5047 ORNI Blackwater Canoe Trail Guide St4 Copy
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Earning a Welcome N 1. Please be friendly and polite to local residents and other water users. O 2. Drive with care and consideration and park sensibly. Republic R T 3. Change clothing discreetly, preferably out of public view. of Ireland Northern H 4. Gain permission before accessing private property. Ireland OF IRELAND 5. Minimise your impact on the natural environment and use recognised access points. BELFAST There are also many unofficial access points along the shore, which may be used with the owner’s consent. 6. Be sensitive to wildlife and other users regarding the level of noise you create. 7. Observe wildlife from a distance and be aware of sensitive locations such as nesting birds and wintering flocks. 8. Outdoor Recreation NI supports the principles of Leave No Trace and encourages others to do the same when taking part in outdoor recreation. For more information please visit leavenotraceireland.org. 9. Keep the numbers in your party consistent with safety, the nature of the water conditions and the impact on your surroundings. 10. Wild camping should be carried out discreetly, in small parties, and for overnight stays only. 11. Have respect for anglers - keep well clear of anglers fishing from banks and boats. Avoid shallow gravel areas of rivers where salmon and LOUGH NEAGH trout may spawn, especially from November to January. 12. Take care to avoid spreading invasive species. For more advice see invasivespeciesireland.com MAGHERY 7 GR 924 637 Derrywarragh Island MAGHERY Coalisland Canal 9 CONEY ISLAND A45 GR 937 640 B196 8 MAGHERY SLIP ‘The Point’ M1 GR 926 637 To Dungannon J14 6 VERNER’S BRIDGE GR 882 612 M1 J13 To Belfast J15 COPNEY CAMPSITE To Enniskillen 5 BOND’S BRIDGE GR 873 585 A29 B106 MOY 3 GR 852 559 4 THE ARGORY GR 870 583 MOY DIRECTION OF FLOW B106 Key to Symbols Slipway Access Jetty A4 J Parking Rough Camping BENBURB Shop BLACKWATERTOWN Toilets Fresh water START OF ULSTER CANAL Telephone BLACKWATERTOWN Public house 2 GR 841 522 Cafe/restaurant B128 Historical Building 5km 1 MAYDOWN BRIDGE Towns or Residential areas Access points A GR 818 519 Direction of Flow Town facilities nearby 5km This guide is designed to be used in conjunction with relevant OSNI 1:25,000 or 1;50,000 maps Camping & Accommodation Provision for people with disabilities Copney Campsite All sites with slips cater for disability access with varying degrees depending on the water level. It is recommended to check before • Copney Campsite is maintained by Armagh City, Banbridge and starting a journey. Craigavon Borough Council and offers space for 10 small tents. Booking is not required - space is available on a first come first This guide is available on request in alternative formats. served basis. • The site is only accessible from the water via canoe steps at GR H877589 Disclaimer • An Eco Toilet is available. Every effort has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this • Please do not camp outside the fenced off area as this is privately publication. Outdoor Recreation NI and its partner organisations cannot however accept responsibility for errors or omissions, but where such are owned land. brought to our attention, future publications will be amended accordingly. Canoeing may by its nature be hazardous and involve risk; training is A range of self-catering, B&B,hotels and guesthouses are available in essential for safe participation. It is recommended to take out personal the wider area. Please visit DiscoverNorthernIreland.com accident insurance. Users must undertake and act on their own risk assessments prior to use of any access site or waterway and review and update during use. The guide must be used in conjunction with an ordnance Canoe Hire and Canoe Tours survey 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 map. Neither the publishers, funders, For up-to-date canoe hire and guiding please visit CanoeNI.com STOP contributors, landowners, site managers, riparian owners nor agents of the aforementioned can be held responsible for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person or persons as a result of THE SPREAD Further information information, guidance or advice given in or omitted from this guide. Are you unknowingly spreading invasive Tourism Northern Ireland DiscoverNothernIreland.com Visit Armagh VisitArmagh.com species on your water sports equipment and clothing? Acknowledgements Armagh City, Banbridge getactiveabc.com Design: thinkstudio.co.uk & Craigavon Borough Council Invasive species can affect fish and other wildlife, restrict navigation, clog up propellers and be Photography: brianmorrison.co.uk National Trust NationalTrust.org.uk costly to manage. You can help protect the water sports you love by following three simple steps Trail updates: any changes to the canoe trail that may occur will be when you leave the water. updated on CanoeNI.com. Please email any feedback to [email protected] NIEA Water Pollution Hotline Freephone 0800 807060 Check your equipment and clothing for live organisms - particularly in areas that are damp or hard to inspect. Clean and wash all equipment, footwear and clothing thoroughly. If you do come across any organisms, leave them at the water body where you found them. Dry all equipment and clothing - some species can live for many days in moist conditions. This project has been developed by Make sure you don’t transfer water elsewhere. For more information go to www.invasivespeciesireland.com Please note that mobile phone reception is unreliable in many areas. many in unreliable is reception phone mobile that note Please Coast Guard (Lough Neagh) 999 (all phones) or VHF channel 16. channel VHF or phones) (all 999 Neagh) (Lough Guard Coast Police and Ambulance 999 (all phones) or 112 (all phones) phones) (all 112 or phones) (all 999 Ambulance and Police Happy Paddling! Happy In the unlikely event of an Emergency use the following numbers: following the use Emergency an of event unlikely the In Lough Neagh Rescue covers Lough Neagh and its tributaries. tributaries. its and Neagh Lough covers Rescue Neagh Lough enjoyable experience. experience. enjoyable Emergency Telephone Numbers Telephone Emergency It gives practical advice on everything required for an an for required everything on advice practical gives It This guide has been designed for canoeists by canoeists. canoeists. by canoeists for designed been has guide This • Suitable clothing for the weather the for clothing • Suitable • Drinking water and snacks and water • Drinking Neagh Canoe Trail onwards to the Lower Bann Canoe Trail. Canoe Bann Lower the to onwards Trail Canoe Neagh • Phone (in a waterproof bag) waterproof a (in • Phone paddler. Those seeking a longer journey can link the Lough Lough the link can journey longer a seeking Those paddler. • Small First Aid Kit Aid First • Small Such conditions are best left to the experienced open water water open experienced the to left best are conditions Such • Bailer/sponge • build on the vast expanse of water during windy periods. periods. windy during water of expanse vast the on build • Buoyancy Aid • Buoyancy • Paddle • Lough Neagh can be a serious undertaking as large waves waves large as undertaking serious a be can Neagh Lough • Boat • stepped in history with a motte and ancient round tower. tower. round ancient and motte a with history in stepped have everything you need: you everything have 1.1km paddle from Maghery Country Park. The island is is island The Park. Country Maghery from paddle 1.1km Checklist: Always use this canoeing safety checklist to make sure you you sure make to checklist safety canoeing this use Always Checklist: in the south west corner of the Lough offers an additional additional an offers Lough the of corner west south the in Ireland with a circumference of 125km. Coney Island situated situated Island Coney 125km. of circumference a with Ireland in the event of a capsize. a of event the in Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the UK and and UK the in lake freshwater largest the is Neagh Lough • Check that your boat has the required buoyancy to keep it afloat afloat it keep to buoyancy required the has boat your that • Check water. on a fine summer’s day. day. summer’s fine a on • Check that your equipment is well maintained and ready for the the for ready and maintained well is equipment your that • Check flows gently into Lough Neagh creating a breathtaking view view breathtaking a creating Neagh Lough into gently flows quickly in wet or dry conditions. dry or wet in quickly The river comes to an end at Maghery Country Park where it it where Park Country Maghery at end an to comes river The before heading out as the river levels can rise and fall quite quite fall and rise can levels river the as out heading before before you set out canoeing. We recommend checking this this checking recommend We canoeing. out set you before • Know the weather forecast and check the water conditions conditions water the check and forecast weather the • Know small tents providing the perfect overnight stop. stop. overnight perfect the providing tents small An enclosed grassy area offers pitching for approximately 10 10 approximately for pitching offers area grassy enclosed An Be sure to: sure Be especially for canoeists and only accessible from the river. river. the from accessible only and canoeists for especially A short distance downstream is Copney Campsite, developed developed Campsite, Copney is downstream distance short A children make sure the crotch straps are used. are straps crotch the sure make children and managed by the National Trust and well worth a visit. visit. a worth well and Trust National the by managed and wear a windproof top and course always wear a buoyancy aid - for for - aid buoyancy a wear always course and top windproof a wear go left or right – both are of equal length and accessibility.