Cruising On The Shannon.

[Bud Wiser]

Sold my boat a year ago prior to which I did a few forays on the shannon but not a cruise in the real sense, more like launch, out onto the river, around in a circle and back to the pub. Now Im hiring one of those cruiser yokes for a week so I am wunderin if anyone living along the Shannon or anywhere else can give advice on the best week to fire her up or where to start.  For example, I would not like to arrive in a town like Carrick-on Shannon one week and be told "ya missed it here last week, we had a great festival, etc etc".   Has anyone got any info on any festivals in towns like Banagher, Athlone, Roosky etc.  Any advice on good pubs, old pubs where we can play music and act the clown between Carrick-On-Shannon and Banagher.  We would not be interested in touristy thingys, just pure drinking and pubs like Henrys in Knockvickar.

[AZOffaly]

Houghs in Banagher Bud, and Killeens in Shannonbridge would be two for that. (Pubs for a bit of a session, good pints but not all superpub).

[Bud Wiser]

I'll chalk that one down so AZ. Thanks.  Just that I would be very pissed off after the event when everyone starts saying, you should have stopped here or you should have stopped there, you know what I mean.

[AZOffaly]

It's definitely North of Banagher? I presume ye are picking up from Carrick Craft in Carrick and dropping to Banagher? If south into Lough Derg is an option then Larkins in Garrykennedy would be a great spot for what ye are looking for.

[Hardy]

I endorse those choices. They'd be the first 3 pubs on my list for that trip too. Great minds ...

Cis Ryans in Garrykennedy, too, though I don't know if it'd still be there - must be twenty years since I was there.

When I was there the seating was kegs with sheets of cardboard on them to stop them biting into the cheeks of your arse. Cis herself tended the bar in a pair of wellies with the tops turned down in the Tipperary style. Her eyesight wasn't the best, so she'd take the money for your round, then dig her fist into a box of money and hold it out for you to pick out your change.

[Bud Wiser]

Cis Ryans in Garrykennedy, too, though I don't know if it'd still be there - must be twenty years since I was there.

The last time I was in there I saw the strangest offside ever, a lad I knew and he had a burd with him that wasn't his beloved and he said, don't say you saw me here. And I said, who are you with and he said , me father and his burd, he is offside too and the four of us are staying on the boat beside yours !!!  Father & Son, two strange women, all playing on the one team. They were from Tipp.  - strange place !!
Is there a Quigleys in Garry'k as well or is it in Terryglass.

[AZOffaly]

Cis Ryans in Garrykennedy, too, though I don't know if it'd still be there - must be twenty years since I was there.

The last time I was in there I saw the strangest offside ever, a lad I knew and he had a burd with him that wasn't his beloved and he said, don't say you saw me here. And I said, who are you with and he said , me father and his burd, he is offside too and the four of us are staying on the boat beside yours !!!  Father & Son, two strange women, all playing on the one team. They were from Tipp.  - strange place !!
Is there a Quigleys in Garry'k as well or is it in Terryglass.

I think that might be Terryglass. If it's the place I'm thinking, we got locked in there on the national day of Mourning for 9/11

[Croí na hÉireann]

Paddy's is the place in Terryglass that used to have the tatched roof, can't remember what the other place is called. If you're stopping in Athlone Bud, Sean's Bar and Gertie Browne's are where you want to head...

[Hardy]

Cis Ryans in Garrykennedy, too, though I don't know if it'd still be there - must be twenty years since I was there.

The last time I was in there I saw the strangest offside ever, a lad I knew and he had a burd with him that wasn't his beloved and he said, don't say you saw me here. And I said, who are you with and he said , me father and his burd, he is offside too and the four of us are staying on the boat beside yours !!!  Father & Son, two strange women, all playing on the one team. They were from Tipp.  - strange place !!
Is there a Quigleys in Garry'k as well or is it in Terryglass.

I only remember two pubs in Garrykennedy - Ryans and Larkins.

I was marooned in Garrykennedy one time for three nights by a storm on the lake. One of the nights in Larkins there was a mighty session with local fiddlers and singers and a few from Scotland. One of the Scots was a good-looking dark-haired girl who sang some great Scottish folk songs. One of the locals told me she was a regular, having relatives in the locality. He also told me she was the woman we all thought was Japanese when she appeared on Top Of The Pops done up in oriental gear singing her hit "Japanese Boy".

And she was.

[Bud Wiser]

Is this her?  If it is she is from down the road at Matt The Threshers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65_Qfatb5CY

[blast05]

Next week in Athlone....

http://www.eurofestival.ie/index.php?s=festival-programme


Incidentally, is the 'Tour de France' thread locked ? i.e.: can't post a reply