Dromineer Castle - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The Nenagh River rises in the Silvermine Mountains in County Tipperary, Ireland. It flows east of Nenagh and into Lough Derg just north of Dromineer. The river, and its tributary the Ollatrim river, is popular for angling, it holds a stock of wild salmon and trout. There are also coarse fish particularly near the mouth of the river during spawning times.

The Lough Derg Way is a long-distance trail in Ireland. It follows a mix of riverbank, canal bank, forest track, old roadway and minor roads. Along the way the route passes through the hamlet of Clonlara, the village of O’Briensbridge and the ancient town of Killaloe, which was once home of the famous 11th century High King of Ireland, Brian Boru. Killaloe is a heritage town, and interested walkers will want to linger at St Flannan’s Cathedral with its early Christian oratory.

Tullaun Castle is a Gaelic four-storey tower house that is believed to have been built in the mid 1500s.The Castle dates back to 1570 when Dermot Kennedy was the first recorded owner. According to current owner Sonja Bergin – “it is a Kennedy Castle in Kennedy Country“! John, William & Rory Kennedy were the last Kennedy owners in the 1640’s. Tullaun apparently means grassy knoll but enough of that sort of talk.

The Nenagh Heritage Centre is located in two stone Georgian buildings, built in 1840-1842 as the Governor's House and Gatehouse of an extensive Gaol complex for North Tipperary, which held thousands of prisoner's until its closure in 1887. It historically housed those sentenced to death by public hanging. Between 1842 and 1858, 17 Tipperary men were executed here. After its closure, the property was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy for educational purposes.

Nenagh Castle was built by Theobald Walter and is the oldest building, and its construction in the 13th century laid the foundation for the development of the town. Built from limestone Nenagh Castle measures fifty-five feet in external diameter at the base and rises to a height of one hundred feet. The Castle features four storeys and thanks to a recent renovation this wonderful landmark now represents the town’s premier tourist attraction.

Inis Cealtra is a 50-acre island on River Shannon and is located near Mountshannon in Co Clare. It’s unique, even in Ireland, in that there are monuments and artifacts here, dating back over 1000 years, that have survived in a wonderful state of preservation because of their secluded island location. Boat trips can be taken from the harbour at Mountshannon. It is conserved by the East Clare Heritage Centre.