The tour starts by crossing the historic bridge at Killaloe. The current bridge was built around 1650, but Killaloe had been a key crossing point of the River Shannon for around 10 centuries before that! On the other side of the river we find ourselves in Ballina, in County Tipperary. Ballina is a pretty town, and we head away from the river bank, along quiet roads until we reach the cycle path on the old Limerick to Dublin road, taking in views of the spectacular Silvermines range along the way. The next port of call is the small village of Birdhill, which features many interesting public artworks and has a real community spirit. Here, we can pause for a high quality coffee at the Old Barracks.
From Birdhill, we start to head back towards the Shannon, taking quiet roads and crossing into County Limerick at O’Brien’s Bridge. Here we cross another historic bridge over the Shannon, before heading on a walking path to Parteen Weir. Parteen Weir was part of a massive engineering project of the 1920s, at a time when Ireland as an independent nation was very young, and it is a real testimony to the visions of the governments of the day that they built such an impressive project. The weir effectively splits the Shannon in two, leaving the river flowing to the east, with a manmade ‘headrace’ to the west of O’Brien’s Bridge, which feeds the hydro electric plant at Ardnacrusha. At the time it was built, this power plant was capable of powering the entire nation, and it is still in use today. So the weir is well worth seeing whether you are a history buff, a fan of large scale engineering, or you just want to admire the views up and down the Shannon.
The final stretch takes us back through County Clare to Killaloe. There is a choice of two routes. The easy route involves taking quiet back roads through the foothills of the Slieve Bearnagh Range.
Alternatively, for the adventurous cyclist, we can head up into the hills from Kilbane (top left of the map above), going through the ‘Gap’ at Lackareagh Mountain, enjoying spectacular views down to the Shannon. Be warned, though, that this route involves some serious climbs and some steep downhills, so is only for the confident cyclist!
The 3 Counties Shannon tour is available as either a guided tour or self-guided. For self-guided, a GPS device will be provided to show you the route. And if you go self-guided, you can either do a Half Day or Full Day rental.
To make a booking, follow the links below.
