What Is Discover the Shannon and What Does the Website Offer?

Discover the Shannon (discovertheshannon.com) is a booking and information site for river Shannon cruises and boat hire in Ireland. It presents itself as offering "the widest selection of river Shannon cruises," and the site is organised around four things: the boats you can hire, the cruise packages you can book, current special offers, and guides to the regions you can cruise. If you are planning a boating holiday on the Shannon or the Shannon–Erne Waterway, this is a site to browse boats and itineraries and then contact the company to arrange the trip.

What the site covers

The navigation on the site groups content into three main areas:

• Our Boats – the hire fleet, listed by class and model
• Cruises – pre-designed cruise packages and routes
• Special Offers – discounts and added-value deals
• Where To Go – destination guides for each stretch of water

There is also an About Us, Press, Contact Us and FAQ section, and the site is available in English and German.

Boats available for hire

The fleet is listed by name rather than by a single specification table. Named boats on the site include:

The site does not publish prices, capacity figures or technical specifications in the material available, so treat the boat list as a starting point for an enquiry rather than a comparison table. For dimensions, berths and current rates you would need to contact the company directly.

Cruise packages

The site sells a set of named cruise packages rather than only bare boat hire:

• Lough Derg Trail
• Weekend Family Weekend Cruise
• Lough Erne Cruise
• Barging Along the Canal
• Family Adventure Cruise
• Taste of the Shannon Cruise North
• Taste of the Shannon South
• Ancient Ireland Cruise

These are route-based products, so choosing one is largely a question of which region you want to see and how long you have. The Lough Derg Trail, for example, is described as working well as a weekend break.

Special offers

A dedicated offers section lists current deals, including:

• Gift Voucher
• Carrik Craft – 10 nights for 7
• 10% Early Booking Discount
• Silverline – extra night for short breaks
• 15% off Emerald Cruisers
• Midweek Special Offer
• Silverline – 10 nights for 7
• 10% off Aug–Oct

Offer names and terms change over time, so check the Special Offers page for what is live when you book rather than relying on this list.

Where you can cruise

The destination guides divide the waterways into five areas. This is the most useful part of the site for deciding what kind of holiday you want.

Upper Shannon

Starting from Carrick-on-Shannon, this region is described as full of lakes, islands and winding countryside, and as one of the most popular areas of the Shannon to visit. It suits first-time visitors who want a well-travelled, scenic stretch.

Mid-Shannon

Banagher is the most popular starting point here, and from it you can travel north to the Upper Shannon or south to Lough Derg. Highlights named on the site include Clonmacnoise, Athlone, Shannonbridge and Lough Ree (the "Lake of the Kings"), surrounded by villages and historic islands. This is the most flexible base if you want options in both directions.

Lough Derg

Reached from Banagher or Portumna, Lough Derg sits in what the site calls some of the most dramatic scenery in Ireland. There are nine villages to visit between Terryglass and the medieval town of Killaloe. The Lough Derg Trail is pitched as a weekend break.

Shannon Erne Waterway

This stretch can be done by cruiser or barge and has 16 locks, so the site frames it as one for boating enthusiasts. You can start from Ballinamore, go through the Cavan lakes into the Erne, or head south to Leitrim Village. The pace is described as slow and steady with plenty of scenery.

Lough Erne

In County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, Lough Erne is described as Northern Ireland's most popular waterway, with villages and attractions from Belleek in the north to Belturbet in the south.

How to use the site

1. Decide on a region first. Use the Where To Go pages to pick between the Upper Shannon, Mid-Shannon, Lough Derg, the Shannon Erne Waterway or Lough Erne. Your region choice determines your starting point and how much lock work is involved.
2. Match a boat to your group. Browse Our Boats and note the names that fit your party size and comfort expectations. Because specifications are not published on the pages reviewed, confirm berths and layout with the company.
3. Pick a package or a custom route. The cruise packages bundle a route with a duration; if none fits, use the regional guides to plan your own itinerary.
4. Check the offers page. Discounts such as early booking, midweek and off-season deals can change the cost of the same trip.
5. Contact the company to book. The site is an enquiry and booking front end, not a self-service checkout based on the material available, so use the Contact Us page to confirm availability, price and terms.

What to keep in mind

• The site does not publish prices, boat capacities or technical specifications in the content reviewed, so any budget or suitability decision needs a direct enquiry.
• Lock count matters: the Shannon Erne Waterway has 16 locks, which the site itself flags as suited to boating enthusiasts rather than beginners wanting an easy week.
• Offers are time-limited and named individually, so verify the current terms before assuming a discount applies to your dates.
• The site is bilingual (English and German), which is useful if you are booking from a German-speaking market.