Enjoying the slow pace of a spring boat trip

I SPENT the Easter weekend travelling the Grand Canal. We brought our boat from Shannon Harbour, which is near Banagher in west Offaly, to Lowtown, near Robertstown in Kildare.

Three days travelling through the midlands at between 8 and 10kph gives you a wonderful chance to observe what’s happening in the countryside.

It was a pleasant trip. The weather during the day was mostly quite good for the time of year. There was even the occasional opportunity for the crew and ship’s dog to sun themselves on deck. But the nights were bitterly cold with air temperatures down to -2 and glittering white frost.