Brian, we had a ball. My girlfriend was a first timer but now she's converted too. The consul is a fine boat. Won't look beyond it or Emerald Star for next time. Handover was quick and efficient on both sides. Thanks to all. See you next summer.

Cian O'Donoghue, Cork, Ireland, 05/10/2016

Brian it was absolutely brilliant

Brian it was absolutely brilliant. Last day we sailed from Leitrim to Carrick. A mist was over the river. I tell you. It was astonishing. So cold. So quite. God is good. Roll on. Next year

Brian Jamison, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 05/10/2016

We had a great time on our week's cruise

We had a great time on our week's cruise, although the weather was a little testing on the lake! The Emerald Isle team at Portumna were excellent, especially Hannah, Jason and John. Thanks for a smooth and straightforward booking experience.

Gerry Keen, Ireland, 03/10/2016

We had a great time on the river

We had a great time on the river and i have to say everything on your part was great easy to deal with helpful etc etc im afraid i cant say the same for emerald star their service leaves a lot to be desired but i would have no hesitation in using yourselves again if i was to book another boat next year

Paul McGuinness, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 21/09/2016

Yes indeed we had a great time on the river

Yes indeed we had a great time on the river. Service was good. Would be good to add to your website links to restaurants and restaurants logistics when mooring.

Marc Fortems, Belgium, 13/09/2016

We had a great time on the river

We had a great time on the river Service and information from yourself Was excellent

Ger Connollly, Meath, Ireland, 13/09/2016

We had a great time in Ireland.

We had a great time in Ireland. Even the weather was not to bad. I was very satisfied because of the service of you (shannon river). I had all the informations I needed and you gave very good and quick responses to my questions. Thank you. Just only tiny little thing: It was a bit difficult while paying by transfer to find out, if Rooskey or Roscommon is the City to send it to. But it worked :-) We were very happy about the service of Emerald, too. They are very helpful, gave us the required information and the boat was clean an working perfect.

Markus Alder, Switzerland, 09/09/2016

A great week on the river

A great week on the river. Panicked a little when our boat reached the lower end of the what we had been told was the fuel limit, after we found that one of the few fuel depots, at Quigley's Marina doesn't serve on a Sunday. In fact when we took in back to Silverline the tank was more than half full. I guess they have to be pessimistic but it would have been better to have had a more realistic estimate of the boat's fuel use - it does seem remarkable that there's no way of telling how much fuel's in the tank without filling it up to capacity. Perhaps this is just an issue with the Silver River model. Apart from that no worries and the Silverline people were genuinely friendly and helpful. Many Thanks,

David Starley, Yorkshire, UK, 07/09/2016

Our trip was really great.

Our trip was really great .... apart from paddling and using the big ferries we haven''t done anything like that before. We first collected our son, who just arrived home from his J1 at Dromod station and headed then as far as Athlone. Louh Ree was rather smooth in the beginning, but got pretty rough after a while, but having had 3 captains on the outside stirring kinda helped ... and to be honest. the 2 boys even enjoyed the bumpy ride. There is so much to see while driving along. I loved all the bit of wildlife and also the vegetation at the edge of the River. Even for the boys ( 20 and 22 ) with no TV or Wifi they were never bored a minute. So I have to truly admit, that it was one of our nicest family holiday. The balance between relaxing and being active seems to be just alright. Also the whole teamwork idea on the boat gives a family a chance to bond and learn to rely on each other. All the other boat people on the Shannon were very helpful and friendly and so were the ones operating the locks.I have been putting up pics on facebook and got many inquiries of friends, who were often thinking about renting a boat, but like us, just weren't to sure about it. All your staff were very patient, professional and friendly too. I inquired also about the environmental impact of this kind of tourism and got ensured that there is a control mechanism which gives out reports on a regular base. Thank you again for your assistance throughout,

Martina Kilian, Sligo, Ireland, 06/09/2016

We very much enjoyed our short cruise.

Thanks for your email and, yes, we very much enjoyed our short cruise. We had previously been on the river about 10 years ago with Shannon Castle and we cruised up to Athlone and down to Killaloe. My wife's family originated near Tarmon and we had thought to visit that area but we realised this was perhaps a bit ambitious in 2 days so we went up to Leitrim and then to Lough Key instead. Everything was excellent apart from the weather which, alas, is beyond anyone's control. In spite of this we enjoyed seeing the King House in Boyle and the Lough Key Forest Park nearby. It was sad to see the effects of the recession and flooding on some of the villages (we saw Leitrim and Cootehall) but Carrick seems to be thriving and when we drove back we saw that Athlone seems to have recovered quite well. I expect we will come again and when we do we'll be sure to contact you. Thanks for your help and best regards

David Hedgeland, 06/09/2016

Holidays were awesome

Holidays were awesome and I would like to thank you for everything. Marina staff were really friendly and helpful. Also weather was perfect. Thank You

Michal Dydowicz, Limerick, Ireland, 05/09/2016

We had a great holiday and appreciated your service

We had a great holiday and appreciated your service. I’ll certainly be recommending Shannon River to my friends and family. The only disappointment with Carrick was the additional payment of €120 we became aware of as we checked in to reduce the insurance excess from €1000 to €100. That felt like a bit of a scam - including only insurance with a €1000 excess in the quoted price was a bit misleading by Carrick - it’s not what car hire or similar companies do. I paid it because I was in a hurry to check in - need to read the small print in advance next time!! But this is a a disappointment with Carrick, not with you. Thanks for arranging our hire - we will be in touch when we book our next river trip in Ireland.

Robert Watson, Berkshire, UK, 02/09/2016

We had and absolute blast!

We had and absolute blast !!! We used to do this every year , with a different company , this was our first time in ten years . We all loved the trip and boat , it was perfect for us and completely reliable !! The skylights leaked , but it didn't really bother us too much . The only bad thing about short trips is the late pick up , I think we got out after 5pm ( but we did get a late drop off 12pm ) . There were the only negatives . Honestly the trip was great and staff were very helpful , we look forward to another trip soon !!!

David Fennell, Dublin, 30/08/2016

We had a great week on the Shannon River

We had a great week on the Shannon River and thank you for your help in organising our booking. You even organised some lovely weather for us which was an extra special surprise! Thank you again and with best wishes,

Matthew Neil, UK, 28/08/2016

Thanks for your professionalism.

The three of us had a great trip and all went well both the with craft and the occupants. Not having any boating experience, as captain, it was not as difficult as I thought it may be to control the craft. Best wishes and thanks for your professionalism.

Brian Wates, UK, 25/08/2016

The trip was great

The trip was great and we enjoyed every minutes at the boat. The services around the booking worked really well. I will attach some nice pictures of our trip. Hopefully, we will find time to do it again.

Thomas Richter, Germany, 25/08/2016

Yes, we had a great time

Yes, we had a great time, even when the weather made things a bit rough on Lough Key! Kathleen didn't like it when things started falling down in the cabin but we sorted that out and after finding that there were no berths left at the first mooring area, we found a second one and tied up there. I was a bit disappointed when I was charged an extra €100 on arrival because we had the dog with us. I thought that since Carrick Craft say they accept pets that the initial charge included that. We saw people on some boats with life jackets for their dogs and, when you think about it, something like that could be supplied when such an extra charge is made. After all, they supplied absolutely nothing extra for that.

Bob Power, Dublin, Ireland, 23/08/2016

We all had a super time on the Shannon.

We all had a super time on the Shannon. We used to holiday on the Shannon when we were kids so for our Mam and Dad’s 80th birthday we decided we’d “re-create” the memories of holidays gone by. While we were small kids back then, we are now all 40 and 50 something grown kids. We decided we’d just go on our own with Mam and Dad i.e. no partners or spouses to make it more like days gone by . We were a bit apprehensive about how six siblings might get on in such a confined space and with water all around (intentional drownings were a concern !!!). However, we all got on great and had a wonderful time re-visiting Lough Key Forest Park etc. The boat was exactly as described. Basic enough but did the job. The one thing we were all a bit surprised at was the price of the diesel – 130 euro for the few days – seems quite expensive. Other than that, a great time was had by all. The booking system was very efficient and well run and you kept us well informed on every detail. Hopefully, we might be back again.

Sandra Doyle, Meath, Ireland, 23/08/2016

It was a wonderful experience for all the family

We had a great time and were very lucky with the weather. It was a wonderful experience for all the family (dog included!). Vinny at Carrick Craft in Banagher couldn't have been nicer and more pleasant to us and very helpful in his instruction and dealings with us. We looked over the "Kilkenny" on our final day , with a view to, perhaps toward next year. My only quibble, which is probably for Waterways Ireland, was of the standard and quality of the shower and toilet block at Lanesboro - no seating for dressing. Otherwise no complaint and many happy memories.

Gerry Scully, Dublin, Ireland, 22/08/2016

We had a great time on the river.

We had a great time on the river. Everything was made very easy, thanks to you guys and Carrick Craft. Until next year!

Catherine McBride, Dublin, Ireland, 18/08/2016

I would like to thank you for all your support

I would like to thank you for all your support. It was a great holiday and everything went well. We had a wonderful week, mostly good weather and came back really relaxed. Probably won’t be the last time, we did a trip like this.

Thomas Lantsch, Germany, 17/08/2016

Overall very happy with your service thanks.

Great time thank you. Overall very happy with your service thanks. Only niggle was the hire bikes. Silver line said they thought we were bringing our own and the ones we were given were too small and in very poor condition. The pedal and pedal fork on mine was very loose and rusty and made an awful creaking noise riding along. I had to buy some WD40 to stop the noise. Other than that boat was great and trip very relaxing. Will definitely do it again.

Justin Cummings, Mayo, Ireland, 17/08/2016

It was a pleasure dealing with you from the start to finish.

It was a pleasure dealing with you from the start to finish. You were on top of the numerous queries we had, since we’ve never boated before. Thanks so much for all the information and for pointing us in the right direction. Our Shannon cruise was an absolute pleasure; Aghiniver Boating Co. was also a pleasure to deal with. The Princess Queen was immaculate and was everything we’d expected and more. Thanks so much for making this year’s holiday so enjoyable. We’ve been spreading the word ever since. Thanks again Brian; please god we’ll be back onto you next year.

Damien Brennan, Ireland, 17/08/2016

It was the highlight of the holiday!

We had a brilliant time. It was the highlight of the holiday! Everyone at Banagher and on the lake was very helpful and the boat was great. Just right for 3 adults and it would even work for 4 adults if 2 don't mind sharing the small double. Though that would be tight. But 2 adults and 2 smaller children have plenty of space. I'm planning to be back some time in the - hopefully not too distant - future. (And we didn't crash into anything :-) )

Linda Stewart, Switzerland, 16/08/2016

Thank you for being so helpful!

Our stay on the boat was fantastic! The only criticism I can give is that the water pump was defect on our first day, which led to us being "stuck on water" for a couple of hours. Only when we called a mechanic, the engine worked fine again. But other than that, we had a blast. Thank you for being so helpful!

Lorena Mancino, Switzerland., 15/08/2016

We had a brilliant time, thank you.

We had a brilliant time, thank you. It is appreciated that you were able to put everything together on short notice. Sean in ABC in Belturbet was brilliant, very helpful and informative. The boat was beyond expectations, modern, well equipped and everything worked as it should. We elected, based on recommendation from Sean, to go North into Lough Erne rather than down 16 locks to Carrick on Shannon. I think if we want to cruise down the Shannon side, we’ll hire from that end. The Erne system is truly amazing and fully recommended.

Ivan O'Daly, Ireland, 10/08/2016

I would definitely do it again

We had an absolute fabulous time on the river, it was great fun. I would definitely do it again. Thank you and the silver line cruisers for everything. Everyone at work was very interested to know how we got on, so I hope you'll get a few more bookings from down around here in the future. Thanks again for all your help and hopefully speak again in the near future.

Karen Burke, Cork, Ireland, 09/08/2016

We had a great time with you on the Shannon

We had a great time with you on the Shannon. Particularly the easy going admin stuff, handing over and returning the boat was a very good experience, compared to other countries.

Udo von Meltzing, Germany, 01/08/2016

We had a lovely holiday

Regarding the boat, it was large enough (as we were only 4). We had to get used to handle it but everything went well. The water pressure in the showers could be increased. The bed sheets should be a bit larger. This being said, we had a lovely holiday. The weather was pretty good. Enchanting views, pretty villages. Excellent music evening in Clondra. Thank you for your kind assistance!

Deborah Higelin, Switzerland, 01/08/2016

Thanks for your help.

We'd a lovely few days on the Shannon and were so lucky with the weather. The staff at Carrick Craft were really helpful and welcoming. Thanks for your help.

Siobhan Lundy, Lisburn, Nothern Ireland, 27/07/2016

everything was excellent

Thanks a million Brian, we have no complaints at all, everything was excellent!! Will definitely recommend to others!

Kevin McGarrigle, Dublin, Ireland, 25/07/2016

We are very satisfied

Our Boat-Trip on the Shannon was very good and we are very satisfied. Thank you again, and have a good time.

Daniel Jenni, Switzerland, 24/07/2016

We had a wonderful week

We are all very satisfied with boat, service and nice crew in Carrick! We had a wonderful week and I just had a mail from USA were they told how they had enjoyed the cruise. Many thanks to you and the rest of the girls & guys in Carrick craft!

Tor Vaksdal, Norway, 21/07/2016

We estimated very much your personal service

We had two very pleasant weeks on the Shannon and his lakes. We first went down to Dromineer and then up to Garadice Lough and back. We are very satisfied with the service of Carrick Craft. Their staff kindly helped us twice doing small repairs or giving us additional hints. However the introduction given to us the first day was a bit short and not very complete. The experience of former boat holidays didn't help much. The map is very good. We would find helpful, if more of the markers on the map would show their number. We estimated very much your personal service too. Our journey to and from Banagher didn't cause any problem.

Berchtold Moser, Switzerland, 20/07/2016

The trip was fantastic

The trip was fantastic. We absolutely loved every minute of it. Everything went very smoothly and the boat was great. Very well equipped, clean and comfortable. We'll definitely be doing another trip next year.

Riona Hegarty, Cork, Ireland, 18/07/2016

Lean and easy!

We enjoyed our holiday very much! Your big advantage is your well structured and full-of-information website, which was also along our journey useful. All the payments and mails came to the appropriate time. Lean and easy!

Markus Hager, Switzerland, 14/07/2016

We enjoyed the cruise very much

We enjoyed the cruise very much but prefer the lower stretches of the Shannon i.e. Portumna which I did 10 years ago as there was more activity in the towns along that section of river. There was very little choice on bars and restaurants from the towns on the Carrick on Shannon end. Otherwise service was great and would recommend to friends for the future.

Frank Ryan, Bangkok, Thailand, 13/07/2016

The whole experience was brilliant

On behalf of myself and Angela I would like to thank both Shannon River and Carrick Craft for an amazing holiday, from being picked up at the airport, to being dropped back off there, the whole experience was brilliant. The staff at Carrick Craft could not of been any friendlier or helpful, the boat was perfect and even the one afternoon of rain could not dampen our spirits in anyway. The Shannon itself was a pleasure to be on, from being well marked to every town, harbour, lock and facility being immaculate, clean and an absolute pleasure to visit, which is something we plan to do again. Once again thanks for everything.

Paul Neatis, Cumbria, UK, 06/07/2016

I am very pleased with your service

Everything went very well the weather was poor as you know but had no real bearing on the fun factor. I had tried to get a boat through the Emerald web site and phone service without much success. With yourself I got the boat I wanted, when I wanted it , without fuss. I am very pleased with your service and, although I am not a regular cruiser, about 5 times in all, I will use it again and will recommend it to others.

Peter Galbraith, 04/07/2016

Overall -a really good trip.

We had a great time on the river despite the dull weather. The boat was very comfortable and interiors smart. Our only issue was Meelick lock and the Portumna Bridge. The Carrickcraft people should have warned us about the times especially on Sunday evening. We had planned to return the boat on Sunday evening but on the way to Meelick lock we realised that it was supposed to shut at 6pm. Fortunately, another group had been in touch with the lockkeeper and he opened the lock @8pm letting about 5boats through. Overall -a really good trip.

Aine ni Chonchubhair, Galway, Ireland, 04/07/2016

The trip was a huge success and enjoyed by everyone

The trip (stag) was a huge success and enjoyed by everyone. The boats themselves were clean and well equipped for our needs. The pre-sail lesson from Emerald Star was very informative and just what was needed. All the towns/villages we visited (Portumna, Dromineer, Killaloe, Garrykennedy and Terryglass) were clean, tidy and the locals were warm and welcoming. They really were a credit to their country! The interaction and service I had with both yourself in Shannon River and Emerald Star was fantastic. All queries were answered promptly and all requests were looked after. Everyone asking me how the trip went is being told to call yourself and book themselves a few nights on the Shannon. I will definitely be returning when the kids are old enough.

Sean Nolan, Dublin, Ireland, 29/06/2016

We had a lovely time on the river

We had a lovely time on the river although, with hindsight, I would have probably only booked for 5-nights for a first time. I have attached a photo of our first night berthing in Ballinamore. Found out the next day that the mooring was in fact closed but we had a very peaceful night. Think that the lush background, colour and stillness of the water is lovely and I will be making a framed enlarged poster from it for my dining room wall. Only a couple of comments from the boat. Although there are curtains around most of the windows there is no privacy curtain for the main entrance. We had to close the sliding curved door and lay towels across when we were berthed in the busy marina. I understand that radio signals are not guaranteed which made the fact that the CD player didn't work a bit of a problem. A neighbour of ours had a problem when he filled with water, he had a Carrick Craft boat, when he dropped the cap into the water. Would be ideal to have a retaining chain on the caps as they don't float! Was entertaining for the rest of us watching him retrieve the cap from the freezing cold river though! And he took it well. Apart from those small issues we felt that the boat was well equipped and allowed us to have a lovely time and we would recommend your company to others.

David O'Hallorin, Essex, UK, 14/06/2016

Thank you so much for all your help

Thank you so much for all your help we really did have an amazing time, we could not believe the scenery and the boat was perfect Some feedback, We did not know anything about lough cards or anything like that until we reached our first lough, we were told we could pay €1.50 to enter loughs, but as there was no lough keeper or anything we had to call emerald star to drive to us with a lough card as they had not mentioned it before. We were told the boat would be ready at 2, so we landed at 2, we were then told 2:30...this kept happening until it was 5pm before we actually got to leave carrick on shannon. Overall we had an amazing time, and thank you again

Peadair Gill, Galway, Ireland, 14/06/2016

All was hassle free and very straightforward

Had a great time over the weekend and the kids had a ball. All was hassle free and very straightforward on the organisation so thanks very much for that.

Martin Sheridan, Ireland, 11/06/2016

It was all good

It was all good. If anything, it was better than we'd expected. You told us we couldn't get our boat till 4pm but actually it was ready much earlier; you said we'd have to bring it back by 9am but we disoverred that, being a Sunday, we had the whole day. Also we were expecting to have to hire towels but when we got there discovered they were already supplied. So, no problem with tthe outcome, but it would have been easier to plan with the facts. One niggle, I suppose: when we started, the batteries were not fully charged so the heating didn't work the frst night, despite four hours' charging. Also, why is your diesel so expensive?

William Peskett, Thailand, 09/06/2016

I would recommend anyone to have the experience

We had a lovely time the weather was fantastic the only down fall is they was no electric on the boat as they was two girls you can imagine not being able to dry hair, it was my own fault as I did not read it in the details . The only other issue I have you can not collect boat till 4pm but it has to be back by 9am so that means you really need to be staying in carrick-on-Shannon the night before you give the boat back, other than that I would recommend anyone to have the experience.

Valery Joy, Dublin, Ireland, 08/06/2016

Definitely we'd do it again

We had a ball and the boat was great. We were surprised at how good the showers were and enjoyed the trip emensely. Definitely we'd do it again

Ger Dore, Ireland, 03/06/2016

I couldn't recommend shannon-river.com more.

From start to finish, Brian from Shannon River.com was extremely helpful and extremely resourceful, he saved me the hassle of trawling through all the cruise operaters and found our party of 6, the perfect boat at 30% discount!! I couldn't reccommend shannon-river.com more, its so nice to get a friendly human at the end of the phone

Keith O'Grady, Ireland, 03/06/2016

Thank you very much for your help.

The days on and along the Shannon were lovely. Thank you very much for your help.

Arne Wolf, Germany, 31/05/2016

I would recommend you and your company to all.

We just returned from a cruise for May. 7 thru May 14. We took a cruise on the Shannon in 2006. After endless bragging on the good time we had, the Kirschkes and Obergs wanted to have the same wonderful experience. Once again thanks to you, a good time was had by all! The Slaney was a fine ship!! Tim from Portumna was outstanding! He covered everything including restaurant and pub suggestions. He made departure and return effortless. Six of us ate, slept and enjoyed Ireland in great ease and comfort. I would recommend you and your company to all.

Sonia Tauber-Svoboda, Calinfornia, USA, 19/05/2016

We had a great time on the river,

yes, we had a great time on the river, mostly Lough Derg. We didn't get the weather Met Eireann promised, but as one wag said, that only happens when they promise rain! Best of all, it was my partners first trip on the Shannon, and she took to it greatly, so we'll be back. Many thanks for your help.

Tim Costello, Dublin, 16/05/2016

It exceeded our expectations in every way

Our trip down the Shannon River on the Vision 4 was fantastic! It exceeded our expectations in every way. While the weather could have been better, we were prepared and we enjoyed every moment. I must say that your help and guidance planning and preparing for the trip was invaluable. Being our first river cruise, I had so many questions which you always answered quickly and completely. Your experience on the Shannon River and with river cruising was key to us being well prepared with what to pack, what to expect and which was the best boat and cruise itinerary for our family! I can't thank you enough for making our family vacation literally a dream come true! Thanks again Brian!

John Boutross, New York, USA, 10/05/2016

Many Thanks for a cracking week

Just back from Shannon and can say without doubt that this was by some way, the best holiday Jackie and I have been on in many years, if not ever! (And we go on approximately 16 holidays per year) The sights, smells of grass and vegetation, the wildlife, the gentle pace of the river and above all the fabulous people at every lock, shop, bar and restaurant were amazing. Having hired the boat, the rest of the holiday was extremely inexpensive with restaurants serving hearty meals in region of 15 euro each and wine from 18 euro per bottle. The Guinness was a delightful 3 euro 80 cent so I restricted myself to no more than 4 per night!, except Saturday and Wednesday and maybe Friday I’ve no idea why we haven’t holidayed with you before, but we’re looking at our diaries for September for a return visit Many Thanks for a cracking week

Brian Jamison, Northern Ireland, 09/05/2016

Thank you to you and your team

We all safely returned after our very good holidays in Ireland. Our boat tour will remain in our memories forever, we had such a lot of fun, did cruising,fishing, sightseeing and of course enjoyed pints of Guiness and famous Irish steaks. Everything was well arranged and we liked the boat very much, we had a really good and unforgettable time on board ``our`` Doire Mac Dhuibhfinn. Thank you to you and your team !

Ralf Thierbach, Cyprus, 09/05/2016

The Shannon river was excellent

The kids bought me the cruise for my 60th birthday, never done this before Myself and my wife Maria really enjoyed the 4 days spent on the Shannon the staff at Banagher were really helpful Noel & Vinny Really enjoyed Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise going through the lock in Athlone, Hudson Bay and Portrunny As you can see we had a busy 4 days, the weather was good and the Shannon river was excellent

Brian & Maria Martin, Galway, Ireland, 08/05/2016

We can't wait to come back

We had a fantastic time on the river and I can't praise the staff highly enough. We can't wait to come back, it's just a case of when. The only suggestion I would make is for additional ropes on board. I know it's fairly straightforward to swap sides with two ropes but we got caught out once or twice with a quick change of sides required particularly at Athlone lock. An extra set of lines would be a great help when cruising shorthanded. I hope you and the staff have a fantastic season and that we will see you again soon.

Andrew Carroll, Dublin, 22/04/2016

We had a fantastic time in Ireland

We had a fantastic time in Ireland, starting with the weeklong boat cruise. The river cruise was an absolute memorable experience. All arrangements from yourself, as well as Carrickcraft, were superb. The transfers, the boat with its equipment and all facilities were outstanding. Service was always friendly and efficient. Thank you all for very enjoyable time. We will certainly use and recommend your services in future.

Charles Blaauw, South Africa, 18/04/2016

Only good comments to add

Hey Brian, Jos and William were both totally delighted about the service, hospitality and the accomodation. Only good comments to add:) and next year they will revisited you again at Shannon river. Thank you for everything.

Kim Sweers, Belgium, 16/04/2016

The service was from you guys was excellent

Just wanted to let you know that all 9 of us had a great time! The boat was huge, the service was from you guys was excellent and we'll all definitely be back again!

Jonny McKeon, Dublin, Ireland, 08/04/2016

The service was top class

Thank you very much for your email we had a fantastic weekend from start to finish and the service was top class. We look forward to going on the river again in the future.

Alan Hickey, Cork, Ireland, 04/04/2016

We had a good break

Thanks for the mail. We had a good break- very lucky with the weather, let it be said! Generally all was fine- there were quite a few minor issues with the boat, but we made Emerald aware of all of these.

David Brouder, Ireland, 31/03/2016

We had a great weekend

Hi Brian, we had a great weekend and will definitely be recommending to book with you to others. We are thinking about doing it again next year already. Most of us left on Sunday however two people stayed down and gave the boat back Monday morning. It was docked there from Sunday evening and keys were handed back at 10.45. The two people were asked to fill out a survey by the lady working there to which they filled out that everything was excellent. Then when they handed that back the lady then informed them they would have to pay an extra 100e as the boat was not clean enough and one toilet had blocked. We have the boat a general clean and it was more than acceptable to give it back the way we did. As far as we were aware cleaners serviced the boat when we left as we seen cleaners there on Friday and had been told from previous people who had rented boats.

Claire Graydon, 31/10/2014

Was a fantastic weekend

Brian thanks very much for all umyour help , was a fantastic weekend , we were filled with depression coming back the Monday morning ha ha . We will be on to ya next year again for sure . Many thanks Brian take care

Rory Kavanagh, 07/10/2014

We really appreciate everything you and the Portumna staff did for us.

Many thanks to Timmy, John and Brian for going the extra mile (in Timmy's case quite literally - chasing the bus with 6 of us in his vehicle!) to make our cruise in Ireland such a relaxing holiday!

Dudley Magill, 30/09/2014

We had a great trip last week

we had a great trip last week,everyone thoroughly enjoyed the few days break, the weather made us think it was the middle of summer. I will forward on your email to the others, they may want to write their own version of the trip. Just one query, Tom paid €250 fuel deposit on thursday and as the office was closed when we returned the boat on Sunday we were unable to measure the fuel usage. I don't think we would have used all the fuel so if you could let me know what the situation is regarding a refund of the balance Tom would be delighted. Thanks for all your help

Lorraine O'Sullivan, 29/09/2014

We were very satified with the comfort on the boat and your services.

We were very lucky with the weather and had a great time on board. We were very satified with the conmfort on the boat and your services. Since one of our friends was ill and couldn't join us, we are thinking of doing the trip over again next year ( but on the upper Shannon or Erne). I'll contact you next year! Kind regards, Frans

Frans Peeters, Belgium, 29/09/2014

It was the best Holiday I have had and believe me I have been all over the world...

It was the best Holiday I have had and believe me I have been all over the world...Unbelievable craic and met great people cruising.... Loved my boat and managed it very well. It is a fab boat and I would highly recommend it and will be using it again next year.

Carmel Swan, Dublin, Ireland, 11/09/2014

Your advice and service was invaluable and I would totally recommend you to anyone

We had a great trip - the weather could have been better but we made the most of it nonetheless. The handover of the boat went extremely smoothly although the only thing was the beds still had those vinyl covering on them, which I was keen to avoid as you know . Your advice and service was invaluable and I would totally recommend you to anyone else who was planning a trip on the Shannon.

Alan Greene, Ireland, 05/09/2014

We had one of our best holidays ever with one of your boats.

Many thanks to all of you. We had one of our best holidays ever with one of your boats. We enjoyed much and had a really relaxed stay, due to the good service of your team.

Herbert Helbling, Switzerland, 05/09/2014

We had a good break

We have a good break, thanks, very interesting to see your country from a different perspective and stop in lovely towns on the river that you might not otherwise visit. I appreciate your very swift response to our initial query as it helped us to schedule a much needed holiday at short notice.

Julie Byrne, Ireland, 05/09/2014

Our trip on the river went extremely well

Our trip on the river went extremely well. From the moment I contacted you to berthing back in Portumna after the cruise, we did not have any problems and everyone, old and young, had a special experience. We will definitely do it again soon. Thank you for all your help.

Arthur Lappin, Co. Laois, Ireland, 01/09/2014

We had the best time ever!

We had the best time ever! My wife didn't want to come and now her and the kids are asking when can we do it again. The staff in Carrick-on-Shannon were so helpful and friendly, I can't say enough about them.

Ed Heffernan, Co. Clare, Ireland, 25/08/2014

A big thank you for organising our week on the Shannon

A big thank you for organising our week on the Shannon with Silverline. The boat was perfect, well equipped and spotless. The staff at Silverline were really helpful and flexible. Silverline are the most professional, well run company we have ever hired a boat from. We will definitely be back to them next year.

Deirdre Germaine, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, 25/08/2014

We had a marvellous fortnight

Thank you for all your help in booking our boating holiday with Carrickcraft, and for all the information on your website. We had a marvellous fortnight and I have enclosed some photos. The only thing I would mention (nothing to do with your service) is that our intention was to travel the Shannon - Erne system right up to Belleek, which we did, with time to spare in the 15 days. However, in retrospect, it was not ideal to start the holiday (from Carrick) with the narrow canals and self-service locks when we had only 2 people on board and were still learning to steer ! This apart we had no problems at all and everyone we encountered, from the staff at the Carrickcraft bases in Carrick and Bellanaleck to fellow boaters, was very helpful and reassuring. Thank you again for all your help, and we will certainly recommend you to anyone wanting to visit the Shannon

Eileen Smith, UK, 16/08/2014

We had a most enjoyable 3 days on the Shannon

We had a most enjoyable 3 days on the Shannon and we will definitely do a cruise on the Shannon again in the future. Thanks for your help on the booking arrangements.

Robert Donaghy, Ireland, 15/08/2014

We had a great time and enjoyed the whole experience

We had a great time and enjoyed the whole experience. We will definitely do it again. Thanks for everything.

Des Ferris, 14/08/2014

Thank you very much for your help.

Hi Brian, yes thank you, we had a great holiday. Thank you very much for your help in advance, everything was very straightforward when we arrived at Portumna, boat was fantastic and the weather worked out great too! We will definitely think about another trip some time in the future!

Kieran Desmond, Co. Cork, Ireland, 12/08/2014

We would totally recommend the holiday and your services

We had a wonderful trip and everything went exactly to plan. We ended up getting the 5 days for the price of 3 so we had the boat from Monday to Saturday. the weather was great which of course made everything that bit nicer. We would totally recommend the holiday and your services...in fact I have already passed on your details to a few colleagues.

Deirdre Moore, Ireland, 12/08/2014

We had a lovely time on the Shannon with our boat

Thanks for that and we had a lovely time on the Shannon with our boat. One issue I would have is that as we had a bigger boat we were restricted on certain routes that we could take and this only became apparent after we got to Carrick. I would have no hesitation in recommending your company as the service was excellent.

Eddie Bohan, Ireland, 11/08/2014

Yes we had a really good time.

Yes we had a really good time !! Everything was great (except the weather on some days, but this is ireland :-) The boat was comfortable, and easy to drive, and the instructions left on the boat were clear (navigation maps, handbook etc...). The preparation of the trip with you was also nice: good contacts, sending of useful video etc...

Laurent Bergdoll, France, 11/08/2014

We had a good time

We had a good time and I really liked the Noble Chief III. It was a fine boat.

Greg Warner, , 09/08/2014

We had a great trip and enjoyed it all tremendously

Many thanks for the follow up and indeed the terrific experience on the Shannon. We had a great trip and enjoyed it all tremendously. We felt your service was both professional and friendly and really we would not presume to offer any advice for improvements...it was all so good!!

Barry Daniel, Thailand, 08/08/2014

We had a great time

We had a great time, everything was perfect. Our biggest problem was to decide what beer to drink in the local pub. Thanks!

Freddy Leiser, Israel, 07/08/2014

Had a great time on the Shannon

Had a great time on the Shannon , all the family enjoyed it ,my dad especially. Boat was fantastic very easy to handle and very clean. The lads from emerald star who worked on marina were great, very helpful and great Craic. Will be back again hopefully before season ends.

Anthony Duff, Ireland, 07/08/2014

We thoroughly enjoyed our short break

We thoroughly enjoyed our short break, cruising on the Shannon. Everything was very well organised from booking in through to car parking and understanding how the boat worked. It only took us a very short time to feel confident handling the boat. We particularly enjoyed visiting Drummond and had an excellent meal at the Purple Onion in Tremonbarry and The Oarsman in Carrick. We will return, for longer next time to enjoy a little more of the wonderful Irish hospitality, beautiful countryside and delights of cruising you own boat down the Shannon. Thank you for helping to arrange everything so well.

Ian Burns, UK, 31/07/2014

All great indeed

All great indeed - besides 2 days of rain .... Boat mint condition - clean and all functional. Only thing not to good - chaos on day when we picked up boat - only on lady at receiption - no "qeue system" no clear information when boat is ready .... But overall great! Might do it again anytime soon!

Heinrich Prokop, Austria, 29/07/2014

We enjoyed ourselves so much on the boat

We are back in Amsterdam today after two lovely weeks in Ireland. Just wanted to say thank you very much, we enjoyed ourselves so much on the boat – eating at some fabulous places along the way! Barbara from Silverline Cruises was wonderful too, she even gave us a lift to our B&B in Shannon Harbour after the cruise. We will not hesitate to recommend you in the future as the contact for cruises in Ireland.

Andrea Florens, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 28/07/2014

I had a really great time.

I had a really great time and cannot compliment Shannon River enough for sorting out my trip at such short notice! Was a very enjoyable experience and I hope to return.

Fergal McGuinness, Co. Meath, Ireland, 22/07/2014

We did enjoy ourselves and are looking forward to going again

Thanks for sorting out the boat for us last week, alas the weather was not great and it was a bit wet, having said that we did enjoy ourselves and are looking forward to going again.

Brian Tyrell, Dublin, Ireland, 22/07/2014

Had a great time, thanks

Had a great time, thanks. The boat ran beautifully and the staff at Banagher were top class. If I had to point out one thing that could be improved it would be the downer of having to pay insurance at the beginning and then the diesel bill at the end. Wouldn't it be a good idea to amalgamate these two items into the initial quote? Although I understand the necessity of both (and the choice aspect of the insurance policy), it does feel like you're been for a few extra Euro, just before and after you have a great time.

Evan Colbert, Co. Galway, Ireland, 22/07/2014

It really was a fantastic holiday

I can just say our cruise on the boat was great!!! It really was a fantastic holiday!!!!! Thank you very much for all your help.

Stefan Jecklin, Switzerland, 19/07/2014

We had a great week on the Shannon

We had a great week on the Shannon, getting to visit lots of places. The girls thought it was a super adventure and was definitely a hit with them. The staff at Carrick Craft in Banagher were great and could not have been more helpful. The only comment we would make is that I am sure they not using road diesel (but agricultural diesel) to fill the boats and yet the charges are reflective of the road side pump prices!!

Sharon Rice, Ireland, 16/07/2014

A great time was had by all

Hi Brian, yes a great time was had by all last week and we are already planning our next trip to explore some of the other areas of the shannon we didn't get to see. Honestly the feedback to you is very positive. The staff in Glasson were very helpful and friendly and we got off on our holiday pretty quickly on the saturday. The only tricky bit is returning the boat so early on the saturday morning, It s hard to get breakfast done and the boat cleared and back in dock by 9. The petrol in Quigleys marina was also very expensive so i think in future when we go back we'll do a little more research on competitive fuel prices. Otherwise everything was great. The boat was fine and had everything you could need on it. We took lots of photos and i'll send you a few once we've gone through them. I'd have no problems at all recommending Waveline or a holiday on the Shannon to friends and family. :)

Julie Knox, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, 16/07/2014

We had a great time

We had a great time. We enjoyed everything and hope to so it again!

Robert Guaghran, California, US, 13/07/2014

We had an absolutely brilliant time on the boat

We had an absolutely brilliant time on the boat. The boat itself (Elegance) was gorgeous and we were lucky enough to have mostly good weather so we were really pleased. Saw some fantastic places and ate in some lovely bar/restaurants along the way. Plus all the staff we dealt with were really helpful and friendly. Thanks so much for all your help and hopefully will be in touch again in the future.

Anne Lamb, Dublin, Ireland, 10/07/2014

We had a great holiday

Thanks Brian, we had a great holiday, helped hugely by fab weather. The boat was a new experience for us and great fun. We will definitely recommend it to friends. Thanks for everything.

Katherine Stroughair, Dublin, Ireland, 10/07/2014

We had a fabulous time

We had a fabulous time – the weather really helped. We were delighted with the boat and would have no complaints in that regard.

Gary Morrissey, Ireland, 07/07/2014

It was a great experience

Brian, it was a great experience. Thanks for all your responses over the months of planning the trip. I asked for comments from the other people on the boat and here they are in no particular order: The cushions were particularly hard and everyone woke up stiff after sleeping on them. The low fuel consumption over 8 days was amazing. The lack of shore power was bothersome to the ladies not able to use blow dryers and curling irons. I would recommend that cruisers buy European-plug extension cords as most of the marinas has power at the docks. Would also recommend cruisers to purchase a sturdy cooler for the extra drinks and items that won't fit into the refrigerators. Recommend cruisers bring a good quality compass. If you choose to make a diversion from the well marked straight on the river path on the lakes to an interesting site, a compass would be helpful in making better sense from the charts. Most of the marinas were well maintained with helpful staff. Groceries are generally available in most villages so there is no need to overstock before you leave. We experienced a mechanical problem one evening while docking. Called Carrick Craft that evening. He said he would be out the next morning. He was on time, quickly diagnosed the problem, assured us a replacement boat would be provided if he could't fix it on the spot but in 20 minutes he had it fixed. Everyone we met were welcoming and helpful. We have some great stories from the pubs and fellow boaters. Everyone on our boat wants to do it again. I would comment that we checked out the silver line cruisers at Banagher and their bow thrusters, 2000 watt inverters, the covered fly bridge and cushy cushions will be tempting the next time around although you pay a premium for those features. All in all, it was a great trip, your help and guidance was invaluable and mosh appreciated. I'll send some pictures next week when we get them more organized. Thanks again Brian.

James Watson, Portage, USA, 04/07/2014

The trip was great!

The trip was great! helped by the nice sunshine we had : ) One of the guys is already planning his next trip so I've passed on you're details.

Patrick Nolan, Ireland, 02/07/2014

We enjoyed our holiday on the Shannon

I have to say for the first time with Carrick-Craft I was very impressed and we enjoyed our holiday on the Shannon. Everyone at Carrick-Craft was very friendly and helpful and got our boat fixed quickly with competence during a battery charging issue in Roosky. The Engineer had all the parts in his Service-Van and was able to resolve the issue onsite. Carrick-Craft even dropped us to the local train station at no charge, as we departed from Ck-on-Shannon back to Dublin. Just as we were leaving, we were already planning our summer holidays for next year with Carrick-Craft and plan to take a much larger boat (Waterford Class) as the boats are really very easy to handle and since our first off experience, we were able to make better decisions in making next year an even better and more comfortable holiday

Ramon de Bruijn, Austria, 30/06/2014

We had a brilliant time

Thanks Brian we had a brilliant time and can't wait to do it next year as we're gonna make it a yearly thing from now on. Thanks again for all your help

Damien Duff, 27/06/2014

It was amazing

I have to say it was the best holiday we have ever been on, it was amazing. The boat was fantastic, although next year we might rent a bigger boat. Basically having someone sleeping in the living area doesn't suit when they like to have a lie in and when most of us are up at the crack of dawn:) But I have to say we all thought that the facilities were fantastic, the weather was fantastic and everything really met our expectations. Thank you so much for everything and if you have any special offers for next year on a bigger boat please let me know.

Gillian McDermott, Co. Roscommon, Ireland, 27/06/2014

We had a great time.

Hi Brian, had a great time, it was a stag for a 67 year old, 2nd time round, you would think he would be getting sense at this stage of life, we had 14 in no at one stage, I think this could become an annual pilgrimage, first time cruising for most of crew, they will be back.

William Browne, Co. Carlow, Ireland, 27/06/2014

I thank you for help you make our trip so hassle free and memorable!!

I can say without reservation that I have nothing but good comments to make on the service you offered, the advice you gave, the information which was always clear and unambiguous and the overall experience. You can quote me on that if you like!! The paperwork for the boat was minimal and we were able to be underway in a short space of time. The service from Carrick Craft was also impeccable and efficient and we would certainly use Shannon River again and indeed hope to do so before the end of the year. Once again Brian on behalf of myself and the group on the Fermanagh Class boat I thank you for help you make our trip so hassle free and memorable!!

Marian Farrelly, Dublin, Ireland, 26/06/2014

We had an absolute ball!

We had an absolute ball! Great weather helped. Thank you for your help to organise this it was a 40th Birthday celebrations we will always remember! Booking with Shannon River Boat Hire proved to be a fast, extremely efficient and friendly service, I would have no hesitation in using this service again.

Ann Ryan, Cork, Ireland, 25/06/2014

We had a great trip

We had a great trip, will defo be doing it again

Aoife Maloney, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 20/06/2014

Everything was great Brian

Everything was great Brian, including the weather. There was a problem with the gears on the boat before we left so we got upgraded to a much bigger, better boat. Fred the dog had a great time too and all the pubs along the way had no problem in letting him in.

Kevin Downey, Dublin, Ireland, 18/06/2014

Everything was perfect

Everything was perfect Brian, I've passed your number on to some friends so hopefully you'll get another booking in the next few week. If not we'll surely be going again next year.

Patrick Holohan, Ireland, 17/06/2014

I want to thank you for the great service

I want to thank you for the great service you did for us! We had again a nice trip on the boats

Peter Stankowitz, Germany, 10/06/2014

Great holiday

Great holiday, loved the boat,comfy enough beds (we've certainly had worse) I just wish there had been a whistling kettle. I think I wasted some gas waiting for the kettle to boil realising it had boiled when the boat began to steam up! Beautiful countryside, in fact nothing to complain about not even the weather. We fell lucky.

Marie Jepson, Yorkshire, UK, 09/06/2014

Everything was great

Thank You ! We had a ball and really enjoyed the weekend. Everything was great. Only issue was my skills at manovering the floating shopping trolly :). Only issue on the boat was two of the rings wouldn't stay on which really didn't affect us at all. We will be back for sure and thanks again for everything.

Stephen Mullin, Dublin, Ireland, 03/06/2014

Very enjoyable. Thanks for all your help.

Very enjoyable. Thanks for all your help.

John Cave, Ireland, 23/05/2014

This is really a great holiday

We did have a good time on the Shannor River. And we really appreciate this great trip with your service. And thanks again, I hope we can do it again. This is really a great holiday ever!

Stanley Lo, Dublin, Ireland, 23/05/2014

It was really a great experience for all of us

I just wanted to say Thank you very much for consulting me again. It was really a great experience for all of us, which we enjoyed a lot! There was nothing to complain about and we had a great time on the river!

Conrad Scheibe, Germany, 18/05/2014

We had a ball

Many thanks for the help with this booking, we had a ball. Only drawback was the weather!

Eoghan O'Shea, Cork, Ireland, 13/05/2014

We had a nice short break on the Shannon

Yes, we had a nice short break on the Shannon although weather wasnt great but thats always the risk in Ireland. we were quite impressed by some of the restaurants we came across, better than I remember from my early days of Shannon cruising! I think your website is a very useful resource for those contemplating a Shannon cruising holiday, particularly the comparison and availability data.

Neville Couse, Ireland, 13/05/2014

Thanks shannon river,looking forward to next year

Every year we all look forward to our trip with Emerald Star on the river shannon, such peacefulness, such beautiful scenery, what a great time. Thanks shannon river,looking forward to next year or maybe sooner

James Kershaw, Dublin, Ireland, 13/05/2014

We had an absolute ball!

We had an absolute ball – thoroughly enjoyable and well certainly be doing it again. The boat was lovely and well maintained. The only negative I would give you is the return time of the boat being 9am was very disappointing. This meant we were tied to Carrick on Shannon the night before and a very early start to pack up. This would make me reconsider booking through a company again. However that is no reflection of the the boat itself, the standards and the trip as a whole – it really was amazing.

Celine Maher, Ireland, 29/04/2014

We had a wonderful family trip

We had a wonderful family trip, I would highly recommend it to a family. We stayed at lough Key where there was plenty to do.

Tracy O'Shea, Ireland, 28/04/2014

Had a brilliant time again

Had a brilliant time again. Weather was unbelievable, having played golf every weekend since the turn of the year i don't think there has been a weekend like it yet. Only caught one fish between the 6 of us so morale was low, but nothing a few pints couldn't sort out. Parked up in Garrykennedy on good Friday (didn't matter where we docked since there wasnt a pub to be had), then headed to kilaloe on saturday, had the run of the place in Mills's pub. Then spent our last night in Mountshannon. Thanks for the help and I'm sure we will be in contact again.

Alan Padden, Ireland, 25/04/2014

The boys and I had a great time on the river

The boys and I had a great time on the river and the weather was glorious. I was extremely impressed by your attentiveness and the ease with which the arrangements were put in place.

Peter Doran, UK, 24/04/2014

Thanks a mill will definitely be using your services again.

Thank you so much we had a fab break and your boat is fab. Thanks a mill will definitely be using your services again in the near future

Karen Smith, Dublin, Ireland, 23/04/2014

We had a magnificent trip

Hi Brian, we had a magnificent trip. The boat was great. Everything ran smoothly. The only bad point was that we wanted to use showers in Terry glass and garykennedy they weren't available plus no shop there either. I know these are not yer issues but just to know in future for yer customers would be helpful. We were blessed with the weather too. Thanks for everything Brian. We'll definitely be returning custom again.

Carlos O'Gara, Ireland, 22/04/2014

Just a big thank you

Just a big thank you for everything you did for us on our recent trip on the Shannon. If you check Emerald Star’s face book page you will see I put up a review/comment and some photos and my son Andrew is also on their facebook page with his life jacket on!! We had a super time and everything went really well and we will certainly do it again.

Helen Olliffe, Dublin, Ireland, 10/04/2014

We very much enjoyed our adventures on the Shannon-Erne waterway

We very much enjoyed our adventures on the Shannon-Erne waterway with the barge LIR from Riversdale. Graham, Georgina, and Paddy at Riversdale were very kind to accommodate our last minute schedule changes, arranged taxis to/from Dromod, and even made sure our refrigerator was stocked per our request to start the trip. We had great weather (for the most part), and thanks to all of the creature comforts built into the barge, we were quite comfortable at each of the places we moored. Needless to say, the service block HOT showers were much appreciated, even tho we had one of our own! We got as far as Carrick-on-Shannon and made it back again, safely. Maybe next time we can explore more.

Helen Murray & Henry Dwyer, UK, 18/12/2013

Our cruise was very fun and relaxing

Our cruise was very fun and relaxing. I have also appreciated a lot your service. I can recommend it to anyone who wants to be out of stress of life for a while.

Philippe Brosy, Switzerland, 04/12/2013

We had a great time on the boat

We had a great time on the boat. For both of us it was the first time being in charge of a motorboat. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for the good service, starting with the correspondence and the captain's manual (which I hadn't looked at properly until the evening before flying and then finding out they were videos and not just a manual - should have known it from the links!), the notice at the marina, finishing with the instruction on handling the boat and taking care of our delayed luggage. So for us the cruise on the Shannon was a marvellous experience.

Mark Brouwer, Switzerland, 08/10/2013

For us the cruise on the Shannon was a marvellous experience.

We had a great time on the boat. For both of us it was the first time being in charge of a motorboat. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for the good service, starting with the correspondence and the captain's manual (which I hadn't looked at properly until the evening before flying and then finding out they were videos and not just a manual - should have known it from the links!), the notice at the marina, finishing with the instruction on handling the boat and taking care of our delayed luggage. For us the cruise on the Shannon was a marvellous experience.

Mark Brouwer, Switzerland, 08/10/2013

We had an amazing cruise on the Shannon

In short, we had an amazing cruise on the Shannon. I have not stopped recommending it since we got back. Thank you for all your help!

Daire Grant, Waterford, Ireland, 06/10/2013

We'd an amazing weekend.

We'd an amazing weekend. Thanks for all your assistance

Kiera Mulvihill, Ireland, 06/10/2013

Great time thanks

Great time thanks, Carrick Craft were great, weather less so but that didn't manage to spoil it. Will be doing it again.

Aidan Brooks, Dublin, Ireland, 02/10/2013

We enjoyed it very much

We enjoyed it very much. All, you have prepared, went well. Great! Let me take the chance to thank you and your colleagues at Banagher Marina and also at Carrick-On-Shannon Marina. The weather was patchy the first week, but better and relative sunny the second week. The boat was fantastic. A little bit too big. But a friend gave me the advice to take no small boat for the first time. And he was right. The scenery is wonderful and I videotaped it and took lot of photos. I will tell our relatives, friends and colleagues about our holidays in Ireland.

Ulrich Hof, Rhineland, Germany, 30/09/2013

It was really a nice trip and not at least thanks to you

Now that we are back at home I would like to thank you in the name of the whole crew for your good service and support. We had a great time indeed. We enjoyed the time on the river (notwithstanding the stormy weather sometimes) and the evenings in the pubs. All in all it was really a nice trip and not at least thanks to you everything worked well

Siegfried Knock, Hamburg, Germany, 23/09/2013

Had an absolutely brilliant holiday.

Had an absolutely brilliant holiday , ive already recommended you to anyone who asked , staff were lovely and very helpful ,couldn't fault anything to be very honest and we're already thinking of next year , probably get a bigger boat with a few extra heads next time :-)

David Coyne, Louth, 12/09/2013

We really enjoyed our week

We really enjoyed our week, weather was good to us and it was great to meet up with old friends on the river including Trevor & Mary Thomsett, with whom I had moorings for my boat over many years; also, Jim Henry's pub in Cootehall - where I signed their first visitors' book in May 1977! My grown-up kids, and their families, are avid Shannon fans and I've told them to contact you for any future trips. Thank you again for your service - it was a pleasure dealing with you. I'll send you some of their photos - I leave that to them and don't bother with camera etc.

Ray Billington, 10/09/2013

We had a great time on the river.

We had a great time on the river. Everything went smoothly with all four seasons during our days. Will send you a picture when we get home.

Rainer Huebner, New Zealand, 03/09/2013

We might even set sail again in the near future…

Just back from my Summer leave and wanted to thank you again for all your help with organising the surprise for my husband John’s 40th birthday. He absolutely enjoyed the whole trip! We dealt with a lovely man in Tullybay who suggested some of the places we should visit with the lads and I was delighted (as were my lads) with the boat I had selected. The weather was fantastic and we enjoyed the whole experience. I would definitely recommend your website (for making the booking so easy) and the customer service you personally provided was brilliant. You never know, we might even set sail again in the near future…

Bernie O'Neill, Dundalk, 03/09/2013

It has been a great experience and all went very smoothly.

It has been a grat experience and all went very smoothly. Thanks a lot. We will recommend you.

Ted Ganten, Germany, 19/08/2013

We had a very great time, indeed.

Thanks, Brian, we had a very great time, indeed. We will tell around here in Brussels.

Jeroen van Beeck, Brussels, 10/08/2013

We really enjoyed our time on the Shannon and would definitely do another holiday like this.

We really enjoyed our time on the Shannon and would definitely do another holiday like this. Lough Key Forest Park was brilliant, we all loved the zip wires! We loved all the little towns along the route also – although some pubs/ restaurants listed in our guidebook are now closed due to the recession or did not do food in the evening On the whole though a great week, thanks for your help and we would do again

Sarah Lynch, Ireland, 08/08/2013

I would recommend it as a brilliant holiday

Had a ball thanks to all involved everything was excellent had only one negative and it was the price they charged for diesel But otherwise I would recommend it as a brilliant holiday

Lorraine Corlett, 01/08/2013

We had a fabulous time.

We had a fabulous time and met some good people. We also were able to spend a couple of days in Drumshanbo as there was a music festival. Swimming in Lough Eldin was surprisingly pleasant. I have attached some pictures from our trip. Thank you again for your help.

Sandra de Souza, UK, 30/07/2013

We had a wonderful time on the boat.

We had a wonderful time on the boat. The service at your office was quick, efficient and friendly. The woman at the desk was wonderful. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience and a great vacation.

Yfat Scialom, Israel, 27/07/2013

We had an absolutely fantastic time on the Shannon.

We had an absolutely fantastic time on the Shannon. Of course the weather was unbelievable but aside from that I can't believe how much I enjoyed the trip.

Olivia O'Connor, Ireland, 25/07/2013

It was the most wonderful few days on the Shannon.

It was the most wonderful few days on the Shannon, with glorious sunshine throughout. It is such a special way to see Ireland "from the inside". We didn't want to give our perfect little boat back! Special thanks to you and all the staff at carrick craft who made everything so straightforward and stress-free. We have recommended this holiday to family and friends and I am sure we will be back.

Heidi Furlong, South Africa, 16/07/2013

Had great time thanks

Had great time thanks

David O'Regan, Cork, 19/06/2013

We had a great time on the river.

We had a great time on the river, really enjoyable and the kids loved it. I was very impressed with your web site and the back up service you gave in terms of the phone calls etc. We have some great photos of us dressed as pirates so will try to send some on if I remember when I get home.

Conor Walsh, Dublin, Ireland, 11/06/2013

We had a great time and we were blessed with the weather.

We had a great time and we were blessed with the weather. All was great with the boat, couldn't fault it, even my wife who is 8 months pregnant really enjoyed it, thanks again.

Stephen Byrne, COrk, 10/06/2013

No complaints, the boat was clean, comfortable and well stocked

We're home and basking in the memories of near perfect (unusual), Irish weather and a fine time on our charter, Ballinamore to Enniskillen and back. Philip and Melody at the Ballinamore office couldn't have been nicer or more helpful, even to the extent of giving me some adhesive to fix a loose sole on one of my sandals. No complaints, the boat was clean, comfortable, well stocked, and we appreciated the diesel heater several times. It was a pleasure dealing with you and the Ballinamore folks, Brian, and we remain in love with Ireland and her people and way of life. Thanks for all you did.

Joel Maguire, Prudence Island, 10/06/2013

Wonderful part of the world.

In short we had a fantastic time and your role in guiding us beforehand was invaluable. Best wishes and many thanks again. Wonderful part of the world.

Hugo Storey, UK, 29/05/2013

It was BRILLIANT!!!

It was BRILLIANT!!! We definitely want to go again and again! My Husband and I went with my Mom's and we brought our Dogs too, we all had a great time! The boat was excellent, such a great fun to drive it! Such an adventure! Thank you all so much and hope to get on a trip soon again!!!

Katalin Gabor, Ireland, 27/10/2012

Thanks for all your assistance.

We all had a great time. The staff was very helpful getting us off and the videos really helped prepare us. Thanks for all your assistance.

Liz Promen, Virginia, USA, 03/10/2012

It was brilliant.

We had a fabulous time on the Shannon. A cushion for the driver's seat would have been appreciated too - other than that it was brilliant.

Josie O'Farrell, 28/09/2012

I was as always delighted with your excellent service

We had a lovely time on our cruise, despite the awful weather, we had to stop so I could buy a furry hat, gloves & more socks it was so cold & wet. I deliberately chose a boat with an inside steering position too but Stewart says he likes the challenge of being outside in all weathers! Cruising on the Shannon is so varied, this time we experienced some still water in the canal and for the first time ventured out onto the Loughs which was very different. I was as always delighted with your excellent service, help & support and look forward to booking with you again next time.

Kate Morris, Cheshire, UK, 27/09/2012

It was a really great expierience

We had a very nice boat trip on Shannon River and everything was fine. If we'll come back to Ireland we would like to do this again, it was a really great expierience! Thanks a lot for your engagement, you and the other guys from Silverline Cruises did a great job, very nice and friendly. I wish you a nice day and thank you again for everything.

Melanie Kalchofner, Switzerland, 11/09/2012

Was a great time we had.

Oh but a distant memory. Was a great time we had, weather improved last two days so that made it good... Attached a few images of the trip, Thanks, and next year may do again

Joe Lennon, Dublin, Ireland, 04/09/2012

A perfect time

Thanks very much. It was great. A perfect time. We ll definitely go for an other trip in some stage. Your service was great.

Martin Glaeser, Kilkenny, Ireland, 03/09/2012

Probably the best holiday we have ever had.

I would like to say we had a fantastic time on holiday on the Shannon. It was probably the best holiday we have ever had. The staff were genuinely helpful and pleasant and the boat and linen were clean and fresh. We will be using Shannon River Boat Hire again next year. Thanks for a truly great service.

Farrah Deane, Dublin, Ireland, 01/09/2012

Thank so much for everything

Thank so much for everything you helped me. It was amazing fantastic holiday. we are all satisfied about our holiday. I think I may call you again next summer holiday. Thank you so much again.

Hyun-Jin Choi, Dublin, Ireland, 31/08/2012

We had a fantastic time!

We had a fantastic time! Everything went smoothly and we had a relaxing weekend. The kids loved it too especially the locks! In one of them we got stuck with the current as you can see in the attached pic. :) but got back on track pretty soon. The weather was wonderful and we could enjoy the deck most of the time. We ill definitely do it again

Teresa Luppino, Dublin, Ireland, 24/08/2012

Everything was perfect.

We enjoyed our stay on the Irish waterways very much and everything was perfect.

Ulrich Wintersol, Leverkausen, Germany, 23/08/2012

We had a great time

Many thanks for your help in arranging our trip on the river Shannon. We had a great time, the boat was really comfortable for the two of us and was very well equipped. Everyone at Silver Line was very friendly and helpful and we shall have no hesitation in recommending you and Silver Line to anyone who asks us about our trip. We sailed north from Banagher and did not quite make it to Carrick, but this could have been achieved if we had wanted to do more sailing each day. On the return we had an 'interesting' sail south through Lough Ree facing a strong southerly wind, but it has given us something to talk about to our friends!! Once again many thanks. With very best wishes for your continued success

Keith & Irene Watford, Nottinghan, UK, 12/08/2012

We did have a great holiday.

We did have a great holiday even when it was raining! It was a very relaxing experience and we had no problems with the boat, I think the thing that made the holiday so enjoyable was the Irish people who we met on our travels everyone is so friendly and they can't do enough for you. We might be back again next year and if we are i will contact you about a booking

Michael Flett, Banffshire, Scotland, 06/08/2012

We had a fantastic time

Thank you Brian we had a fantastic time. The kids have put it as one of the best family holidays they have had which is a big statement as having worked for Qantas in Australia they have been all over Asia /Europe /USA. It makes you thoroughly appreciate what we have as an Nation, its a shame that it is not marketed a little more. They have already asked if we would be able to do it again next year. Many thanks .

Declan Byrne, Kildare, Ireland, 04/08/2012

We had a wonderful time on the river.

We had a wonderful time on the river and the service could not have been better. We really appreciated the friendly and efficient way that all the Carrickcraft guys helped us. The boat was clean and in good condition. The design was perfect for our needs. I wish we could be back someday. I am sure that my son and family will be. Thank you and best wishes

Don Webster, USA, 11/07/2012

We all had a really, really, fantastic time

I would just like to confirm that we all had a really, really, fantastic time

Jim Moore, UK, 19/04/2012

Really, Really Fantastic Time

I would just like to confirm that we all had a really, really, fantastic time.

Jim Moore, UK, 19/04/2012

Thanks for everything

We had a brilliant time and were very happy with everything - the boat was really well equipped and the service from Carrick Craft was great. The service from Shannon River was even better than from Carrick Craft - you were extremely helpful and there's no way I would have been able to figure out all the booking options so quickly without you, so thanks for everything.

Mary Byrne, Co. Galway, Ireland, 13/04/2012

They had a bril time

Hi brian just to say thank you for organising the boat for my husband and 2 brothers last weekend. They had a bril time.

Ber McWey, Co. Laois, Ireland, 11/04/2012

Everyone Enjoyed Themselves.

Many thanks for your email. We had a fantastic time and will definitely be doing it again, especially since we have now mastered the locks!!! We didn't have any issues and everyone enjoyed themselves. Again many thanks for your help.

Michelle Rafter, Ireland, 21/09/2011

Thank You So Much For Your Help

Just want to thank you so much for your help in booking our boat yet again this year.. We had a great time and have no complaints (as usual) Hope to speak to you again next year.

Louise Coleman, Dublin, Ireland, 21/09/2011

We Would Book Again and Would Do It Through You.

Hi Brian we had a great time thanks for asking,We would book again and would do it through you again.The service was great anything we asked we got a reply about. We will recommend you to friends in the future. Again thanks for all your help.

Dustin Richardson, Dublin, Ireland., 19/09/2011

Had a Great Time

Hi Brian had a great time.

Mark Scarff, Dublin, Ireland, 03/09/2011

We Thought the Service Was Great

We had a great time on the river, we wished we could have spent longer cruising, but our time home just didn’t allow. We thought the service was great, and very responsive, and we thank you for all your help. We will definitely do it again, and for longer next time!

Cormac Treanor, Connecticut, USA, 02/09/2011

We Have Been Very Satisfied With Your Services.

We have been very satisfied with your services and strong follow up on everything. Thank you! We also had a very fine holiday in Ireland and on River Shannon. Beautiful country – very very nice people!

John Tonnes, Norway, 14/08/2011

We Had a Great Time and All Went Very Well.

We had a great time and all went very well. Everything was as good if not better than advertised and we plan to do this again in a couple of years.

Mike Dawson, Washington, USA, 12/08/2011

We Had a Wonderful Time!

Brian, we had a wonderful time! The boat was in good shape; my daughter-in-law thought the kitchen was incredibly well laid out and so she made homemade bread while we were in docked at Garrykennedy! Some of the harbours had been spiffed up since we were there ten years ago. The cruise from Portumna to Garrykennedy was completely sunny, we dodged every cloud and shower! Nice work!!

Jan Davis, Massachusetts, USA, 10/08/2011

I’d Certainly Do It Again.

Yes great trip. The boat was perfect, well equipped and everything worked as expected. Staff at Carrick were very helpful and friendly. I’d certainly do it again at some time in the future – maybe in a bigger boat.

Susan O'Neill, Kildare, Ireland, 08/08/2011

Everything Worked Out Very Smoothly.

It was nice meeting you and Robert when we were in Roosky. It's too bad that we had to leave the next morning. I know that Mark would have enjoyed the Shepherds pie. The boat was well maintained and in very good condition. We enjoyed the cruise. Thanks for pulling all of this together Brian. Everything worked out very smoothly.

John Anderson, Minnesota, USA, 07/07/2011

Would Thoroughly Recommend the Weekend

The weekend was fantastic and the service and boat and everything was excellent ...again thanks for the help with the weekend. Would thoroughly recommend the weekend to anyone.

Kieran O'Sullivan, Dublin, Ireland, 06/07/2011

A Must Do.

I'd just like to say that we all had a great time, it was a great weekend - one of the best weekends we've organised. Everybody was very helpful and we found the boat to be in great condition with everything we on-board that we needed. Thanks for your help, we will definitely be booking it again and I would have higlhy recommend it. A must do.

Barry Kirby, Dublin, Ireland, 27/06/2011

We had a brilliant time on the Shannon.

We had a brilliant time on the Shannon... Not one Complaint. The Boat was Fab & the Experience was even better. We will be doing it again in a year or 2 & have gone on about it so much to our friends that hopefully you'll get a few bookings & have recommended your Company. Thank you so much, your staff were so friendly & very helpful.

Ann Byrne, Dublin, Ireland, 23/06/2011

It was the Best Trip Ever

The trip was wonderful and it was the best trip ever...everybody enjoyed, we had a cocktail party on the boat, BBQ beside boat, had great fun. Definitely I will recommend to someone who would like to go for an amazing and unforgetable break.

Mike Zhang, Dublin, Ireland, 10/06/2011

We had an Absolutely Brilliant Time

We had an absolutely brilliant time. The boats were brilliant and we were amazed at how everything worked (I have rented RVs in the USA with all the same features but nothing ever works). We had brilliant fun and everyone we met along the way were really friendly. I think the weather we got we were very lucky so I don’t know if we will top it when we come back next year. It was also a brilliant and easy service for booking the boats so thanks again for that. Everyone who has asked me about the weekend has just got good reports and I recommended you guys.

Ronan Kernan, Dublin, Ireland, 06/05/2011

We Had a Great Time

everything was great on the boat and we had a great time – felt like we were in a different world altogether. Weather was smashing so an added bonus.

Joe Knox, Kildare, Ireland, 05/05/2011

An Outstanding Weekend

It was an outstanding weekend. The boat was fantastic and the service all round was excellent.

Liam Mannix, Kilkenny, Ireland, 14/04/2011

The best vacation I have ever taken.

I wanted to say thank you for all of your assistance and patience in getting our trip on the Shannon arranged. It was the best vacation I have ever taken; everyone in my family feels the same way. I look forward to doing it again. Handling the boat ended up being fairly easy and the vistas were brilliant!

Frank Conway, Pennsylvania, USA, 14/07/2010

Ah yes it was brilliant experience

Ah ye it was brilliant experience, great craic, some serious drinking and fishing took place. Who knew pubs didnt close until you were ready to go home !! Setting out it was lashing rain, we were fearing the worst but after a few mins the sun came out n stayed dry for the whole wkend. Would have been great to have a full week on board, sure maybe the next time we will. Thanks for all you help.

Alan Padden, Ireland,

We had a great time

Hi Brian, Yes we had a great time and many thanks for all your help. I already passed on your details to a friend of a friend who has booked through you for later in the summer.

Seamus Cullen, Dublin, Ireland,

Very happy with your service

All went smoothly although the weather was a bit rough over the bank holiday weekend!! Staff at Silverline were friendly and helpful, the boat was fine although starting to show its age! Had to have the heating system and a few leaks repaired. Very happy with your service and will be happy to book through you in the future (2nd year running now!) Would like to compliment you on your website which as a comparison website is excellent. In particular, its great to be able to to view different boats and see at a glance the boat specs and the cost for a particular week.

Neville Couse,

The best laugh we've had in ages

We had a fantastic time, we plan on making it a yearly trip as the kids just loved it, the best laugh we've had in ages and my in-laws are now converted. Thanks again for the email and no doubt I'll be in touch.

Karen Reid,

e best holiday any of us have ever been on

Cheers we had a great time best holiday any of us have ever been on beats a sun holiday hands down

Andy Beveridge,

We had a fantastic weekend

We had a fantastic weekend. I’m still not fully recovered. The service was great. We had the keys to the boat by 2.30 on Thursday and I just got refunded for the fuel we didn’t use. I really have nothing bad to say. We are looking forward to next year already.

Pádraig Coughlan,

It was a great trip

It was a great trip, I would like to take my family down the Shannon some time in the future and will of course bear you in mind. Many thanks again for all your help.

David Armstrong,

Had a great time

Had a great time thanks for your help, will book again with you .

Aaron Gahon,

would go again next year.

Thanks for yr note ,all went well boat good weather ok but cold would go again next year.

Max McMullan,

The trip went well

You were very helpful and flexible when making and changing the booking. The trip went well. The boat was ready and induction was straightforward. We had no mechanical problems with the boat but the fore hatch leaked one damp morning and there was a smell of what we thought was sewerage from the galley/internal steering area. Emerald star assured us that it was the smell of the river but we remain unconvinced. Overall we had a really enjoyable few days.

Sean Murphy,

Hope to come again next year

Hi Brian. Everything was ok. Just the heating system of the boat worked only in the bedroom but not in the kitchen. All people at the desks were kind so we could appreciate all the beauty of the Shannon and Erne. Many thanks for everything and hope to come again the next year.

Antonio Cincioni,

We had a very nice trip on the Shannon

we thank you for all you have managed fort his trip. Everything was fine, everything worked as planed. So you can be sure, we had a very nice trip on Shannon.

Daniel Filsner,

Very happy with the service and the boat

Thank you we were very happy with the service and the boat. I guess it’s a pity that we didn’t know that the size of the boat would mean that it would be much slower than a smaller one, but guess that goes done to experience.

Sorcha Ní Scolaí,

We had a great time on the cruise.

We had a great time on the cruise. Thanks for all your help. We'll definitely be looking into doing it again soon, and we will definitely use your company.

Adam Swan,

It all worked so well.

We had an absolute marvelous few days on the Shannon.. The boat was perfect. Had everything we needed. The staff at Banagher were so friendly and helpful. We were blessed with the weather. It all worked so well. And thank you in particular for accommodating us at such short notice. Will certainly give you a call whenever we want a boat again and will certainly recommend your service to our friends. Thanks again Brian.

Barry Hennebrykk,

Very pleased with the service you provided

I was very pleased with service you provided Thank you

Alan Cox,

We had a wonderful family holiday.

We had a wonderful family holiday. The children loved it as did my husband & I. We were a bit disappointed with facilities and activities along the way - Dromod was by far the best place to moor. There is a lovely resturant near Quigleys Marina but it really wasnt signposted appropriately (we found it by chance) We needed more tuition regarding what to do if one needed to moor where there wasn't enough space on a Marina. Lastly the boat was very tired. The flooring was all ripped in the main living area and near the steps down to the kitchen (this could have been very dangerous and was a bit disappointing). Overall we had a great time despite the weather and we look forward to doing it again.

Mairead Ahern,

I can only say that it was an absolutely perfect weekend.

I can only say that it was an absolutely perfect weekend. Your staff were extremely warm, welcoming and efficient. The boat was very comfortable and clean. The river is of course stunning! Thank you very much for your service Brian especially considering the short notice with which I booked it. Thanks again tou yourself and all your staff.

Mike Gibson, Northern Ireland,

All good things to report.

All good things to report. We really enjoyed our weekend on Clare Class. Really impressed with the fit-out of the boat and found it very comfortable below deck while the weather was against us. Enjoyed all the places we stopped into along the river also like Dromod and Roosky. Will almost certainly be back!

Darragh Mahoney, Dublin, Ireland,

we had a great time on the Shannon

we had a great time on the Shannon and if anyone is going to hire a boat for a trip down I will most definitely be telling them about Shannon river boat hire. Didn't get much photos but if I find a good one I'll email it down to you .

Yvonne McDonnell,

We had a great time thank you.

We had a great time thank you. We filled out the comment sheet for E Star. The only complaint we had that the toilets were very hard to flush other than that every thing was supper. The staff in Portumna could not have been nicer. The lockkeeper as we all know in Athlone is not a pleasant man ! ?. Photos to follow.

Philip Armstrong,

we loved every minute of our holiday

I would just like to say we loved every minute of our holiday on the Shannon, all the staff were very friendly and extremely knowledgeable, we loved every place that we stopped at and were amazed at how clean and well kept they were with lovely flower arrangements and not a bit of litter to be seen..... We loved our boat and the cruising experience and we decided we would definitely be back next year. Many thanks for a brilliant relaxing and fun week on the Shannon

Lynne Curran, Northern Ireland,

had a wonderful time on the Shannon

thank you for your email myself and Trish had a wonderful time on the Shannon and found the holiday very relaxing would definitely be doing it again with emerald star have told some friends about our experience and they said they would like to give it a go all the staff were very helpful and we would like to thank you for your help also

Tony McDonnell,

We had an absolute ball on Lough Derg last week.

Thanks Brian, we had an absolute ball on Lough Derg last week. Emerald star worked out very well, with Timmy being a great help. We will definitely use your service in the future, and look forward to many memorable trips on the Shannon!

John Caird,

We had a wonderful time on our cruise

We had a wonderful time on our cruise, thank you... just a pity the weather wasn't great, still we really enjoyed our week. Thank you for your help with booking and organising, it really made things easier for us. We found the boat very well equipped with everything we could possibly need. We did however experience difficulty at some stop-off points filling up the water tank, we were not supplied with a hose connector to connect to the water taps and had to borrow from another boat at the Hodson Bay, unfortunately there was nobody available to borrow from at Portrunny so we were without a water refill for one night until we got to Lanesboro. This was only one small difficulty, and outside that, we really found everything else totally perfect, apart from the weather of course! Many thanks again, and we will certainly recommend this trip to our family and friends.

Michelle Hurson,

We had a very good time

We had a very good time spent on the river with no problems with communication with You or either the Carrick craft people good service,nice people to deal with,well equiped and clean boat.Will recommend to my closes.Thank You.

Radek Miros,

What a great way to see Ireland

Thank you for the opportunity to give you some of my thoughts about our recent week on the Shannon. Despite the weather, I really enjoyed the week, seeing places I wouldn't have seen except for doing it by boat. What a great way to see Ireland, the pace is perfect, with scenery to match. Even the wifi generation volunteered that the anticipated lack of same didn't really bother them - they too enjoyed the week. I've enthused to all since about the virtues of boating on the Shannon; I am amazed at how few have done this by now. The staff at Carrick Craft were most helpful and accommodating. The only slight downside was not the weather, but something else entirely outside your control - the lack of eateries in some places: very limited in Roosky, none in Drumsna after 3p.m., apparently, (otherwise a very pretty place, and equally interesting), nor in Cootehall. Unfortunately, that is symptomatic of what we read about, dying Ireland. Dromod, however, was also a very pretty place, with a number of good restaurants - and of course, Carrick-on-Shannon isn't lacking in restaurants or attractions. I dislike cooking completely, and all the more so when holidaying; that said, the lack of restaurants in some places would not stop me from doing it again; and hopefully, I've interested others in doing it also. There are certainly other parts of the Shannon I look forward to seeing in the future, and would also happily return to parts recently visited (not just Lough Key!).

Colm Ó Sé, Dublin, Ireland,

We had a very pleasant few days, thank you.

We had a very pleasant few days, thank you. The delay at pickup was somewhat annoying; 2.00pm is as late a start time as you would want. Waiting until 4.00pm was painful, as the kids were very anxious to get going. See you next time.

Dave Grey,

We had a great time, many thanks.

We had a great time, many thanks.

Dorothy O'Byrne,

We enjoyed the cruise very much

Thank you very much. We had a great time and enjoyed the cruise very much.

Klemens Reich,

Our cruise was excellent

Out cruise was excellent. The boat was great and all service starting from the booking of our trip till the moment we returned the boat was excellent. Our child got sick (recovered few days later) and it was great just to be able to call the service line and got the nearest address of a doctor. I am sure we will return. Many thanks again for your help.

Natasha Schaerer,

No faults or complaints from this end

In both cases, the service was professional and exceptional - many thanks on making the booking as seamless as possible. We found Silver Line likewise to be incredibly professional, without losing friendliness and flexibility. No faults or complaints from this end

Nigel O'Flynn,

We had a brilliant time on the cruise!

This is just to let you know that we had a brilliant time on the cruise! All four of us really enjoyed ourselves and will definitely be doing another cruise some day! The only small issue we had was that the boat wasn't ready until 5 o clock on the Wednesday but the company were very good and allowed us to have a late checkout free of charge on the Saturday to make up for this. Thank you for all your help

Aisling,

We had a great time on the river

All well here, we had a great time on the river and can only recommend the cruise to our friends

Mogens Pedersen,

Yes, we had a great time.

Yes, we had a great time. The weather was a little hit and miss but everything else was excellent. The people in Carrick were very helpful and the boat was great ( Probably go for a bigger one next time ). We will definitely go again and I will contact you when this happens. Thanks for all the help.

Conor Walls,

Had a fab time

Had a fab time and the service we got was perfect Will definitely come back but maybe with another couple next time. Party poopers, you know what I mean. Thanks a lot

Norman Coutts,

Everything you arranged for us worked out perfectly.

Just wanted to drop you a short note to let you know my family and I had a truly wonderful time on the Shannon. Everything you arranged for us worked out perfectly, many thanks again for all your efforts.

Christopher Harris, Switzerland,

We had a great time cruising on the Shannon

We had a great time cruising on the Shannon We even had reasonably good weather which is always a bonus in Ireland Silverline are a great company The service and quality of their boat was excellent We found your service and help excellent also We look forward to booking with you again

Adrian Gray,

The locations and facilities along the river were excellent

We had a great time, emerald star facilities were excellent. The boat was very spacious comfortable and well equipped, the locations and facilities along the river were excellent, we ll be contacting you again to book another holiday early next year.

Thomas Kane,

We had a ball thanks!

We had a ball thanks! and we will do it again it was a bit scary being our first time but very exciting!

Jo-Ann Smyth,

My 2 German friends and myself really enjoyed the break.

My 2 German friends and myself really enjoyed the break. The boat was well kitted out and there was ample room for us (3 adults) in the Carlow class. Take over and return in Banagher was problem free. The staff were friendly and polite. My only criticism is that driving on the RIGHT is not emphasied enough !! I would suggest that on each page of the chart book it should be written in BOLD print. A firm reminder is better than an accident which we nearly had on two occasions.

Desmond Keaveny,

Everything worked out perfect. No complaints.

Everything worked out perfect. No complaints. Thank you very much. It was our first time on a river boat and we had a great time. The boat was ideal and I was glad that I chose a little bigger one for the four of us. Overall we enjoyed the river trip and our subsequent 10 days touring in Ireland. It’s a beautiful country with the most friendly people I have ever seen from all my traveling, just the weather needs a bit improvement :-)

Claus Cronberger, Trinidad,

We had an absolutely amazing trip and were very lucky with the weather.

We had an absolutely amazing trip and were very lucky with the weather. The boat and amenities far exceeded our expectations and your service has been impeccable. I would have no hesitation in recommending you or Carrickcraft. You have asked for some feedback and I have provided some below but please note it did not spoil our holiday and we just made it into a good story. We found it quite difficult to find places to eat in the evenings. When we arrived into Keshkerrigan, the only place that served food could only offer us soup and sandwiches. While the food was delicious, we had hoped for and were looking forward to an evening meal. In Jamestown, having already moored the boat, we tried to book a table in the only restaurant there to be told they were fully booked, which meant we had to move onto the next stop. It was almost like the gods were conspiring against us as on our second night where we stayed in Boyle, we headed to Clarke's as advertised in the navigation booklet we were given. When we had walked the 2.5km with three children under 6 to the restaurant, we arrived to find no food due to a burst pipe! We did find another place to eat and I have to say that all the food we had was divine. The suggestion I would have would be for more precise details of what is available at each location to be provided to holidaymakers. There were icons provided by each stop in the navigation booklet, but it wasn't a true reflection of what service was available - for example that there was only one place to eat, that there was a limited menu or you needed to book in advance.

Carolyn Dolan,

We had a truly brilliant holiday

We have a truly brilliant holiday. we had fun, the kids loved it, the weather was great (for ireland) and everything went smoothly. we had an engine problem half way through that carrick dealt with quickly, but no other hiccups. i believe you settled accounts with my father vis-a-vis the fuel refund, thanks a mil. i would be delighted to send you some photos as soon as i've sorted through the 500-odd i took...! thanks again for everything, you were great brian.

Guy Gordon, Jerusalem, Ireland,

Got on mighty with the boat

I must say we all had a great experience cruising on the shannon on the shannon star at the weekend and got on mighty with the boat everything went smoothly and will definitely do it again with my husband and the staff in the office at Portumna were really pleasant.

Jude Donnellan,

We had a great time in Ireland

We had a great time in Ireland, first on the Shannon River and the second week in Adrigole. Ireland is a wonderful country and the people of Ireland are extremely friendly!!! The week on the boat was a great experience. The boat was very comfortable and the scenery was very nice. On a personal level, I found the handling of such a big boat a bit difficult, especially at the beginning like when leaving the wharf backwards for the first time on my own, or during the first two days at the sluices or when trying to moor. Stress levels were a little high on such occasions. But in the end, everything went well. Looking backwards I believe there is no other way but “learning by doing”, I would still recommend that for future clients, such considerations are given a little more time… I will definitely recommend Shannon-river.com to my family, friends and colleagues!

Michael Morf,

Could not have been any better.

Thanks for all your help, information and guidance material. The holiday was absolutely excellent, could not have been any better. Will be looking into doing it again next year.

Joe Clarke, Co. Meath, Ireland,

My wife and I had an wonderful time on the river

My wife and I had an wonderful time on the river, fantastic scenery , met some great people, ate fantastic food, listened to good music , caught lots of fish and managed a few drinks on the way . Thank you for the effortless booking process. We will be back.

Steve Berry, Solihull, England,

Irish friendly people fun loving regardless of the cold and wet

Dear Brian – we only got back yesterday – as we also travelled part of Ireland for a bit – we were not lucky weatherwise but gosh are you Irish friendly people fun loving regardless of the cold and wet – not sure we Swiss make that impression – we had a great time on the river – are used from France to more locks and more „action“ but knew that it would be that way. The people from Silverline were VERY friendly and helpful – we once got stuck and we were pulled out within the out….somehow we were not enough in the middle of the posted signs… The boat itself was great – we first took a bit getting used to as we have used a penichette a flying bridge before – the silver spray is much easier to manoever – and some things we would have changed – so here just some input: - The beds up front are very small – the thing to fix between the two is not really useful – what was great was the bulls eye in the ceiling letting light in – making it less small… and the mattresses and the bedding were great !- - The chairs to sit around the table are too a little bit too high to be comfortable… Please just see this a feedback and I hope it is useful.

Pia Aeschlimann,

We were both extremely impressed.

Thanks again for our boating experience on the Shannon and it was wonderful that Elise enjoyed it so much after all. As you said a number of months ago you thought a boat trip would make a wonderful honeymoon and we were both extremely impressed. We found the initial induction on the boat really good and the river itself was extremely well marked out so as even novices like ourselves could navigate with ease. We were a bit annoyed with one of our lock experiences at Clondra /Richmond were we couldn't get through the lock despite phoning the numbers given in the Waterways Ireland brochure. The facilities on the boat were quite simple but more than ample and all in all everything we needed for a break from the day to day. Thanks again for a great boating trip

Alastair Donaldson, Northern Ireland,

Everything was just perfect

thanks for your kind e-mail. Everything was just perfect and we had a really great time on the Shannon. Weather was very dry and often sunny as well so we got lucky. In the next weeks I can send you some pictures of our trip!

Isabell Maras,

You were right, the Vision is a great boat!

Back from wonderful holiday’s the daily routine has started! Let me thank you – in behalf of all of us – for the great support you have given us by reserving the boats, looking for the best solution and during the week before we started to solve the issue. You were right, the Vision is a great boat! It was a great relief having this spacious boat with all the commodities – especially the toilet and shower, aswell as the heating and cooling. We had a wonderfull time and were so lucky with the weather! Only one day with rain :-) ! Let me give you some feedback about the boats: Vision 3: as mentioned, great boat but really big! This means, that guest booking a boat trip for the first time needs to be informed (maybe event only recommending this boat to senior adults and not young people) about it so that not to narrow waterways are selected. It is important to have at least 2 – 3 boat experienced people in the crew. Shannon Star: this is a real old boat and not every thing is working perfectly (we have given our feedback to Emerald Star directly). I’m only saying this in order to avoid deceptions. Once more, thank you so much for your assistance!

Regine Ammann, Switzerland,

We really enjoyed the trip a lot.

Thanks for your great support in finding the baot and rentig it.We really enjoyed the trip a lot. All went very smooth - especially since we did decide on short notice to rent the boat - and completely pain free. Great experience. If we come back in the future, be assured we will contact you again.

Andreas Lippert,

Thanks again for a brilliant break

Back at home in Clifden a week now and still fondly recalling the 3 night break we had on the Shannon. Firstly thanks very much for all your helpful information and advice before we started our cruise. The Kilkenny Class was a great choice for us as there was the perfect amount of space for our group of 5. The cruiser was fully equipped, spotlessly clean and a great home as we navigated from Banagher to Dromod. We're already talking about doing it again in the future and I have recommend it to plenty of people. No other trip I can think of would be more relaxing, idyllic or a better way to spend quality time with friends and family. Thanks again for a brilliant break

Kevin Gavin, Galway, Ireland,

We are already looking to book again for next year

I would like to thank you for all your help and finding the best deal going for us with Emerald Star . All we had to to was turn up and say "hi we are here " , so easy . I would highly recommend the Vision 3 boat to anybody that's going on a cruise . It has 3 double or twin rooms which ever way you want them all are en-suite , and is very well stocked with all utensils and the likes . Outside/upstairs is brilliant with great views and plenty of seating even has a fridge and BBQ which was used everyday .We felt like a showboat as we kept showing this boat to other users on the river , when moored up and even in between locks . We collected boat in Carrick-on-Shannon and spent our first night in Dromod , from there went to Lanesboro for our second night and next morning returned to Carrick-on-Shannon . In total probably about 11-13 hrs sailing which was €88 to refuel which we thought was ok as we had budgeted much more . Only downside as this boat is of French origin anyone using it will need to bring travel plugs to use your electrical appliances which we were unaware of but could charge phones from USB in tv. Overall 5 of our group had never had this type of break before and we are already looking to book again for next year so it's over to you Brian look forward to booking with you soon Thanks again for all your help

Alan Bermingham, Co. Meath, Ireland,

Thanks for all of your help with the boat.

Thanks for all of your help with the boat. The Caprice was a lovely craft and perfect for the two of us and we had a third for one night and there was no loss of comfort. Couple of things that would make my next trip better. Overall the boat was good, other than it was underpowered - low set governor, no doubt. I was not interested in a power boat but everything passed us going away and on the open water it was very difficult to make headway with a crosswind. The boat did not have bow thrusters as you had mentioned, but I got pretty proficient quickly and not sure I would need them. The whole battery/power/heating system scenario was pretty flawed. We stayed our last night in Carrick with shore power and still could not effectively heat the boat. Do other boats have similar problems? I think a portable space heater might work well, interested in your thoughts. Anyway, I am thinking of returning the end of May. I have looked at the prices and it is obviously a different time in the season, hence the differences. Any better deals? Thanks again.

David Hanafee,

The boat was fantastic and the staff were very pleasant and very helpful.

We all had a great time, the boat was fantastic and the staff were very pleasant and very helpful. We hope to do it again next year and we have no problem recommending it to everybody. There is only one thing with the boat ( Elegance 607)....The main double bedroom had a very strong damp smell. We did mention it to the lady at the desk on the day of departure. Thank you so much for all your help.

Declan Hannon,

Everything was perfect

Thank you for your message, everything was perfect. We spend a wonderful and sunny week in a beautiful country with very friendly people.

Laurent Rombi,

We will be back again at some stage.

Thanks very much Brian, Everything went very well, we had a great weekend. We will be back again at some stage.

Donogh Madigan, Co. Limerick, Ireland,

We had a really unforgettable holiday

We had a really unforgettable holiday and everything was super. We decided to go north and have countless photos, some of which I will gladly send you but they are on a computer which is temporarily on the blink.

Catherine Eunson, Scotland,

We had a wonderful weekend

We had a wonderful weekend and it was a pleasure to deal with you all went very well thanks.

Winnie Kennedy, Dublin, Ireland,

Another fantastic adventure on the Shannon

<p class="MsoPlainText">I should be thanking you! Another fantastic adventure on the Shannon with plenty of fun and laughter.&nbsp;I'll be in contact again before the end of the year to book another trip.&nbsp;Talk to you soon and enjoy the weekend.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoPlainText">&nbsp;</p>

Rodney Macken, Ireland,

Everything was fine

Everything was fine, communication was uncomplicated and especially the weather was great.

Silke Knoche, Saulheim, Germany,

Had a wonderful cruise.

Had a wonderful cruise Brian...míle buíochas!!????Hope to be back in the near future!????le gach dea-ghuí,

Katie Ui Caoimh, Ireland,

Loved the cruiser, all so relaxing

hanks we’d a great time, loved the cruiser, all so relaxing.. definitely going to do it again with yourselves.. staff very helpful in offices and outside which made us all chilled out.. cruise spotless 

Pauline Anderson, Co. Wicklow, Ireland,