Patricia Tunison Preston follows the course of Ireland’s greatest river as it meanders it way to the sea.
For over 25 years, I would encounter the River Shannon’s glistening profile as Aer Lingus planes hugged the shoreline in take-off or touch-down at Shannon Airport, or I would drive over the river’s many bridges en route from Galway to Dublin and other east-west roads. I’d smile as I caught glimpses of the Shannon as it meandered beside Limerick, Athlone, and other cities, take it all in, and keep on going. For many visitors, the story is the same – they see the Shannon as it stretches for 230 miles and touches the countryside of 11 counties, but rarely do they stop and stay a while.
One summer, my husband John and I were touring the southwest of Ireland, and many of the coastal resorts were booked out. So I looked inland to find a place to stay. Killaloe, less than an hour’s drive northeast of Shannon Airport and just off the main Limerick/Dublin road, was the answer.
A picture-postcard town, with lakeside views at almost every turn, Killaloe technically sits on the southeastern edge of County Clare – but if you cross over a spendid 13-arch bridge in the middle of town, you’ll be in Ballina, County Tipperary. Killaloe and Ballina are called “twin towns” because they sit side-by-side along the river as one intertwined community.èè..T starting with a 9th century oratory, said to have been founded by St. Lua, and hence the name Killaloe which comes from the Irish language “Cill” (meaning Church) of “Lua.” the name Ballina means “mouth of the ford.”
Another oratory and cathedral, built in the 12th century and named for 6th century St. Flannan, sits nearby with an exquisite Romanesque doorway. Kincora, on the highest ground at Killaloe, was the royal settlement of Brian Boru and the other O’Brien kings, but no trace of any building remains.
Geographically, Killaloe is the gateway to the Lower Shannon, a body of water that stretches northward to Portumna, County Galway, encompassing one huge lake, Lough Derg. Often referred to as an inland sea, Lough Derg is the Shannon River’s largest lake and widest point – 25 miles long and almost 10 miles wide. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when canal and river commercial traffic was at its height, Lough Derg was considered the main inland waterway trading route between Dublin and Limerick.
Today, however, it is most often described as “Ireland’s pleasure lake” because of all the recreational and sporting opportunities it provides. As the hub of Lough Derg, Killaloe is home to Ireland s largest inland marina and a host of boating centers. Here you can rent a fishing boat or sailing craft for an hour or a day, take an afternoon’s sightseeing cruise on a covered riverbus, or hire a cabin cruiser and ply the Shannon’s waters for a full week, pulling into a different marina each evening. Visitors can also sign up for an hour or two of windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, tubing, jetskiing, or waterskiing.
If you are a little less ambitious, this is also great territory for a long walk or a drive, with ever-changing views of the lake at every turn. The silvery blue waters of the Shannon are framed by a rolling patchwork of green fields, dotted by colorful clusters of wildflowers and distant farmhouses. Many of the most idyllic spots are designated as “lay-bys” for visitors to stop and relax, with picnic tables and benches. You can linger for a while and drink in the scenery, or bring a picnic and feast amid the rolling green lawns with the Shannon River as a back drop. The resident birds provide a chorus of harmonious music, interrupted only by the buzz of a bee, the bleat of a grazing sheep, the gentle splash of waves as boats cruise by, or maybe another tourist or two. The Ring of Kerry, the Clare Coast, Dingle or Connemara may often be crowded, but there’s almost always a spot you can find just for yourself along the Shannon.
The road that rims the lake, a perimeter of 95 miles, is called the “Lough Derg Drive,” a continuous and well-signposted natural circuit. You can start the drive at Killaloe or at any other point along the route.
In addition to the riverside scenery, the Lough Derg Drive is replete with well-kept little towns and harborside villages, such as Mountshannon and Terryglass, both of which have won top honors in Ireland’s Tidy Towns competition, and Dromineer, with its expansive marina. Heading north from Killaloe along Lough Derg s eastern shore, take a slight detour five miles inland, to Nenagh, the chief town of north Tipperary, lying in a fertile valley between the Silvermine and Arra Mountains. Stop into the Nenagh Heritage Centre, for an overview display on the whole Lough Derg area. Located in two stone buildings, dating from 1840-2, this site was once a jail, then a convent and a school. Now, as a museum, it showcases collections of local arts, crafts, photography, and memorabilia.
On the western side of the lake is the East Clare Heritage Centre at Tuamgraney, another good source of local lore. Housed in the restored 10th century church of St. Cronan, this center explains the heritage and history of the East Clare area through a series of exhibits and an audio-visual presentation. To see some historical ruins for yourself, you can arrange to take a 15-minute boating excursion to “Inishcealtra” (Holy Island), in Lough Derg.
Cross the street and you can also visit one of the last primeval woodlands of Ireland at Raheen Oakwoods, part of a 500-acre estate on the shores of Lough Derg. The centerpiece of this forest is the Brian Boru Oak, said to be Ireland’s oldest oak tree, estimated at 1,000 years old and a massive 32 feet in circumference. Legend has it that the tree was sown by the High King of Ireland who ruled from a nearby fort. A mixture of acid and èèlimes diverse plant life, with oak, holly, ash, hazel, birch, and alder trees sheltering a carpet of mosses, ferns, and wildflowers.
Oak trees are also a focal point at Portumna, the chief town on the northern shore of Lough Derg, with a wide and busy bridge across the Shannon. Portumna, which means “the landing place of the oak tree,” has a rambling 1,400-acre forest park filled with shady trees and shrubs of all kinds, and a decorative 17th century castle that is currently being restored. Portumna is also known for its diverse evening entertainment, ranging from traditional music sessions at the Maple Bar to country-line dancing at the Portumna Park Hotel.
Many of Lough Derg’s small out-of-the-way towns, like Garrykennedy and Terryglass in County Tipperary, and Woodford in County Galway, are known for atmospheric old pubs bursting with spontaneous sessions of traditional Irish music. Woodford, in particular, is celebrated as a mecca for Irish traditional music of the old style. Fiddler and tin whistle-player Anthony Coen, born in Woodford of a musical family that includes six traditional musicians out of nine children, is one of the best at his instruments, often accompanied by his own talented daughters Dearbhla on the flute and tin whistle and Eimear on the concertina and bodhran. They usually play at J. Walsh’s Forest Bar in the heart of town or Moran’s, beside the Woodford River. The latter establishment is a curiosity in itself since it is probably the only pub in Ireland where you’ll find two clerics servings drinks at the bar during the summer. Both Carmelite Order priests, they are the sons of the owner and spend their vacation time helping out in the family business.
The Lough Derg Drive also offers some unusual shopping opportunities. As you drive through the village of Tuamgraney, look out for a simple signpost that says “Anke and Eugene McKiernan, Handweavers.” This husband-and-wife team has converted the town’s former police barracks into a working weavers studio with a halfdozen looms of various sizes. You can watch as Anke and Eugene work at creating a colorful array of tweed scarves, jackets, vests, and blankets. Many items are one-of-a-kind or made-to-order. If you don’t see what you want, just ask and they will make it for you, with a few days notice.
Visitors in search of a special souvenir should also stop at Puckane Crafts, Puckane, on the Tipperary shore of the river. A rustic white-washed cottage, complete with traditional half-door, serves as the workshop for Paddy Walsh, a craftsman who carves and paints on natural wood.
His works depict Ireland past and present, from Celtic and rural scenes to heraldic and religious themes. The pieces range from pendant-size figurines and symbols, such as St. Patrick, the harp, or a dove, to portrait-size scenes of Irish music sessions, pub facades and interiors, farmyards, cottages, castles, and sporting events. Step inside and you’ll be warmly welcomed to watch Paddy and his staff as they carve the wood and then paint the colorful motifs.
For an area of such amazing beauty and wide-open spaces, the Lough Derg region has surprisingly few full-service hotels except for the Lakeside in Killaloe and the Portumna Park in Portumna. In many ways, that is part of its alluring attraction – natural lakelands and forests unspoiled by condos, hotels, or motels. This area, perhaps more than most other parts of Ireland, calls out for visitors to settle in and become part of the way of life. And that is why the “Rent an Irish Cottage” program was pioneered here almost 30 years ago.
The Shannon Development Company came up with the idea of building small cottages for rent in these rural areas where other types of satisfactory accommodations were scarce. The cottages, clustered in groups of 8 to 12 units at Puckane, Terryglass, and Whitegate, were designed in traditional style, with exteriors of white stucco, thatched roofs, and half-doors, but all of the furnishings, plumbing, heating, and kitchen appliances inside were totally up-to-date, along with a real turf fireplace. In recent years, cottages of more modern design with slate or tile roofs have also been added at Mountshannon and Killaloe.èè..TX.-Not surprisingly, Lough Derg’s shoreline to very fine restaurants, many with panoramic views of the water. Lantern House, perched high on a hill of palm tree-lined gardens at Ogonnelloe, north of Killaloe, serves local seafood and produce in a country house atmosphere, while Goosers and Irish Molly’s at Ballina provide traditional fare in rustic pub settings or outdoor seating beside the water. Peter’s at Ballina serves continental dishes in a restored railway station beside the water, with a patio for outdoor dining.
The most innovative cuisine – from whiskey-flamed steaks to Carraigin mousse – is served in an antique-filled cottage setting at Brocka-on-the-Water at Kilgarvan Quay near Ballinderry. In spite of its name, there are no water views – it is nestled at the end of a small country lane, overlooking a garden that provides fresh edible flowers to accompany most items on the menu.
Fresh edible flowers, indeed. Just part of the many surprising and memorable experiences of life on the river. No wonder the Shannon keeps drawing us back again and again.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the September/October 1995 issue of Irish America. ♦
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