Tag: Discover Lough Derg

Revive & Thrive on Workation at Fuchsia Lane Farm

Technology now allows us to work from anywhere! Join the large number of guests who are choosing Fuchsia Lane Farm to work and holiday.

Our woodland Zen Zone is an ideal place to begin, or end, your day. Enjoy our bikes to cycle to the village or join us on our regular morning swims in Lough Derg. Our Sauna leaves you feeling invigorated and ready to embrace the day’s work.

We have learned some things that help our ‘workationers’ to have that ideal mix of work and play!  Workstation at Fuchsia Lane Farm

  • Put a structure in place for work, relaxation and fun.  
  • Focus on work for a period in the morning and then put away the laptop when completed.  
  • If you have a second device such as a tablet or iPad, use that for your entertainment and personal needs and leave the work laptop for work.  
  • Before you start work, take some time for exercise, yoga or focused breathwork etc.  

A good workspace helps to  focus, and with our quiet areas and peaceful fields you can revive and thrive.  We can supply you with a good chair for longer periods at your desk. Very good WiFi to allow you to make those Zoom calls is a must, and we have all you need in that regard.

workationSo if you would like a ‘Workation’ – a creative space to work on that novel or business plan, either on your own, with a partner or family, who can enjoy their holiday too, Fuchsia Lane farm is the place for you. The local village has great gastropubs, coffee, music and yoga classes if you wish to ‘live like a local’.  If you are thinking of travelling from overseas then you can still keep an eye on the bottom line while you have your rural vacation in our ‘Real Rural Retreat’.  Your chance to Revive and Thrive in 2022!

#discoverloughderg  #visitipp #irelandshiddenheartlands #workandholiday #digitalnomad

Tipperary – Best Holiday Destination 2022

Visitors to Ireland should spend more time in Co Tipperary, according to the prestigious travel publication Condé Nast Traveller. In its recent list of 22 destinations to visit in 2022, Tipperary is a stand out entry for anyone with an interests in food, a passion for the outdoors and sustainable community tourism.

Here at Fuchsia Lane Farm we particularly loved the reference in the guide to “Walk it all off along the blustery shoreline of Lough Derg, where you’ll be joined by kayakers, paddleboarders and cyclists whizzing alongside acres of cheerful wildflower meadows”

So why not get ahead of the curve and make your plans for 2022 to visit Tipperary and meet local people, artisan food producers and experience the outdoors ranging from mountain walks and trekking to lakeside activities such as paddle boarding and sailing.

If you wish to read the full article you will find it here

 

#CondeNastTraveller #Tipperary #LoughDerg #FoodieHolidays

Looking forward to a brighter future!

As vaccinations roll out across the country and among the countries where all our lovely guests come from, we look forward to the day when, once more, there will be the wonderful sounds of laughter and the activity of guests around the place. Our walks, woodland meditation zone and open spaces all await you and we will have your cottage all cosy and snug for your restful stay.  So keep Fuchsia Lane Farm in your hearts and we will all meet again soon!

As a little teaser of some of the beautiful sounds and calming environment to be found on our farm or down at the quayside in Terryglass, we are sharing this little clip!

 

 

Ardnacrusha Visitor Experience

In the early years of the fledgling Irish State, shortly after Independence, the ambitious project of creating Ireland’s first Hydro Electric Power Station was born.  This facility, when completed in the mid 1920’s provided most of the energy needs of the emerging Republic.  Located on the River Shannon, harnessing the power contained in the volume of water in Lough Derg, this project was an ambitious and visionary undertaking designed to help bring Ireland into the modern world at that time.

Today the Power Station, operated by Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board,  provides a much lower percentage of the Country’s needs, however it still stands as a powerful testament to our founding fathers.  

The centre now provides for group and individual tours and bookings can be made during the summer season online via this link

Ardnacrusha Hydro Electric Station is approximately 50 mins drive from your Fuchsia Lane Farm self catering cottage in Terryglass and you can also include a visit to Limerick city or Killaloe/Ballina as part of your day.

 

 

Guided Tours of the monastic village of Lorrha

The Monastic Village of Lorrha Guided Tours every Thursday 7.30pm. Includes visits to St.Ruadhan’s Well, 11th century Great Stone Church of Lorrha, remains of 8/9th century High Crosses, 15/16th Augustinian Priory, 13th century Dominican Priory & Horizontal Mill plus more hidden gems. Tales of Monks, Murder, Mysteries & Monsters, High Kings & Vikings. The History, Archaeology, Folklore and legends combined in an easy going and fun walk & talk of village

Guided tours of Lorrha
Monastic Tours of Lorrha

Aqua Splash Dromineer

Aqua Splash Dromineer

We are delighted to see that Aqua Splash makes a return to Lough Derg for the 2018 season.  This is a great place to allow children (of all ages!) to enjoy the water, burn off some energy and simply have a splash in the wonderful Lough Derg. It is another example of the great activities that can be found all around the lake area, all part of the Lough Derg Blueway     Dromineer is one of the lovely villages found around the lake and while there you can enjoy coffee and treats in the Lake Cafe 

 

Aqua Splash

Coffee in Portumna Castle

Coffee in Portumna Castle

We are very excited with the opening of Portumna Castle and Gardens this weekend as the season begins.  This is always a great place to visit, so full of history and lore and the guides there will really bring the place to life for you.  The kitchen garden, which has painstakingly restored over the years is a lovely place to browse and see how vegetable gardens were managed in the past to supply all the vegetable needs of the ‘big house’.

This season sees a new coffee shop and exhibition space on the Castle Grounds. This is housed in the beautifully restored stables yards and we are sure it will become  a great spot to visit!

#Portumna #coffeelovers #thingstodo #Terryglass #LoughDergBlueway

Portumna Castle Coffee shop

News from Terryglass

News from Terryglass!

Spring is doing its best to edge into our lives at the moment, despite some unexpected snow which has given many of us an unexpected day to catch up on all those jobs that we say we will do ‘someday’!  The snowdrops are giving their last bit of bloom as they begin to fade away after announcing to the world that the winter is almost over.  Their fragile white petals are always a joy to see this time of year.  Their friends and ‘second wave’ of Spring Heralds are out and they are giving a lovely splash of yellow along the hedgerows and gardens.

In Terryglass the local Improvements Association are working away on creating a new playground as well as improving berthing facilities for the fishing boats. This work is really welcome as this area of the harbour had become a little inaccessible due to the build up of silt and it will be great to be able to have our little fishing boat back in the water there soon.

The Derg Inn, under new management, has the contractors in as they work on a new kitchen and some internal improvements and we look forward to seeing what is in store there soon.

Paddy’s Bar and Restaurant continues to serve up good food and is still a great spot for a drink with the locals. No need for Social Media friends when you can meet real people in a genuine Irish pub!

Portumna is seeing some new developments with a new coffee shop opening in the courtyard of Portumna Castle.  This should be a lovely addition to the list of ‘great places to have coffee around Lough Derg’ and will be of value to both locals and visitors to the area.  

It is still a relatively quiet time in terms of visitors to our cottages, however we have had some wonderful guests from overseas who were looking for a quiet vacation rental in Ireland. The opportunity to meet interesting people, from varying places and backgrounds,  is one of the things we love about our business.

So if you are planning to take a trip or make a visit to our area, just let us know and  we will do our best if there is anything we can do to assist!

Portumna Castle & Gardens

Portumna Castle & Gardens

Each year we look forward to the opening of this wonderful place on March 1st.  Portumna Castle dates back to 1618 when it was built by Richard de Burgo, the 4th Earl of Clanricarde, being the seat of the de Burgo family for 200 years.  The Castle and Grounds have been restored in recent years and the first floor of the building is now open and houses an exhibition and interpretive panels detailing its history.

The Castle walled gardens are set out as a traditional kitchen garden for the ‘big house’  and some wonderful produce can be seen (and tasted) there in season.  The formal gardens are imposing lawns and gravelled pathways laid out in striking geometric patterns.

This year we all looking forward to seeing the addition of a coffee shop and exhibition space in the old stables adjacent to the Castle.  This should result in a lovely space to spend a few minutes and to soak up the history and ambience of this wonderful place!

#Portumna #thingstodo #Terryglass #selfcatering #Heritage #castles

Portumna Castle Portumna Co. Galway Ireland
Portumna Castle
Portumna Castle

 

Coffee shop at Portumna
Coffee shop underway

Canoes and Kayaks on Lough Derg

Canoes and Kayaks on Lough Derg!

We are so fortunate to be living close to Lough Derg, the largest lake on the River Shannon.  This majestic lake has played a central part in the regions history and development.  In ancient times it provided access to settlers and invaders alike, became a source of valuable fish for those living around the lake, then in early Christian times it enabled the early monks to settle and create places of learning on Holy Island and also Terryglass.  Lovers of Ireland’s famous drink, Guinness, might be interested to hear that the lake also was a method of transportation for Malting Barley, grown by local farmers, which is an essential element in the production of the famous drink.  Local farmers brought their harvest to the local piers along the lake and it was then transported in the famous Guinness barges up the lake and along the Grand Canal to Dublin.  One of the local harbours in the area is Kilgarvan Quay and one can still see the old warehouse and winches used to load the sacks of grain onto the barges.

However the lake now has become a wonderful leisure playground for locals and visitors alike and a new enterprise has emerged at Kilgarvan Quay!  A young energetic and sporting couple, Becky and Rueben, have established Lough Derg Watersports and provide canoeing and kayaking for individuals, groups and parties of all sizes and abilities along the Lough Derg Blueway.   Guests can learn the basics, enjoy guided trails on the water and have lots of fun with their wonderful tutors!  Full details can be found at  loughdergwatersports.com  and on Facebook and Twitter.