Christmas Wishlist for the Boyne

We have been so busy with our vouchers this that we nearly forgot to send off our own Christmas list. As usual, I’m looking for a lot.

I want the insurance sorted. We have built this company up since 2012 with the simple idea of giving people the chance to enjoy the Boyne. We have no problem paying insurance but they are riding us now. If we can get this sorted, the rest of my Christmas list will get taken care of.

I want clean water with a way of protecting the river. I want to see more salmon and otters in the water, less invasive species, more kingfishers and buzzards in the trees, more berries, more wildflowers, more fresh air and less pollution.

I want to see more families enjoying the Boyne. Every week I see parents and their kids hopping off our double Sit-on-Top kayaks looking more connected, more relaxed and with fewer worries on their faces after floating down the river.

I want more companies to send their staff out on our raft teambuilding days. Our 7 – drop rafting course is one part craic, two parts stunning scenery and three parts team gel.

I want to see more people trying outdoor activities. Our Sit-on-Top Kayaks are the easiest way to explore the river, get you close to the water without any skills and are designed for absolute beginners. You may not take up paddling after, but getting into the outdoors will give you a taste for Nature and there is a big wide world on your doorstep once you get a feel for it.

I want to see more people using the Boyne to progress their water skills, whether it is by joining clubs, doing advanced kayak courses or practising for their next epic adventure race through Ireland’s amazing landscape.

I want to hear more laughter. I get to listen to people arrive at our base and voice their concerns about getting wet. 9 times out of 10, at the end of their Boyne trip, they are laughing while sliding in and out of the boats like baby otters.

I want more people to get the story of the river in the history of the Boyne Valley. If there was no river here, we wouldn’t have such an unusual concentration of ruins, castles and ancient monuments.

I want to see more young people join our activity camps. Playing outdoors in nature is something that many of us took for granted but that is no longer the case since we all got superconnected to the screens. There is no app for nature.

I want to see the #BoyneBlueway explode in 2020. This flowing trail is 35km of quiet timeout set in lush greenery. Stash your gear in a boat and paddle off downstream for your own overnight adventure.

I don’t think that is a lot to ask for.