Things to do in Carrick-on-Shannon
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Carrick-on-Shannon
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Cold, dark and cheap, with reduced hours. The Head of the Shannon rowing in February is the bright spike.
The season opens around Easter, hire fleets return, and spring weekends bring the first party groups.
May is the smart window. The June bank holiday opens the roughly 10 day Carrick Carnival festival.
Peak cruising, fishing, parties and prices, with the Carrick Regatta on the August bank holiday weekend.
The connoisseur month. Crowds fall, the river is calmest, and prices soften for couples and anglers.
The cruising season winds down towards the end of October, with autumn colour on the river.
Dark, wet and local, with Christmas markets and hotel party nights. The lowest prices of the year.
What's on
- Carrick Regatta Usually the Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend
Sprint rowing over 500 metres south of the town bridge, run by the rowing club founded in 1836.
- Carrick Carnival From June bank holiday, about 10 days
Street entertainment, live music, family days and evening events across the town.
- Head of the Shannon February
The rowing club winter head race, the bright spike of the quiet season.
- Joe Mooney Summer School July, in Drumshanbo
A week of traditional Irish music, song and dance, 15 minutes from Carrick in Drumshanbo.
Best things to do in Carrick-on-Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon Marina
The cruising capital marina and boardwalk where every Carrick day starts, with the hire fleets and the bridge view.
Costello Memorial Chapel
A tiny chapel built by Edward Costello for his wife Mary, with the couple resting inside under glass.
St George's Heritage and Visitor Centre
The town heritage centre in St George's, holding the archive and trophies of the historic rowing club.
The Dock
Leitrim flagship arts centre in the old courthouse, with three galleries, a theatre space and a cafe.
The Leitrim Design House
Handmade Irish craft from over 250 makers, inside The Dock, the one shopping stop that earns its place.
Moon River Cruise
The signature Shannon sailing from the quay, with live music, a bar and folklore on the river.
The Market Yard
The old market heart of town, best on market mornings and during Carnival and regatta festivals.
Carrick on Shannon Rowing Club
One of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, whose August regatta takes over the river south of the bridge.
Where to stay in Carrick-on-Shannon
The Quay and Marina
first trip, all round base
The boardwalk, Moon River, the Dock and the better restaurants within a five minute walk, with the river in front.
Main Street and Bridge Street
party weekends
Every bar in town on the doorstep at the Bush Hotel and the central apartments, with late noise to match.
Across the Bridge and the Roads Out
value and quieter nights
Guesthouses with space, gardens, parking and cooked breakfasts, a short walk or taxi from the centre.
The Castle Ring (Mohill and Ballyfarnon)
splurge and occasions
Castle hotels 20 to 30 minutes out with grounds, spas and fine dining. Not a Carrick doorstep base.
Think twice about
- Bridge Street and lower Main Street front rooms
The hen and stag party strip on Friday and Saturday nights. Boisterous rather than dangerous, but front rooms carry noise until closing.
- Roadside accommodation far out the N4 without a car
No late food options and a trip spent waiting for taxis. Families live along these roads happily, but a visitor without a car is stranded.
- The Castle Ring without a car
Lough Rynn and Kilronan are 20 to 30 minutes out on dark country roads, with no late bus home from Carrick.
Best restaurants in Carrick-on-Shannon
The Cottage Restaurant
Sham Hanifa award winning cottage in Jamestown, cooking Irish produce through an Irish Asian lens.
The Red Bank Restaurant
Carrick best reviewed restaurant, seasonal Irish cooking and dry aged steaks in a Georgian building.
The Oarsman
The flagship gastropub by the river, local ingredients, craft beers and live acoustic guitar.
Buffalo Boy
Main Street steakhouse grilling over wood and coal, famous for wings, ribs and sticky toffee pudding.
di vino
The town Italian for fresh pasta, crab and lobster ravioli and pizzas locals recommend to each other.
BR Bistro and Bar
A quiet achiever bistro with careful cooking and standout service, in the middle of town.
The Boardwalk Cafe
The Landmark riverside cafe for breakfast and lunch, with the marina in front and standout service.
Cryan's Quay Side Hotel
Carvery and restaurant food on the quay, then live traditional music in the bar below the hotel.
Outdoor things to do in Carrick-on-Shannon
Emerald Star - Le Boat - Carrick-on-Shannon
Self drive Shannon cruiser hire from the Carrick marina, no licence needed, with training on handover day.
Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club
An 18 hole parkland course by the Boyle River, with Shannon views, a range and club and buggy hire.
Lough Key Forest and Activity Park
800 hectares of forest and lakeshore with a tree canopy walk, a viewing tower and servants tunnels.
Zipit Forest Adventures
Aerial zip line courses through the Lough Key forest, in graded circuits for older children and adults.
Boda Borg
Team questing in challenge rooms at Lough Key, a mix of physical and mental tasks for groups of three to five.
The Paddle Shack
Guided kayaking on the Shannon from Carrick, beginner friendly, with local knowledge of sheltered water.
Leitrim Surf Company
Guided stand up paddleboarding on the Shannon and the Blueway, for beginners through confident paddlers.
Acres Lake Floating Boardwalk
Ireland first floating boardwalk, a level 600 metre walk out over Acres Lake on the Shannon Blueway.
Best hotels in Carrick-on-Shannon
Lough Rynn Castle
A castle hotel on a 300 acre estate near Mohill, with walled gardens, fine dining and estate fishing.
Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa
A turreted castle hotel and spa on Lough Meelagh near Ballyfarnon, the other castle splurge near Carrick.
The Landmark Hotel
The flagship town hotel on the marina, family run, with river view rooms and the Boardwalk restaurant.
Bush Hotel
A heritage hotel on Main Street with open fires, a famous carvery coffee shop and a strong breakfast.
Cryan's Quay Side Hotel
A small quay hotel above a famous traditional music bar, with marina views and a busy carvery.
Carrick Plaza Suites
Spacious self catering suites in the centre, the workhorse base for group and party weekends.
The Courtyard Apartments
Central self catering apartments with your own kitchen, usually the lowest cost per head in the centre.
Aisleigh Guest House
A well reviewed guesthouse on the town edge, with parking, cooked breakfasts and quiet nights.
Is Carrick-on-Shannon expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €70 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €130 a person |
| Splurge | €280 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Moon River Cruise: a few days ahead
- The Shed Distillery: a few days ahead
- Emerald Star - Le Boat - Carrick-on-Shannon: months ahead
- Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Lough Key Forest and Activity Park: a few days ahead
- Zipit Forest Adventures: a few days ahead
- Boda Borg: a few days ahead
- The Paddle Shack: a few days ahead
- Hen and stag weekends own the beds from April to September. Book summer Saturday rooms months ahead.
- Peak week cruisers with Emerald Star and Le Boat book months ahead. Early April and late September are easier and cheaper.
- Reserve the Cottage, the Red Bank and castle dining when you book the room, not when you arrive.
- Book Shed tours, Zipit and Boda Borg sessions, paddles and Moon River party sailings ahead in season.
Is Carrick-on-Shannon safe?
- Bridge Street is a named party strip on weekend nights. Eat early or sleep on the quay if you are not part of it.
- Stay off boats, pontoons and unlit quays at night. Drunk people and the dark river are the real danger here.
- There is no neighbourhood to fear in daylight. The basing mistakes are noise and distance, not danger.
Carrick-on-Shannon travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Arriving blind on a party Saturday, or expecting the Saturday town on a midweek night in November.
- One night Carrick between Dublin and Sligo. The town repays two nights, one for the river and one for a day trip.
- Paying castle prices to sleep, then spending every evening in town and driving dark roads back.
- Glencar sold as a half day. It is a beautiful 45 minute stop, best paired with the Dartry drive.
Getting around Carrick-on-Shannon: public transport and more
- Walk the centre. Station, Main Street, Bridge Street, the Dock and the marina are all within about 15 minutes.
- Trains run Dublin Connolly to Sligo via Carrick station, about 10 minutes on foot over the bridge to Main Street.
- A car unlocks Lough Key, Arigna, Glencar and the castle ring. Bus frequencies are rural, so plan around a car or a booked taxi.
Who Carrick-on-Shannon suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Carrick-on-Shannon your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store