Well worth experiencing for yourself.
I grew up in and still spend a lot of time in Mayo, but even though most of the attractions the Lakelands region has to offer are no more than an hour from my doorstep, it was a part of the country that I was largely unfamiliar with it until last week.
Sure, I’ve been on (too) many a stag in Carrick-on-Shannon and Lough Key Forest Park was an occasional destination for family outings when I was younger but that was about all I knew about the area.
I’m delighted that that’s no longer the case.
Last Thursday, together with my Maximum Media colleagues and new best friends Conan, Megan, Sophie and Colm, I headed west from Dublin with plenty of water-based activities on the agenda, hardly a surprise given the name of the region after all.
First up was a bit of paddleboarding in Leitrim village with the folks at Leitrim Surf Company.
https://twitter.com/meganmcassidy/status/634335593695178753
Despite me having the co-ordination of a clumsy giraffe on an ice rink, it’s easy to quickly get the hang of it and I was taken by just how relaxing an activity it is.
Even the odd tumble into the water proved very refreshing (my Her.ie colleague Megan fell in way more than 12 times and she knows it) and it was nice to get one up on the SportsJOE lads after a little bit of a race down the river.
Paddleboarding duel: @JOEdotie 1, @SportsJOEdotie 0. @discoverirl @leitrimsurf #thisisLIVING pic.twitter.com/HryHEhiuip
— Conor Heneghan (@conorheneghan1) August 20, 2015
From there it was onto Carrick-on-Shannon for a cruise along the Shannon courtesy of Carrick Craft, on a boat that could easily fit a family or a few friends if you fancied a cruise on the Shannon or the Erne for a few days.
Our driver on the day, Charlie, gave us all a turn at manning the boat and not only that, he proved the hero of the hour when rescuing my car keys with a magnet after I clumsily dropped them into the water upon leaving the boat.
Charlie, if you’re reading, I’ll be forever in your debt.
From there, it was off to the lovely Lough Key Forest Park, where three further activities awaited us.
Two of those activities, ziplining and a speedboat trip around Lough Key itself, definitely fit the bill for adrenaline-seekers.
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The third, Boda Borg, combines mental and physical challenges and is great for a group outing as you need to work together to complete the challenges and can have a laugh while you’re at it.
On the other hand, you can bicker endlessly like we did in what was a dismal failure to complete all but one challenge despite plenty of assistance from the helpful staff.
The facility in Lough Key is the only one in Europe outside of Sweden and is definitely worth a visit, especially if you were a fan of Crystal Maze back in the day.
A great day was rounded off with a lovely meal in the Oarsman Restaurant in Carrick on Shannon, a drink in the Barrelstore pub before heading back to Lough Key House for a bit of shut-eye before another packed day on Friday.
An early (ish) start had us heading for the Arigna Mining Experience in Arigna, Roscommon, where Michael, who worked in the mines for 30 years before they closed in 1990, gave us a tour and an idea of day to day to life in a place that was a huge part of the local economy for generations.
Over 200,000 people have gone through the doors of the visitor centre since it was opened in 2003 and the views from outside it, where you can see seven counties on a fine day, are simply stunning.
Sure it's a fine old day in Roscommon, taking in @arignaminingexp. Poor senior team though @discoverirl #thisisLIVING pic.twitter.com/UfEvDLzeT4
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) August 21, 2015
From there, it was off to Drumshanbo for some horse riding at the Moorlands Equestrian Centre before rounding off a lovely trip at Strokestown Park, home of Strokestown Park and the Irish National Famine Museum.
If you ever wanted a taste of life amongst the aristocracy then Strokestown House is the place to go, having been magnificently restored after it was purchased from the Mahon family in 1979.
As well as offering an insight into the lives of the wealthy, our tour guide John, whose wealth of knowledge is best described as ‘encyclopaedic’, was also able to tell us more about the oldest collection of erotica in the country, a discovery mentioned on these very pages a few years’ back.
The aforementioned Mahon family are also prominent in the National Famine Museum located on the same grounds as Strokestown House, with many of the accounts of desperate and starving tenants providing a haunting reminder of the single greatest social disaster of 19th century Europe.
After a great couple of days it was with more than a little sadness that we hit the road back to Dublin but thanks to DiscoverIreland.ie, you and your three friends can get to experience the Lakelands for yourself.
You can take it from me and my four new besties that you’ll thoroughly enjoy it… as long as you’re prepared to get a little wet.
For your chance to win an action-packed trip to the Lakelands for you and three of your pals, enter our Discover Ireland competition here. For more information on Lakelands Adventures visit Discover Ireland.
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