Among the first of our ‘Places to Stay and eBike’ was Fuchsia Lane Farm. Your hosts Niall and Inez offer self catering cottages on a quiet farm site outside of the beautiful harbour village of Terryglass, at the Northern end of Lough Derg. Fuchsia Lane Farm has won numerous awards and was featured in the Irish Times’ ‘Top 100 Best Places To Stay In Ireland’. During your stay you can explore the farm, with a number of walks to choose from. The farm has been in Niall’s family for several generations, and he tells fascinating stories of the links with the past.
Also on site is the Haybarn Hub. As the name suggests, this is a former hay barn which has been converted for use in group activities such as workshops, but can also be used by guests as a games room or for hanging out and watching TV.
As Niall says “Fuchsia Lane Farm has always put sustainability at its core, and eBike travel allows our guests to enjoy the local area is an environmentally friendly way and affords guests a unique connection with the locality. We are implementing actions to reduce carbon emissions, lower waste, and improve biodiversity on the farm. Having eBikes as a form of transport really helps in this and we encourage guests to use the service offered”.
Tours From Fuchsia Lane Farm
We offer a choice of 2 eBike Guided Tours from Fuchsia Lane Farm. For bookings and availability, see Link.
Tour 1 – Monastic Settlement eBike Experience
This tour takes you to Lorrha, which has a 1500-year history as a monastic settlement. Here you will find several churches dating back as much as 1000 years, and an 800-year old castle. It is very much a ‘Hidden Gem’, as it is absolutely dripping with history but you will quite possibly have the place to yourself.
The first port of call is Carrigahorrig, which is now a peaceful river crossing but was the site of numerous battles and skirmishes between local powerful families.
Next we continue on to Lorrha, which was founded in the 6th Century. It became a centre for various monastic orders, and thus a centre for learning. The village had its fair share of turmoil, however, being a target for Viking raids (as was Terryglass), and later being destroyed by the forces of Oliver Cromwell. As we arrive in Lorrha we come first to the ruin of the 13th Century Dominican Friary. As with the other two ancient churches we will visit, you can wander among the ruins and marvel at the feats of engineering involved in creating such buildings without modern equipment. Next we pass on to St Ruadhan’s Church, which is an 11th century building on the site of the original monastery which was founded by St Ruadhan in the 6th Century. The 3rd church we visit is the 12th Century Augustinian Priory.
Moving on from Lorrha, we next come to Lackeen Castle. This was a stronghold of the powerful local family the O’Kennedys, who were forebears of the well-known American Kennedy family. As with any good castle, there are ghost stories around the castle, and you will also hear the story of the rise and fall of the O’Kennedys.
After Lackeen, we will return to Terryglass on quiet country roads.
Tour 2 – The Lake Shores
This tour explores the beautiful countryside between Terryglass and Luska, before following the stunning shoreline back to Terryglass. This tour has a combination of historic buildings and beautiful views.
First we travel through farmland until we arrive at Annagh Castle. As with Lackeen, this was owned by the O’Kennedy family and you will hear the story of one-time owner Edward O’Kennedy who perished during a robbery and has (allegedly) guarded the site ever since! From here we move on to a beautiful road along the lake shore, taking in Luska, Kilbarron Quay and my personal favourite, Cleary’s Quay. Here you can admire the views and breathe in the silence.
After Cleary’s Quay we head up the hill to the 12th Century Kilbarron Abbey. Here you can wander among the ruins. The abbey was built on the site of a much earlier abbey, founded by St Barron in the 6th Century. St Barron was a contemporary of St Brendan and is believed by some to have been the first European to sail to North America (predating St Brendan himself).
Next we continue along the lake shore, passing Mota Quay and on to Ballinderry. Here we will pass over the Mouse House Toll Bridge, which dates back to 1776 and still has the toll houses. Finally we arrive back at Terryglass where we can visit the harbour before heading back to Fuchsia Lane Farm.
For details of our other accommodation partners, please visit Places To Stay And eBike.
