What better way to experience the history of the Boyne Valley than from a hand-crafted Irish traditional currach on the canal.
On our first afternoon, we had the privilege of meeting Ross Kenny who proudly runs Boyne Boats which has won the Best Boyne Valley Tourism Experience.
Ross told us in advance of our visit to park at The Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre and walk the 10-15 mins to meet him at the lock house for the Boyne Boats paddling tour.
Before even getting in the boat, Ross spent a few minutes talking about the important topics of hygiene and safety. We all had to sanitise our hands before putting on our life vests.
The boat can comfortably accommodate between six and eight people. Once we were all safely installed on board, Ross handed us all a traditional wooden paddle to use. There were lighter aluminium ones paddles available for those who found the wooden a little too heavy to use.
Ross told us how this beautiful handcrafted traditional Kerry Naomhog currach boat had starred in in the famous Game of Thrones TV series. He also starred in the series himself and told us the fascinating story of how this incredible opportunity came about.
I loved hearing all the history of the area including how the canal system was used by horse drawn boats travelling between Navan, Slane and the port of Drogheda. The paddling led us out on the river where Ross took over powering the boat. We were so lucky with the weather.
Ross runs the tours three times a day. Naturally they are weather dependant and may have to be cancelled if there is strong wind or rain. Tickets must be pre-booked online at Boyne Boats.
Tickets cost €25 or €79 for a family of four which is great value.
We all (including the teens) really enjoyed the mix of paddling and history and would love to come back to do the Boyne Boat 2.5 hour Ancient Boyne river and artisan food experience tour.
Discover Boyne Valley
To find out more about what there is to do in the area for families with teenagers, read our ’48 hours in Boyne Valley with Teens’ guide for even more information and holiday inspiration.
The Boyne Valley, it’s time to enjoy…
Disclaimer
We enjoyed our Boyne Boats experience as guests of Discover Boyne Valley. All photos and words are our own and 100% honest.
