On the Blueway to Tipperary: nature and history on Ireland’s new kayaking routes

Adding to the country’s network of traffic-free greenways, three new trails encourage paddleboarders and kayakers to explore by river, canal and lake

On a small weir by the riverbank, a heron stands motionless. I feel a quiet reverence as I glide past in my kayak, propelled by the fast-moving River Suir. It’s a bright morning and I’m getting a nature fix, kayaking from Clonmel to the village of Kilsheelan in County Tipperary.

I’m exploring a stretch of the Suir Blueway Tipperary – which runs between Cahir and Carrick-on-Suir – with a 53km paddling trail and a 21km walking and cycling trail along the river between Carrick and Clonmel. It’s one of three Irish Blueways that opened earlier this year. The others are the Lough Derg Blueway (also partly in Tipperary) and the Boyne Blueway in County Meath.