Ring of Lough Derg B&B Clare Ireland Glocca Morra B&B Scenic Drive

Ring of Lough Derg
Scenic Drive

Take the meandering Ring of Lough Derg Scenic Drive and
see the picturesque villages through three different counties!
Starting at Glocca Morra B&B in County Clare, turn left out
of the drive towards Scarriff. Two km on the right hand side
you will come to the first of several lookout points. Here you
can see Holy Island in the distance and also the shorelines
of Scarriff and Mountshannon. Continue on this road to the
town of Tuamgraney where the East Clare Heritage Centre
is located in what is probably the oldest church in Ireland still
in use. At the junction ahead, turn right onto the R352 to
Scarriff. Follow this road to Mountshannon where you can
turn right past the Mountshannon Hotel to the harbour. Here
you can take a boat to Holy Island and see Ogonnelloe and
the Arra Mountains of Tipperary with Tountinna being the
tallest. Back to the main road, turn right and follow the road
through Whitegate on the way to Portumna. You will pass
through many small villages including Gorteeny and Power's
Cross all in County Galway. Follow into Portumna where you
can stop off at Portumna Castle turning right past the church.
This old manor house is still under reconstruction and is
worth the small admission price to see the grounds and first
floor. Don't miss the Kitchen Garden. Upon leaving the
castle, go straight ahead to the junction and turn right. This
will take you across the bridge in Portumna, which is the
northern most point of Lough Derg. Across the bridge you
enter County Tipperary. Follow the signs for the N52 to the
village of Carrigahorig. Just up the hill take a right hand turn
to Terryglass on the R493. This will take you through the
quaint villages of Terryglass, Ballinderry, Coolbaun and
Puchane. The narrow winding roads are well worth the trip
when you enter Puchane where you will see old thatched
roof cottages that can be rented as summer holiday homes.
Continue on this road in the direction of Nenagh and back to
the N52. Turn right and follow the signs to Dublin/Limerick
N7 through 2 roundabouts. At the third roundabout, take the
Portroe exit. This is the R494. Follow this road through
Portroe and about another 2 km is a lookout point on the
right hand side. Here you can see all of upper Lough Derg,
and yes, Holy Island and Mountshannon in the distance.
Continue on the R494 in the direction of Ballina and at the
mini roundabout turn right to cross the bridge. Just past
Molly’s turn right and this will bring you to the parking lot on
your left and here you can take the Spirit of Killaloe cruise at
2:30pm which brings you into the main basin of Lough Derg
and gives a history of the area and King Brian Boru. After
the cruise you may want to explore the twin towns of
Killaloe/Ballina and walk along the canal built as a passage
for boats around the 13 arch bridge before the hydroelectric
scheme flooded the area in 1929. Be sure to check out the
Brian Boru Heritage Centre to learn about the history of
Killaloe and Ireland's greatest High King, Brian Boru. Next,
return to the carpark and turn right at Molly’s to cross the
bridge into Killaloe. At the end of the bridge turn right in the
direction of Scarriff. Continue on this road and just before the
80km speed signs you will come to Brian Boru’s ring fort on
your right hand side. This is a lovely serene ring fort that has
been dated to the time of King Brian Boru’s reign. Continue
on in the direction of Scarriff and 2 km past here is a small
picnic area on your right called Two Mile Gate. Here you can
feed the ducks and swans and take a stroll around the area
and for the courageous, take a dip in the cool waters of
Lough Derg (The Lake of the Bloody Eye).
Continue on this road for about 5 km and you'll find yourself
back home at Glocca Morra!

Brian Boru's Fort, Killaloe, Clare, Ireland

Back to Glocca Morra B&B