Blueways Ireland – Kayak Trails, Rivers and Water Tourism

Blueways Ireland is a growing network of accredited multi-activity recreational trails based on and alongside water – rivers, canals, lakes and coastline. Managed through a cross-border Blueway Partnership involving Failte Ireland, Sport Ireland, Waterways Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland, the network currently includes four accredited blueways with an ambition to grow to ten. This guide covers the accreditation system, existing and planned blueways, the role of Waterways Ireland and its €200 million 10-year plan, and the economic opportunity that water-based recreation represents for rural communities.

🌊 What Blueways Are

A blueway is officially defined as a network of approved and branded multi-activity recreational trails and sites, based on and closely linked with water, together with providers facilitating access to activities and experiences. Unlike greenways, which are primarily off-road walking and cycling routes, blueways are centred on water – encouraging kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, swimming and other water-based activities alongside walking and cycling on adjacent towpaths and trails.

The concept is unique to the island of Ireland. When the first three blueways received accreditation in April 2022, they became the first officially accredited blueways anywhere in the world. The accreditation system, developed by the Blueway Partnership, ensures that each blueway meets consistent high standards for technical quality, safety, environmental sustainability and visitor experience.

Blueways are designed to work as complete visitor experiences rather than simply trails. Each accredited blueway includes access points, equipment hire providers, guided tour operators, safety information, accommodation options and food and drink businesses. The aim is to make it easy for visitors – including those with no previous water sports experience – to get onto the water safely and enjoyably.

✅ Accredited Blueways

As of 2025, four blueways have achieved official accreditation. The first three – accredited in April 2022 – were the Boyne Blueway in Trim, County Meath; the Suir Blueway in Tipperary; and the Lough Derg Blueway spanning Tipperary, Clare and Galway. The Arranmore-Burtonport Blueway in County Donegal was subsequently added as the fourth accredited blueway.

The Suir Blueway is one of the most developed, featuring a 53km kayak trail alongside 21km of walking and cycling paths along the River Suir. The trail runs through some of the most scenic river valley landscape in the southeast, passing medieval towns, castle ruins and lush farmland. It demonstrates the multi-activity model that the Blueway Partnership is promoting – visitors can kayak sections of the river, then walk or cycle along adjacent trails, combining water and land-based activities in a single trip.

The Lough Derg Blueway encompasses approximately 160km of shoreline along one of Ireland’s largest lakes, straddling the borders of Tipperary, Clare and Galway. Activities include kayaking, sailing, swimming, fishing and walking, with multiple access points and service providers around the lakeshore. The Boyne Blueway at Trim offers a more compact experience centred on the historic town and the River Boyne, while the Arranmore-Burtonport Blueway provides a coastal sea kayaking experience off the Donegal coast.

🗺️ Blueways in Development

The Blueway Partnership set an ambition to grow the network from four to ten accredited blueways by 2025, and while that target has not been fully met, several blueways are progressing through the development and accreditation pipeline. The Shannon-Erne Blueway, a 70km trail running from Leitrim to Cavan, is one of the most significant routes in development, linking two of Ireland’s major waterway systems and passing through some of the most unspoilt landscape in the midlands.

The Barrow Blueway, spanning 63km through Kildare and Laois along the River Barrow, combines kayaking with walking and cycling on the towpath. A Wicklow-Wexford coastal blueway is also in development, which would extend the concept from inland waterways to the open sea coast. The Blue-Light Blueway, a coastal route from Bray to Wexford, received €499,000 in ORIS funding to support its development, indicating growing government investment in coastal blueway infrastructure.

To support the pipeline, the Blueway Partnership established dedicated Blueway Coordinator and Development Advisor roles, with Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland appointed to provide support to blueway developers working towards accreditation. This dedicated resource is designed to accelerate the process and ensure that new blueways meet the quality standards required.

🚢 Waterways Ireland and the 10-Year Plan

Waterways Ireland, the cross-border navigational authority, is central to blueway development. The organisation manages almost 1,100km of navigation channels covering canals, rivers and lakes, along with over 600km of towpath trails. Employing over 380 people, Waterways Ireland was established in 1999 as one of five cross-border bodies under the 1998 British-Irish Agreement, with headquarters in Enniskillen and offices in Dublin, Carrick-on-Shannon and Scarriff.

In November 2023, Waterways Ireland launched an ambitious 10-Year Plan for the enhancement, restoration and conservation of Ireland’s waterways, greenways and blueways. The plan is supported by an initial investment of approximately €200 million over the first three years. Key elements include the redevelopment of Dublin Docklands and the capital’s canal network to European standards, the continuation of the Ulster Canal restoration project, and the development of new recreational opportunities across the entire waterway network.

The Ulster Canal project is one of the largest engineering projects Waterways Ireland has undertaken. The restoration will create a new 14km canal section including a new marina in Clones, County Monaghan, with Phase 2 expected to complete in 2028. The overall project will receive €120 million in capital funding and is expected to create 100 indirect jobs. The canal will eventually connect the Shannon and Erne waterway systems to the canal network in Northern Ireland, creating new cross-border tourism opportunities.

Over a million people in Ireland live within 10km of a waterway managed by Waterways Ireland, representing significant untapped potential for recreation and tourism. The 10-Year Plan aims to make these waterways more accessible and attractive through improved infrastructure, better signage, new access points and enhanced facilities for boating, walking, cycling and water sports.

💰 Economic Opportunity

Water-based recreation represents a significant and growing economic opportunity for rural Ireland. Failte Ireland research shows that 73% of domestic tourists engaged in outdoor activities on their most recent overnight trip, with water-based activities including swimming, kayaking and canoeing among the most popular. Coastal tourism expenditure in Ireland reached €698 million in 2018, and the post-pandemic surge in domestic outdoor recreation has further increased demand.

Blueways create economic value through equipment hire, guided tours, accommodation, food and drink, and retail spending in trailhead communities. The model is similar to the greenway effect documented in places like Westport and Kilmacthomas, where a single piece of recreational infrastructure becomes the catalyst for a cluster of supporting businesses.

The integration of blueways with other outdoor recreation infrastructure amplifies their impact. Many blueway routes connect with greenways, walking trails and Wild Atlantic Way tourism offerings, creating multi-day itineraries that encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more. The Suir Blueway’s combination of kayaking and walking/cycling trails is a template for how different activity types can be packaged together to appeal to the growing active tourism market.

🏊 Activities and Accessibility

Blueways support a wide range of water-based activities beyond kayaking. Stand-up paddleboarding has experienced explosive growth in Ireland since 2020, and many blueway access points now cater to SUP users alongside kayakers and canoeists. Open-water swimming has similarly surged in popularity, with designated swim spots and safety infrastructure becoming increasingly important at blueway locations. Angling, sailing and pleasure boating are also supported on many blueway waterways.

The post-pandemic period saw a dramatic increase in outdoor recreation participation across Ireland, with water-based activities among the fastest-growing segments. Tourism Northern Ireland data shows that 34% of adults in Northern Ireland report being more adventurous compared to before the pandemic, and similar trends are evident in the Republic. This growing demand for outdoor water-based experiences provides a strong market foundation for continued blueway development.

Accessibility is a core consideration in blueway design. Access points, launching facilities and associated trail infrastructure need to accommodate users of varying abilities, including wheelchair users who may wish to use adjacent walking and cycling trails. Universal design principles are being incorporated into new blueway developments, though retrofitting existing access points remains a challenge. Several newer access points include ramped entry to the water, accessible parking and adapted equipment hire options.

Safety is paramount for water-based activities, and the blueway accreditation system places significant emphasis on safety standards. Each accredited blueway must have appropriate safety signage, emergency access points, clearly marked hazards and trained local providers who can offer equipment and instruction to novice users. This infrastructure of safety and support is what distinguishes an accredited blueway from an unmanaged waterway and gives visitors the confidence to try water-based activities for the first time.

🏛️ Ireland’s Waterway Heritage

Ireland’s canals and navigable rivers represent a significant heritage asset that blueway development seeks to animate and protect. The Grand Canal and Royal Canal, both built in the 18th and 19th centuries, were once vital commercial arteries connecting Dublin to the Shannon and beyond. The Grand Canal stretches approximately 131km from Dublin to the Shannon at Shannon Harbour, with branches to Mountmellick and the River Barrow. The Royal Canal runs 145km from Dublin to the Shannon at Cloondara.

These waterways fell into disuse with the arrival of the railways and roads, but restoration work – particularly the completion of the Royal Canal main line restoration in 2010 – has revived them as recreational corridors. The towpaths alongside both canals now form part of Ireland’s growing greenway network, while the water channels themselves are increasingly used for kayaking, paddleboarding and pleasure boating. Waterways Ireland’s plan to extend the Royal Canal Greenway to Spencer Dock and the Grand Canal Greenway to the Grand Canal Basin would create continuous urban-to-rural recreational corridors linking Dublin city centre to the midlands.

The Shannon Navigation, Ireland’s longest river at 360km, and the Shannon-Erne Waterway (restored in 1994 to reconnect the Shannon and Erne systems) provide the backbone of Ireland’s inland cruising and water recreation network. Lough Derg, Lough Ree and the Upper Shannon lakes offer vast expanses of water for sailing, fishing and kayaking, while the smaller canals and rivers provide more intimate paddling experiences.