Epic river journey by Belturbet man in late wife’s memory

A Belturbet artist is half way through an epic journey along Ireland’s waterways in a handcrafted rowing boat.

Joe McCaul (65) is undertaking a 400km row from Belleek to Limerick in the hope of raising around €5,000 for the Galway Hospice in memory of his late wife. Joe has been living near Kinvara in Galway for over 40 years now.
He departed from Belleek on Sunday, September 1, and will row through towns including Enniskillen, Belturbet, Ballinamore, Leitrim, Carrick-on-Shannon, Rooksy, Athlone, Shannonbridge, Terryglass, Scarriff and Killaloe, before reaching Limerick.

He is making the journey in a handmade boat, which is dedicated to the memory of his good friend Joe Stewart, a carpenter and an experienced oarsman.
The duo had planned to build the boat together but sadly Joe passed away before they could begin the project. He built the boat from a flat-pack kit and it took around 100 hours to build.
“It is a much better boat than I thought it would be. I have been hit with some tough stretches of water, big currents with big waves,” Joe told the Celt last week.
Ever the artist, Joe is taking time out to paint scenic views along the way. This artwork will then be exhibited to help raise funds for Galway Hospice, which cared for Joe’s late wife Patricia 11 years ago when she was ill.
“Galway not just looked after my late wife Patricia, but they looked after all of us through the process – they looked after my daughters and I for a good 12 months afterwards, including a full counselling service,” said a most grateful Joe.
He anticipates that it will take him around one month to complete this journey by boat. Joe camps out most nights in a tent.
“It is quite an expedition to row the Erne and the Shannon all in the one trip – I don’t think there are too many people out there who have done it,” enthused Joe.
So far, he has just stayed two nights in a hotel. “You need to get inside to a warm environment once a week. I was feeling cold and I did not want to pick up a flu and have to abandon the trip,” he said.
Joe's second wife, Mary Harrison, is currently doing the Camino Walk in Spain and Joe quipped: “We are both doing a pilgrimage at the same time.”
They will both meet up in Bilbao in Spain afterwards. “I will have a smile on my face when I lift this boat out of the water in Limerick at the end of this epic journey,” he said.
Joe is logging his progress with short videos and photographs, which he is sending to his family via whatsapp and they are posting them on social media platforms on his behalf.
For updates and to support Joe McCaul’s rowing fundraiser, see https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/joe-mccaul-s-fundraiser-for-galway-hospice