The boardwalk
A floating boardwalk carries part of the Shannon Blueway across Acres Lake, just outside Drumshanbo. Waterways Ireland built it in 2017, floating a timber walkway on concrete-anchored pontoons, a workaround for the land-ownership and environmental tangles that had ruled out a shoreline path. In doing so it carried the Blueway out over the water. The deck sits barely above the surface, so it feels closer to walking on the lake than beside it, and the see-through railings keep the view open.
It is short and free to walk. Take care where the boardwalk is wet. In summer the lake fills with lily pads, and early morning or late afternoon gives the best light for photographs, when the low sun catches the water and the hills behind.
Walking and cycling on
The route from Acres Lake towards Battlebridge continues beside the water along the canal, with panels on the local ecology and the old canal navigation along the way. Walk or cycle along the marked trail, give others room, and check Waterways Ireland’s notices for closures before you set out.
The visitor centre
The Sliabh an Iarainn Visitor Centre beside the lake takes its name from the mountain above Drumshanbo – ‘Mountain of Iron’ – and tells the story of a century of iron-ore mining, narrow-gauge railways and the Shannon–Erne Canal. Opening times vary through the year, so check with the centre before building plans around it. The boardwalk doesn’t need an appointment.
Families and swimmers
The lakeside amenity area has a playground and picnic benches, and a heated open-air swimming pool that is a local institution on a warm day. The council or facility operator sets the pool’s opening hours, and the same goes for the new watersports facilities, so check with them separately before you plan to swim or paddle. Birdlife is reliable: mute swans, mallards, and the odd kingfisher if you’re lucky. Pine martens and foxes keep to the woods and mostly to themselves.
Getting there
The lake sits just off the R280, a short walk from Drumshanbo centre. Use the signed parking at Acres Lake. If the iron-mining story takes hold, the Arigna Mining Experience – an underground tour of a real mine – is the natural next stop, with Carrick on Shannon downriver for lunch or a boat trip.