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Lough Erne Canoe Rally 27-28 September
The Erne Canoe Rally was a very successful event run over a number of years in the 1980’s/90’s by Share Holiday Village to try and promote Lough Erne as a paddling destination for visiting outdoor enthusiasts. Unfortunately at the time there was little infrastructure in place to accommodate the needs of the paddlers and the event fell by the wayside whilst this issue was addressed. Now with great infrastructure in place including a way marked Canoe Trail, designated camp sites, visitor information, leaflets and maps, a website and a large amount of publicity, Share have decided it is now time to revive the highly successful event.
The event has been made possible by title sponsorship from brites the pellet fuel used in the four biomass boilers that provide heat to run Irelands largest residential activity centre, Paula Keelagher, brites Technical Development Manager, at Fermanagh based Balcas says, “We are delighted to see the return of The Erne Canoe Rally and are proud to be associated with such a worthwhile event. We look forward to welcoming people along to the event and hope that all the participants have a super time”.
Working in Partnership with the Canoe Association for Northern Ireland the event will be included in their national event plans and run to a very high standard attracting 200 or more paddlers from all over Northern and Southern Ireland as Ashley Hunter – Canoeing Development Officer comments; “I have heard many fond tales about a popular canoeing event that was run on Lough Erne about ten or more years ago. I am glad Share has decided to bring this back and we will work together to promote the event and the new award winning canoe trails which will hopefully attract more people to the area and to paddle sports”.
The Erne Canoe Rally is a not for profit - fun competitive canoeing/kayaking event open to all abilities and age groups. A number of classes and special disciplines are available for teams of 3. The idea of the event is that the teams must choose and compete in the same boat across all disciplines. Disciplines will include a long distance paddle, slalom, sprint and obstacle race with a competitive fancy dress element in the theme of ‘super heroes’ which will be scored at the Saturday evening disco!
The event is set to make quite a splash amongst canoeing enthusiasts as Rory Martin – Shares’ Marketing Officer describes;
“We have had a number of requests from paddlers to bring back the Erne Canoe Rally as it seemed to be the most light-hearted event of the calendar! The competitive fancy dress element and the strict event rules with regard to using the same boat for all disciplines will make the event unique and lots and lots of fun for all involved”.
Share is offering participants camping facilities, an evening meal, rescue cover, changing facilities, event entry, prizes and a fun social evening for the nominal fee of £35 per adult and £20 for Under 18’s, students and the unemployed. Limited boat hire and accommodation are available at a small extra cost. Share decided to keep costs to a minimum to ensure students; Children and persons on a low income can attend.
For more information on the brites Lough Erne Canoe Rally and other outdoor activity packages please contact Celia – Share Bookings Officer on 028 6772 2122 or [email protected] or visit http://www.sharevillage.org/upcoming-courses-and-events/
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For more information please contact Rory Martin – Share Marketing Officer by e-mail at [email protected] or telephone 028 6772 2122.
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