Paddling near Portarlington, Co. Laois

Portarlington sits in County Laois in Ireland's Midlands, close to where the River Barrow flows through the region. The Barrow is the marquee paddling water here, a broad, navigable river well suited to canoes and kayaks, and the wider area gives access to several of Ireland's great inland waterways. The Owenass River in Co. Laois also draws whitewater kayakers to its rapids known locally as the Catholes.