'SHANNON PRINCESS II': RIVER
SHANNON & LOUGH DERG ITINERARY:
An Introduction to RIVER SHANNON AND LOUGH DERG
The river crossing at Athlone has been guarded by a castle
for almost a thousand years. The original timber
construction was built in 1129 by a native Irish chieftain,
Turlough O'Connor. It was replaced by the present stone
structure in 1210 by John de Gray, Archbishop of Norwich, to
act as a bridgehead for the Norman invasion of Connaught,
Ireland's western province. The castle's battlements still
offer a spectacular view of the River Shannon and the
surrounding countryside.
Since Viking times, there have been five bridges at Banagher,
which was built to fortify this important place for crossing
the River Shannon. The town was a convenient point for
shipping and was a harbor after a canal was built at the end
of the 18th century. When Victoria Lock was constructed, the
River became navigable for ocean-going ships, and many Irish
emigrants to America departed from here. The Victorian
novelist Anthony Trollope resided in Banagher for three
years, and Charlotte Brontë spent her honeymoon nearby.
Banagher's ruined church dates from the late 11th or early
12th century.
Birr Castle and Gardens has been the seat of the Parsons
family, the Earls of Rosse, for fourteen generations. There
has been a castle on this site since 1170, and the present
structure (not open to the public) is the family's private
home. The Science Center here documents the family's many
achievements, including a telescope built by the 3rd Earl of
Rosse in 1845. Made up of a 56-foot-long wooden tube that is
partly underground, the telescope is supported by two huge
walls. Astronomers from as far away as Australia, Russia,
and the United States once came to use it. After a
restoration, the telescope now operates as it originally did
more than 150 years ago. The property's 150 acres were
landscaped in the 18th century; and the original design and
layout are still maintained, including formal gardens,
woodland walks, a river, a small lake, and informal gardens
that surround the Castle. There are well over 1,000 species
of trees and shrubs.
The monastery of Clonmacnois was founded in the 6th century
by St. Ciarán. It is one of the most famous monastic sites
in Ireland and was the burial place for the Kings of
Connaught and Tara. The original settlement consisted of the
abbot's house, a church, and the beehive huts of Ciarán's
seven companions. Ciarán never lived to see his community
flourish, however, as he died at the age of thirty just
seven months after it was founded. But Clonmacnois'
reputation as a center of learning soon spread throughout
Europe, and the original settlement expanded into a cluster
of stone churches, numerous dwellings, and a round tower.
Many famous manuscripts were written at Clonmacnois,
including the Book of Dun Cow, so named because it was
supposedly written on vellum made from the hide of St.
Ciarán's cow. The monastery was plundered many times from
the 9th century onwards and finally reduced to a ruin in
1552 by the English garrison stationed at nearby Athlone,
but among the remains are two complete High Crosses.
Ireland's fourth-largest city, Galway has expanded beyond
its medieval core of narrow streets into a lively university
town of quaint shop fronts and busy pubs. Eyre Square, the
city's center, contains a statue of Galway-born writer
Padraic O'Conaire. The 16th-century town house known as
Lynch's Castle stands on the corner of Shop Street and
Abbeygate Street Upper. Now a bank, it was once the home of
one of Galway's most powerful ruling families, the Lynches.
The grey stone facade is finely carved with gargoyles and
the family crest. The 14th-century Church of St. Nicholas is
the city's finest medieval building. It is dedicated to St.
Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. According to legend,
Christopher Columbus prayed in the Lady Chapel here before
setting off for the New World. At one time in its history,
Galway traded avidly with Spain; and the Spanish Arch
breached the city's protective walls to enable ships to
enter the harbor to unload their goods.
Situated on the banks of the River Shannon just below Lough
Derg, Killaloe is at the center of one of Ireland's most
beautiful and historic areas. Saints Lua (or Molua) and
Flannan are honored here, and the town is sometimes called
Cill Dalua (The Church of Lua) after Saint Lua who had his
monastery on an island in the River. St. Flannan, whose
death was recorded in 778, was the son of a local chieftain;
and his shrine was once venerated here. But Killaloe is best
known as the birthplace and home of Brian Boru, the
11th-century High King of Ireland. His palace, Kincora, was
at the summit of Killaloe's hill.
One of Ireland's largest lakes, Lough Derg is aptly called
the country's "pleasure lake." It is navigable over its
total 25-mile length from Portumna in the north to Killaloe
and Ballina in the south. Lough Derg is very much a lake of
myth and history. Its shores have been settled since
prehistoric times, and its channel is one of Ireland's
oldest routes. In early medieval times hermits, heroes,
soldiers, raiders, students, and pilgrims all travelled
along this 'highway' from the Atlantic Ocean to the Irish
midlands.
As the name suggests, Mountshannon overlooks Ireland's
longest river, the Shannon, and is located on the shores of
beautiful Lough Derg. Initially an 18th-century planned
town, it was designed and built by Alexander Woods as a
thrifty and industrious Protestant community and was once a
center of linen manufacture. In 1983, Mountshannon won the
Tidy Towns Competition and is still a picturesque village
with a tree-lined avenue. Holy Island (Inis Cealtra), so
called because of its monastic ruins, can be reached by boat
from Mountshannon.
In 300 BC, the Roman cartographer Ptolemy mapped the River
Shannon as an important trade route. During the first
millennium AD, Viking long boats sailed up its waters
through misty bogs to loot the medieval monastery at
Clonmacnois. Today, the Shannon is the backbone of a vast
network of Irish inland waterways. Nature has endowed the
River with many treasures, including first-class fishing,
abundant bird life, and incredible scenery.
Terryglass is a small and beautifully maintained village on
the County Tipperary side of Lough Derg. The harbor here is
quite small and situated at the foot of the hill on which
the town rests. Terryglass is the site of a 6th century
monastic settlement, of which only a small part remains.
SUNDAY
Meet in Dublin at Aberdeen Lodge Hotel at 3:00 pm and
transfer to 'Shannon Princess II,' moored in Killaloe. After
a champagne welcome, explore the charming riverside town
before dinner on board.
MONDAY
Cruise through the fjord-like reaches of the River
Shannon onto lovely Lough Derg. At the lake's widest point,
ease westward to a mooring at Mountshannon, perched high
above the water. After lunch, visit the Craggaunowen
Project, a re-creation of everyday life in the Iron Age and
early Christian Ireland.
TUESDAY
Cruise to Terryglass, winner of Ireland's "Tidiest
Town." Have lunch ashore at the quaint Derg Restaurant,
followed by an excursion to Leap Castle, Ireland's most
haunted house. Learn the fascinating history of the castle
from Sean Ryan and his family who, as they will demonstrate,
are also talented traditional musicians.
WEDNESDAY
An excursion to the lively university town of Galway
includes a tour of the famed Irish crystal factory. After
lunch at the popular and unique Quays Restaurant, there is
time to shop on the way to an overnight mooring at Banagher.
THURSDAY
Travel toward the riverside town of Athlone, stopping en
route at the ruins of Clonmacnoise, a famed 6th-century
university and early Christian settlement. After a visit to
the interpretive center, continue north through Europe's
richest examples of "callows" landscape in one of Ireland's
finest wildflower reserves.
FRIDAY
Cruise north today to Lough Ree to explore some of the
365 islands, mooring at pretty Quigley's Marina on the
beautiful "Inner Lakes" of the Lough. After lunch, a visit
to Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre with its excavated bog
road made of oak and built in 148 BC. Return to 'Shannon
Princess II' for a final farewell dinner on board.
SATURDAY
After breakfast, transfer back to Dublin where your tour
ends at the Aberdeen Lodge Hotel.
Note: This route is run in reverse on alternate
weeks.
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