Castleconnell, Co. Limerick

Castleconnell (Caisleán Uí Chonaill in Irish) is a scenic village on the banks of the River Shannon, some 11 km (7 miles) from Limerick city and within a few minutes walk of the boundaries with counties Clare and Tipperary.

The ruins of the 'Castle of Connell' (in fact the castle of a family named Gunning), from which the name of the village derives, was built on a rock outcrop overlooking the bend of the river. It was destroyed in a siege by the army of General Ginkel, fighting in support of the Army of William of Orange at the end of the 17th Century. Even today a large chunk of the castle wall lies some fifty feet from the castle, thrown clear across the road by siege cannons. A footbridge over the Shannon - built during the 1939-1945 Emergency by the Irish Army under Captain Carley Owens - connects counties Limerick and Clare.

Known for its fishing - both coarse and sport - it has a history as a fishing destination stretching back into the 19th Century. Reputedly fished by royalty in those days (and by distinguished figures such as former Republic of Ireland football manager Jack Charlton these days), many fine salmon and trout have been caught in its environs. The Shannon Electricity Scheme and its Ardnacrusha dam at Parteen changed the fortunes of the village considerably in the 1930s when it reduced the flow of water south of the dam to approximately one sixth, dropping water levels along the Shannon.

The engineers added a fish lift to the dam, allowing fish to be lifted in a water-filled container and thereby pass upstream to their traditional spawning beds. The river at Castleconnell is also known for its rich bird life, and particularly its swans, many of which are migratory Icelandic Whooper Swans wintering and breeding on the river. The native swans are mute.

Gardens

There is no featured garden in the area

Golf

View across the 10th green
Dromoland Castle Golf Club
Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare
Course Type: Parkland
Dromoland Castle Golf and Country Club has been in existence since 1962 and golf has been played for 43 years over the lush rolling tree lined landscape that drains into Dromoland Lough with the Castle as a backdrop. The course has been entir ...

Self Catering

There is no featured selfcatering establishment in the area

What's On

Nenagh Farmers Market - Co Tipperary - Saturdays
Nenagh Farmers Market - Every Saturday 10-3pm

Quintins Way, Nenagh, Co Tipperary

Contact: Michael Seymour 086 400 0680

Tourist Attractions

Adare Castle - Adare County Limerick Ireland
Adare Castle
Adare, Co. Limerick
Adare Castle, or Desmond Castle as it is popularly known, stands in a strategic position on the north bank of the Maigue and is regarded as a fine example of the medieval fortified castle in Ireland. It was an important stronghold of the Earl ...

Wedding Venues

Dromoland Castle Hotel - Newmarket on Fergus County Clare Ireland - Wedding Venue
Dromoland Castle Hotel
Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare
The ancestral home of the O’Briens, barons of Inchiquin and direct descendants of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, this is one of the few Irish estates tracing its history back to Gaelic royal families, and it is now one of Ireland’s ...
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