Inis Cealtra Unveiled: Clare’s New Visitor Experience
A new visitor centre opening this summer delves into the story of Inis Cealtra (Holy Island), one of Ireland’s most important ecclesiastical heritage sites.
Holy Island Lough Derg, Co Clare
The fascinating history and folklore surrounding one of Ireland’s most important ecclesiastical heritage sites, Inis Cealtra, will be revealed in a new visitor centre opening this summer in the picturesque village of Mountshannon, County Clare.
Located on a tiny island in beautiful Lough Derg, Inis Cealtra, or Holy Island, has been an important Christian site since the sixth century and today visitors can explore the mystical remains of its six churches, round tower, monastic cell and cemetery.
The new visitor centre in nearby Mountshannon will provide cultural, historical, and environmental insights into the monastic site and the island through ultramodern interactive exhibitions and audiovisual displays. It will offer boat trips to the island and guided tours making the site more accessible than ever before but with an emphasis on protecting the natural and cultural landscape.
Mountshannon Harbour Lough Derg Co Clare
Inis Cealtra is known as the ‘Jewel of Lough Derg’ and is one of the highlights of a visit to this part of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. Spend a while on the peaceful island and then immerse yourself in the fascinating revelations about its history brilliantly presented in the new visitor centre. Take time to explore historic Mountshannon, which has a lively arts and traditional music scene as well as being a popular bird-watching area boasting resident white-tailed sea eagles.
The harbour village with its blue flag beach is also a great base for enjoying all that the Lough Derg Blueway has to offer. The lough is a premier spot for canoeing, kayaking, paddle-boarding and cruising, while swimmers can enjoy safe lakeside bathing.
For those who prefer dry land, the area has a superb hiking landscape. Mountshannon is a trailhead for the East Clare Way, a 172km circular route that crosses mountains, skirts lakeland areas, traverses rugged boglands and passes through historic towns and pretty villages such as Scariff and Killaloe.
Craggaunowen Pre-Historic Park, Co Clare
Inis Cealtra is just one of many fascinating heritage sites in County Clare. To discover more about Ireland’s ancient heritage, head further west to spend a day at Craggaunowen Castle & Crannog. Here a sixteenth-century castle reveals its rich history and is the first step in your journey into the past which continues with the remarkable Living Past Experience set two millennia ago. Discover how the ancient Celts lived in a reproduction of a Bronze Age settlement that includes a crannog (a man-made island), ring fort (farmer’s house) and souterrain (underground space). Resident artisans bring the history to life with demonstrations of weaving, smithing, woodworking and storytelling that take you back thousands of years.
County Clare’s other awesome historic sites include Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and Loop Head Lighthouse. The county also has some of Ireland’s top natural attractions. It’s home to the mighty Cliffs of Moher and the remarkable limestone landscape of the Burren on the Wild Atlantic Way making it a destination with something to delight every traveller.