The Angler.

There's nothing more relaxing than fishing and there's no better way to relax than a tour with Dolmen Transport.

Our Angler tour takes you all the way up along Ireland's Shannon River, the largest river in both Ireland and Britain. It also takes in much of Lough Derg,^info "Ireland's Pleasure Lake", an immensly popular destination with anglers and boaters both from Ireland and abroad.

Day One - Killaloe:
Our tour begins in the twin town of Killaloe/Ballina.
This town is seperated by a county border, with Ballina on the Tipperary side and Killaloe on the Clare side.
The two are joined by an old 13-arch bridge, with Killaloe's 12th Century dominating the skyline. Killaloe's most important historical aspect, however, is that it is home to, and birthplace of Brian Boru,^info High King of Ireland, who fought the Viking^info invaders and famously defeated them at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Today Kilalloe is a vibrant tourist destination with lots of shops, bars and restaurants to enjoy, as well as many historical attractions to explore and a tourist information centre. It is most popular, however, as a place for boating and fishing as its location, right at the mouth of Lough Derg, marks the beginning of the upper Shannon river navigation.

One can fish from the riverbank but there are also small boats with outboards that can be rented at reasonable rates.

Day Two - Terryglass:
North, near the end of Lough Derg^info on the Tipperary side is the village of Terryglass. The village itself is quiet and intimate, shaded by trees with a parkland stroll down towards the water's edge.
Like Killaloe this too, is a very popular spot for anglers and boaters, the harbour is busy, but not bustling or intrusive, and the village itself has two pubs, both of which do very good food.

Day Three - Banagher:
Heading north once more to a town which, according to Irish folklore is "unbeatable".
Banagher is a small town with various pubs and shops to explore as well as a marina which has various facilities and amenities.
The town is situated in an ideal fishing location, directly on the Shannon, with Lough Derg to the south. North of Banagher one can continue along the Shannon or turn onto the Grand Canal which goes all the way to Dublin, or one can also navigate the River Suck, a smaller, narrower waterway which meanders along towards the equestrian town of Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

Day Four - Shannonbridge:
Shannonbridge, as it's name suggests, is situated right on the River Shannon and one may be right in guesing that its main feature is that of a bridge.

The bridge itself was built by the British in the 18th century, primarily to assist in troop logistics and is a remarkable example of engineering from that period. The village itself still maintains a lot of its old-world charm and is, in many ways, a quintessential old-style Irish village.

Further north is one of Ireland's true archeological treasures the ancient monastic site at Clonmacnoise.
Here one can find various churches, temples and a cathedral as well as two round towers^info and Celtic crosses.^info

Towards the waters edge there is a jetty where boats can moor beneath the shadow of a ruined Norman^info castle. Except for the peak summer season (when the site is besieged by a torrent of tourists almost, but not quite, as boisterous of the Vikings of yore) this is a peaceful spot, with the sound of crows crawking as they circle the towers, the gentle sloshing of water on the pier and the rustling of reeds in the wind.

Day Five - Portumna:
Heading south now, towards the lakeside town of Portumna, which sits directly to the north of Lough Derg.^info
Portumna is a medium-sized Irish town with a number of bars, restaurants, cafés as well as supermarkets where one can stock up on food and drink.
At the north end of the town is a bridge which is often raised to allow boats to pass through. And in the town itself is a hotel with a health club, swimming pool, country club and function rooms.

Portumna forest park lies to the south, as well as Portumna Castle. Alongside the castle one can find the ruins of Portumna abbey and, but a short distance further down is Portumna Castle Harbour, which is a fantastic and scenic fishing spot one quiet days.

Day Six - Mountshannon:
The village of Mountshannon, situated on Lough Derg, is one of the more popular stops along the lower Shannon.
Though small, Mountshannon can be quite a lively place with bars, pubs, cafés and a hotel though it also has a beautiful park area for those who wish to unwind for a while. It also boasts numerous holiday homes which are available to rent as well as a large, busy harbour quite popular with boaters and sailers from all around Ireland and indeed the world. As indeed, has the village itself, which boasts an equally colorful collection of expats from around the world who have all made the village their home.

During the summertime the town becomes even busier with numerous boating events, as well as the Mountshannon Arts Festival.^info

Right next to Mountshannon is Iniscealtra, or Holy Island,^info one of the better-preserved examples of medieval monastic colonies which can be found all up along the River Shannon. As one might expect from a monastic colony, Iniscealtra is a place of calm and solitude. One can either charter a boat for themselves and visit there (or just do a little fishing around the island itself) or opt for a complete with a guided tour of the island which leave from Mountshannon Harbour.

But a five minute drive from Mountshannon is the lakeside town of Scarriff, with a number of supermarkets, a chemist, numerour bars and restaurants as well as an internet café so one can check emails, make calls or burn photo CDs.

Day Seven - Corofin:
On the very last day of your dream Irish fishing experience we go to Corrofin, otherwise known as "Angler's Paradise."
Situated on the River Fergus, which also runs through Ennis, Corrofin lies just on the edge of the Burren region. It is a quaint and colourful village with no shortage of pubs and good music and the perfect place to cast your last few lines before you fly home, refreshed and rejuvinated, with, we hope, a fair few "fishy" tales to recount.

The town of Killaloe with a view of Killaloe Cathedral.


Fishing in Killaloe.


Ireland's inner waterways are very quiet and peaceful.


Clonmacnoise; one of Ireland's most famous monastic settlements.

    
    O'Rourke's Tower, Clonmacnoise.


The harbour in the cheery village of Mountshannon, Country Clare.