Cloondavaun Marina

Our Story

The idea of becoming owners of Cloondavaun Marina was born
from saying YES to a career pivot. From saying NO to spending our days
doing things that no longer made us happy.

THIS makes us happy!

For so many years, we had walked along jetties admiring boats.
Marinas in France, Spain, Portugal always drew us in.
Day trips to get fish & chips in Howth, an ice-cream at Dun Laoghaire peer.

The photo below made us laugh when we noticed the mural
behind us on the restaurant wall.
Always drawn to where the boats were. Obsessed.

IMAGINE owning our own, imagine that was our life!

A regular Tuesday soon after, Brendan announces, "Eh, I bought a boat."
We got a berth at Cloondavaun Marina. We LOVED it all. Instantly.

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Every single Friday evening after work, all leapt into the car to head to the boat.
Our happy place; our retreat. Nowhere else we wanted to be.
Heart rate slowing down, tension melting away, with every mile. Ahhh, there's the lake.

It wasn't long before we got into the IWAI Rallies. Perfect for families.
Winning 'Best Newcomers' at the IWAI Lough Derg Rally
was a pleasant surprise. We were hooked!

We've always enjoyed the social side of boating.
You meet tonnes of new people, learn so much. Connections are made.
Conversations are had, opportunities pop up. A marina is purchased...

Running our own business for over 20 years, we already understood how
to provide a quality experience, pay attention to detail, and offer a personalised service.
We now got to apply this to our passion. We were now marina owners!

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As boaters ourselves, we understand the concerns (& joys!) of owning a boat.
Will my boat be safe when I’m not around?
What if something goes wrong? Can I get someone to lift my boat?

As hands-on people, we like to do things ourselves too.
So, we fully understand that happy place of tinkering on your own vessel.
Sure, that's part of the joy of owning one!

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As parents we're ALSO aware how fleeting and precious the time is, boating together as a family.
This times means so much. Ben (20) & Joseph (15) don't boat with us as much anymore.
Are we a bit sad? Absolutely. But sure, that's how it goes. They'll come back to it one day.

The whole family still love the RIBs though! The IWAI powerboat runs remain a highlight for us.
As well as inland runs on the lake, we also get to relish some invigorating coastal runs with friends.
That definitely knocks the cobwebs off and clears the head.

Since becoming owners in February 2022, we pour heart and soul into Cloondavaun Marina.
We strive to create a community there, a safe haven for our berth holders.
A go-to when boat issues arise, a solid and reliable center of boat brokerage, boat-care and knowledge-share. Our next chapter will be setting up a training school here in the marina - watch this space!

We invite you to explore our website & connect on our socials.
See for yourself what the team at Cloondavaun Marina can offer you.

Every weekend, every summer, every moment counts.
Let us take care of your boat, so that you too can best enjoy those moments that matter.

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"There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else,
or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular;
and when you've done it there's always something else to do." Kenneth Graham, author of 'Wind in the Willows'

That sounds about right now, doesn't it?

With Thanks,
Wendy & Brendan McGrath
Proprietors at Cloondavaun Marina