The Dock Bar and Marina . This is a great place to land as there is reasonable parking . The river is tidal right up to Inishannon , so starting as close to high tide on a falling tide would be advisable .
River Blackwater – Youghal to Villierstown
The River Blackwater flows through counties Kerry , Cork , and Waterford providing the border between the counties in places . In total , the Blackwater is 169 km long . We started at the old bridge in Youghal and paddled under the new Youghal bridge . Further upstream is the glorious Ballynatray Estate , which has human activity dating back to the Bronze Age . You can feel the history in the air , with ruins of castles and churches dotted along the banks . The nature is stunning ; also , we saw swans , herons and even an otter . The river ’ s flow was gentle , and we had timed the tide to be flooding , helping us along .
River Bandon – Inishannon to Kinsale
The River Bandon is 72km long and drains into Kinsale Harbour . We started this trip at the village of Inishannon ; anywhere south of the bridge is advised as there is a weir below the bridge ; upriver of this would be very suitable for white water paddlers . After Kilmacsimon , a little downriver , you will notice a ruin of a castle on the right with a derelict jetty . This is Kilgobbin Castle , but it is on private property , to my knowledge . After the next turn to the right , you will start to see the town of Kinsale and the main bridge of the R600 road , which is the first and only bridge you will pass under . Just after the bridge on the right is
Old Head of Kinsale
About 15 km to the southwest of Kinsale is a stunning and unique headland reaching out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean , the Old Head of Kinsale . The headland can be paddled around , with stunning views of the lighthouse from the water . Even better , though , are the sea caves and tunnels believed to have been used by everybody from pirates and smugglers of the Elizabethan era to fishermen looking for a shortcut in more modern times . Please note that the headland can be hit by swell , strong tides and currents , and this trip is best made with an experienced guide . Aileen from Atlantic Offshore Adventures or Jon at the Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre will help here .
SUP surf
For anyone who prefers their SUP to be a bit bumpier , you ’ re in luck . There is no end to the number of beaches along the Cork coast . From the beaches previously mentioned in East Cork to the guys at Funkytown in Fountainstown , the mobile crew at Kinsale Surf Adventures , Gtown surf school at Garretstown , and SurfnSUP at The Warren beach , you can ’ t go wrong .
Events
Ocean to City Race
The annual ( COVID restrictions permitting ) Ocean to City – An Rás Mor is Ireland ’ s premier , all-inclusive , traditional rowing and paddling multi-craft race and is run in conjunction with Cork Harbour Festival – one of the biggest annual events in Cork every summer . The course for the larger craft goes from the mouth of the harbour right up to the city centre , a massive 15 nautical miles . The SUP course is run concurrently from Monkstown to the city , approximately seven nautical miles .
Middle Harbour Race
An annual rowing and paddling event organised by Passage West Rowing Club ( PWRC ) accepted SUPs for the first time last September on the 5km Fr Con Memorial Challenge . Money raised from the event is donated to the RNLI and to support 9 PWRC members who are travelling to Portugal to represent Ireland in the World Coastal Rowing Championships .
s t a n d u p p a d d l e m a g u k
20