Killaloe & Lough Derg · Killaloe Stays

St Flannan's Cathedral and the river at Killaloe from the air — St Flannan's Cathedral and the Shannon from above.

Colourful terraced houses on Church Street, Killaloe — Church Street, a minute from the bridge.

The stone arches of Killaloe bridge with the town behind — The 1770s bridge from the Ballina bank. Photo: Jonjobaker, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the village

Around the town

St Flannan's Cathedral has stood by the bridge since the 13th century. Inside is the Thorgrim Stone, carved with both Viking runes and Irish ogham: the only stone in Ireland with both. Beside it, the 12th-century oratory is older still.

Brian Boru Heritage Centre, on the old bridge, tells the story of the High King whose palace of Kincora stood where the Catholic church now is, and who died defeating the Vikings at Clontarf in 1014. The Historic Town Trail covers nine waypoints over 4.5 km, starting here.

The thirteen-arch bridge dates from the 1770s and until May 2025 was the only crossing for 30 km. The new Brian Boru Bridge now takes the through traffic, so walking between the two towns' pubs is a lot more pleasant than it used to be.

Killaloe's Farmers' Market runs on Sunday mornings between the Lakeside Hotel and the canal bank: good for breakfast on your first morning.

A small boat crossing the blue water of Lough Derg below wooded shores — Out on Lough Derg on a summer evening. Photo: froshea, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

On the water

The lake is about 40 km long, with 160 km of marked paddling trails on the Lough Derg Blueway and two Blue Flag beaches. People do still swim in September.

Cruises

Spirit of Killaloe runs hour-long guided cruises from the harbour, with a bar on board. The easiest way to see the lake on an afternoon off.

Kayaks, boards and swimming

Kayak, canoe and paddleboard hire at the harbour and at Two Mile Gate, 5 km north. Ballycuggaran beach at Two Mile Gate holds a Blue Flag; the aqua park there runs into early autumn.

Boats and lessons

Hire a day boat or book a lake-side lesson at the University of Limerick Activity Centre at Two Mile Gate: sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and climbing walls, open to the public.

Fishing

Lough Derg is a trout and pike fishery. Boats and ghillies can be booked from the harbour. September is a good month for pike.

Holy Island

Inis Cealtra, 30 minutes up the Clare shore from Mountshannon, has a round tower and the ruins of five churches. A boatman runs across most mornings in season.

Evenings

The sun sets behind the Clare hills, so the Ballina side of the river and the Lakeside Hotel terrace are the places to sit with a drink.

Eat & drink

Where to eat

For two small towns there are a lot of restaurants, because the lake brings boat traffic all summer. In Ryder Cup week every table will be booked out, so reserve before you arrive.

Flanagan's on the Lake (Ballina): the big waterfront bar and restaurant, terrace over the river, steaks and seafood, screens for the golf.
Goosers (Ballina): thatched, low-ceilinged, turf fire, famous for its fish and its sessions. Book early.
Molly's Bar & Restaurant (Ballina): balcony with the best bridge view in town; sports bar below.
The Lakeside Hotel (Ballina): hotel dining room and bar with a terrace and a leisure centre with pool, if the house you booked lacks one.
The Wooden Spoon (Killaloe): daytime café for breakfast, brunch and baking before an afternoon on the lake.
Killaloe Hotel & Spa (Killaloe): spa afternoons for the non-golfers, and a solid restaurant.
Bar Square, Luskins and Dillons (Ballina): local favourites for a relaxed dinner or a late pint.

Supermarkets: a Centra in Killaloe and a SuperValu in Ballina, both a short walk from any of our homes. Limerick city has every chain you could want 30 minutes away.

Golf nearby

American visitors to the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club stayed an average of nearly five extra days, and most of them played golf. Within two hours of Killaloe you have more good links courses than anywhere else in the world.

Course	Type	From Killaloe	Notes
East Clare Golf Club, Bodyke	Parkland	20 min	Our local. Relaxed, scenic, easy to get a tee time. Ideal warm-up on arrival day.
Nenagh Golf Club	Parkland	25 min	Well-kept members' course, friendly welcome, good value.
Castletroy / Limerick Golf Club	Parkland	30 min	Two historic Limerick city clubs; Limerick GC at Ballyclough is one of Ireland's oldest.
Dromoland Castle	Parkland	40 min	Castle-estate course with lake and woodland; pair with lunch at the castle.
Portumna Golf Club	Parkland	45 min	Runs through Portumna Forest Park at the top of Lough Derg; deer on the fairways.
Lahinch Golf Club (Old)	Links	1 hr 20	Old Tom Morris and Alister MacKenzie. The Dell and the Klondyke. World top 50. Book a year out.
Ballybunion (Old)	Links	1 hr 45	Tom Watson's favourite. Dunes the size of houses above the Atlantic. World top 20.
Trump International, Doonbeg	Links	1 hr 30	Greg Norman original, reworked by Martin Hawtree. Dramatic dunes, good hotel for a night away.
Tralee Golf Club	Links	1 hr 50	Arnold Palmer's first European design; the back nine is as scenic as golf gets.
Old Head of Kinsale	Clifftop	2 hrs 10	Nine holes along 300-foot cliffs. A splurge; combine with a night in Kinsale.
Waterville	Links	2 hrs 45	Far down the Ring of Kerry; for a two-night Kerry loop rather than a day trip.

Tee times on the famous links for Ryder Cup week will be released and taken a year or more ahead, and green fees run €250 to €400. Book directly with the clubs, and pre-book a taxi for the day so nobody has to skip the pint afterwards.

Day trips

30 min

Bunratty Castle & Folk Park

A restored 15th-century tower house and a recreated 19th-century village. Medieval banquets in the evening. It is on the way to Shannon Airport.

30 min

Limerick city

King John's Castle, the Hunt Museum, the Milk Market on Saturday mornings. Limerick is also where the Ryder Cup fan zones and most of the hotels are.

45 min

Birr Castle & Lough Derg's east shore

The Great Telescope, once the largest in the world, and gardens with a 300-year-old box hedge. Drive up the Tipperary shore through Dromineer and Terryglass on the way.

1 hr 20

Cliffs of Moher & the Burren

214 metres of cliff above the Atlantic, then the limestone landscape of the Burren. Come back by Doolin and Lahinch.

1 hr 20

Galway

A lively small city: Shop Street, the Spanish Arch, good restaurants. There is a train back to Limerick if nobody wants to drive.

1 hr 50

Killarney & the Ring of Kerry

Muckross House, the lakes, the Gap of Dunloe, and the full 180 km Ring of Kerry if you leave early. A long day, or a good overnight.

2 hrs 15

Dingle & Slea Head

A harbour town with good seafood and a lot of pubs, then the Slea Head loop road to the view of the Blasket Islands. Better as an overnight than a day trip.

1 hr 30

Loop Head & Kilkee

Much quieter than the Cliffs of Moher: a lighthouse at the western tip of Clare, cliff walks, and Kilkee's beach on the way back.

2 hrs

Dublin

Straight up the M7, or by train from Limerick. Trinity's Book of Kells, the Guinness Storehouse and Temple Bar. Better as the first or last two nights of the trip than as a day.