Banagher - a picturesque Riverside setting::
Banagher uncrowded, rich in history and with a charm all of its own, nestles in the heart of Ireland. Built on the majestic River Shannon, the longest river in the British Isles, its an ideal base for touring Ireland. It's main attractiveness is it's complete naturalness made up of beautiful rivers and boglands. A fisherman's paradise with the Rivers Shannon, Brosna, Lough Derg, Lough Allen and the Grand Canal. Offaly's unpolluted waters is home to all types of fish - salmon, perch, pike, brown trout, bream, eels, roach and rudd.
Local Attractions::
The Shannon and its tributaries provide opportunities for cruising, sailing, canoeing, fishing and birdwatching while mountains, eskers, bogs and farmland offer a variety of scenery for rambling, climbing, horseriding, cycling or driving. The area is unspoilt, the traffic moderate and most importantly, the people in the countryside, towns and villages are friendly.
For evening entertainment Banagher offers a selection of pubs and restaurants to suit all tastes and ages e.g. traditional and modern music pubs, fully licenced restaurants and fast food outlets or join the locals in a card game.
Main Tourist Attractions::
The main tourist attractions in Offaly are:-
Clonmacnoise - A famous monastic site founded by St. Kieran in 584 A.D. Ireland's last High King Rory of Connor was buried here in 1198. The site contains a cathedral, eight church ruins, two round towers as well as high crosses, hundreds of monumental slabs and the remains of a castle. It is one of the world's most famous monastic sites.
Birr Castle Demesne - In the beautiful heritage town of Birr, famous for its Georgian architecture is one of Europe's finest ornamental gardens with exotic blooms and shrubs. It also features the world's tallest boxwood hedges and a giant telescope built in 1845. The telescope looks and moves as it did over 150 years ago.
Golf:
Banagher is surrounded by superb golf courses the nearest being Birr which is 5 miles away. Founded in 1893, Birr Golf Club is one of the finest parkland courses in the country carved out of natural woodlands and eskers.
Esker Hills Golf & Country Club, Tullamore - 22 miles.
Portumna, Athlone & Ballinasloe Golf Clubs all within 20 miles.
Mount Juliet, venue for the Irish Open 40/45 miles.
Visitors are welcome and are given a warm 'Cead Mile Failte.'
(100,000 welcomes in Irish).
Other Activities:
Bird watching
Learn more about this vacation rental at the owner's website:
