Maganey Trip

Thursday evening we had our last 3hr evening trip of the summer. The autumn is drawing in and its getting darker that little bit earlier so the 3hr trips tend to put everyone under pressure to get back before sunset and collect cars etc. However, we did have the perfect Sunset cruise with some fantastic weather. It took just over 1hrs 30min in total to reach Maganey lock from Carlow town. On the way, we passed through the haunted lock at Bestfield and shared/speculated on the various stories associated with the lock and how it became haunted. Continuing up river we also passed the confluence of the river Lerr and Barrow, followed by the river Greese. Along this stretch, the Barrow separates the counties of Laois and Carlow. Once we pass the river Lerr, the Barrow divides Laois and Kildare as the Lerr is the border between Carlow and Kildare. As a result, this area and Maganey are often referred to locally as the three counties. At the lock in Maganey, we disembarked to stretch the legs and take in the views of Maganey weir. Several passenger also brought a mini lunch or a small picnic. With a bright sun resting low over the horizon, it was the perfect spot for a Salmon sandwich while listening to the falling whitewater of the weir. Once rested, it was back into the boat and homeward bound. On the return leg, we spotted several Kingfishers, Cormorants and Grey Herons that we failed to notice on the way upstream. We were back at the Jetty in Graiguecullen for 8.15pm just in time before it got dusky.