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sport · Tuesday 11 August 2026 · 6:30pm 
Her Outdoors Week: Women's Social Kayaking Taster
At Vicarstown Canal · Grand Canal, Vicarstown, Co. Laois
At Vicarstown Canal · Grand Canal, Vicarstown, Co. Laois
Laois Sports Partnership runs a two-hour recreational kayaking taster session for women on the Grand Canal at Vicarstown on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, as part of its Her Outdoors Week programme. It is a beginner session, no experience necessary, aimed at women aged 18 and over who want to try paddling in a relaxed, social group rather than commit to a full course.
The session runs from 6:30pm to 8:30pm and gives participants two hours out on the flat water of the Grand Canal, with kayaks and safety equipment provided and instructors on hand throughout. Laois Sports Partnership runs Her Outdoors Week each summer as a series of low-cost taster sessions aimed at getting women into outdoor activity they might not otherwise try, alongside stand-up paddleboarding, stretch sessions and other outdoor programming during the same week across the county. Numbers are kept deliberately small for safety on the water, so places are limited and tend to go quickly once booking opens; anyone interested should book directly through the Laois Sports Partnership website rather than turning up on the night. Wear clothes you do not mind getting wet, and bring a change of clothes and a wetsuit if you have one.
Vicarstown is on the R427 where it crosses the Grand Canal, about 25 minutes by car from Portlaoise. Parking for the session is available at Vicarstown Bridge Café, close to the canal bank; participants are asked to arrive at least 10 minutes before the start.
The canal is the whole reason Vicarstown exists, and the village makes the most of it: boat hire, towpath walking, and the only parkrun in Laois on Saturday mornings a stone’s throw from where this session launches. There is more to see in Vicarstown and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Vicarstown Canal in Vicarstown? Laois has plenty more to see. Read the Vicarstown area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.