Paddling near Killaloe, Co. Clare

Killaloe sits on the eastern edge of County Clare where the River Shannon flows south out of Lough Derg, Ireland's second-largest lake. The town is one of 14 formal paddling access points on Lough Derg, and its historic canal — navigable through lock gates and under a 16th-century stone bridge — gives kayakers, canoeists, and SUP paddlers a sheltered route from town out onto the open lake. The combination of calm flatwater, island-dotted shoreline, and easy access makes this one of the most practical and popular inland paddling bases in the country.