Ballyshrule: Spinning History, Cheese and Lough Derg

Ballyshrule has a history of spinning, a cheese producer and boating facilities at Cloondavaun Bay Marina on Lough Derg. These features show different sides of the area: the former processing of flax and wool, the making and ageing of cheese, and moorings and technical services for boats.

Flax and wool: a former spinning mill

About 35 years ago, Ballyshrule had a spinning mill where farmers spun flax they had grown themselves and wool. Flax was spun using the foot, while wool was spun by hand. The two techniques therefore differ according to the material; the reference to home-grown flax also describes the origin of this raw material.

Cheesemaking at Killeen Farmhouse Cheese

Killeen Farmhouse Cheese makes cheese on its own farm using milk from its 200 goats; a local farmer also supplies cow’s milk for cheesemaking. The business was named Supreme Champion at the Irish Cheese Awards in 2011, 2014 and 2019. One example is Killeen Goat, a Gouda. After three months, it tastes fresh, mild and milky, with a slightly tangy note on the finish. As it ages for up to five months, it develops more fruitiness and then gradually becomes nuttier.

Dinner at the Red Oak

Guests can have dinner by the fireplace at the Red Oak; payment is cash only. Dinner is served from 5 pm, though the dining time may change. Check the time before your visit.

Cloondavaun Bay Marina on Lough Derg

Cloondavaun Bay Marina lies on the western shore of Lough Derg, near Portumna in County Galway, and is considered peaceful, sheltered and scenic. It offers moorings for cruising yachts, sailboats and smaller watercraft, as well as a boat-lifting service for cruising yachts and sailboats. Comprehensive maintenance services are available on site. For the winter months, the marina offers storage in a covered facility covering 24,000 square feet or on a paved outdoor area.

Galway: Trails and cultural attractions

In the Galway destination area, several trails can be compared by length and destination. The easy Family Trail in Coole Park is the shortest at 1.75 km: it passes the site of the former house and goes through the walled garden to the Autograph Tree. The Seven Woods Trail is 4.5 km long and passes a viewpoint over Coole Lake and extensive wetlands. The Diamond Hill Walk in Connemara National Park leads to the 445 m summit of Diamond Hill over a distance of 6.5 km. The differences are therefore not just in trail length, but also in the destinations: the garden and Autograph Tree on the shorter Coole trail, wetlands along the longer Coole trail, and a summit on the Diamond Hill Walk.

Cultural attractions are also part of the Galway destination area. Dún Aonghasa is over 3,000 years old. Its visitor centre is open year-round and offers guided tours; it is at the start of a 1 km walking path to the cliff-top fort. Kylemore Abbey began in the 1860s as a lakeside castle that Mitchell Henry had built for his wife, Margaret.

Discover more destinations: Ballinasloe, Rinvyle, Oranmore, Clarinbridge, Inishbofin, Inishmaan, Inishmore, Carna.

For the main travel overview: Galway.