10-05-2025
Have fun — and indulge your nosy side! — with a day out in Munster
Much more than people-watching, us Irish love nothing more than house-watching — that being, running the rule over, and judging, other people's homes.
Go on, admit it — you've done this before?! It's human nature, after all — and on a boat tour with Killaloe River Cruises, you can indulge both your interest and envy while cruising Lough Derg.
Two weeks ago, during the mid-term break, I headed to Tipperary and Clare for a day out — and what a day it was. It thundered down rain the entire two-hour car journey from Dublin to our first stop in Ballina in Tipperary for a cruise with Killaloe River Cruises ( But as soon as we arrived, the sun came out and so too did our high spirits as we stepped onboard the Spirit of Killaloe for a tour of Lough Derg.
Killaloe River Cruises also do tours of the River Shannon, nestled in Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, which is preserved by Waterways Ireland.
This boat tour was a real highlight of our trip as we took in the beautiful scenery — and the aforementioned houses dotted all along the shores of Lough Derg as well as some pretty impressive boats — while engrossed in the commentary on the many interesting sites we cruised by. From the history of the Killaloe Canal and the Shannon Scheme of 1929, to the story of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, who kept watch over the river crossing at Beal Boru.
The Spirit of Killaloe is a purpose-built passenger boat with two decks — so on a good day you can sit on the top deck and enjoy the sunshine while on a bad one, you can run for cover in the heated lower deck, which has large windows so you can still take in the views. Perfect. There's also a fully-stocked bar so you can kick back and relax with a beer or Irish coffee while kids will enjoy the hot chocolate and snacks available.
A moment of real delight on this hour-long tour was when the captain let my nephew, aged nine, steer the boat — and he was particularly thrilled to learn that at one point he was in both Tipperary and Clare at the same time.
The departure point for this cruise is right opposite Flanagan's on the Lake — a lovely spot where you can enjoy a drink or bite to eat after your tour. The price for a family of four is just €46.64, with additional children €6, and it runs seven days a week throughout the summer months. Dogs are also welcome onboard so I'll definitely be returning with my little fur baby soon.
Next up on our day out was a quick trip across the lough into Clare for a chocolate-making lesson at Wilde Irish Chocolates (
I've done many chocolate factory tours over the years but this one is by far the best for kids, as it is short and sweet (pun intended!) — meaning, unlike the drive down, there were no moans of 'are we done yet?'.
Once you arrive to the factory in Tuamgraney, Co. Clare, you get straight into making your own personalised bar with the resident chocolatier as part of its Build Your Own Chocolate Bar Experience. This experience, which is suitable for all ages, allows you to customise your own version of a Wilde chocolate bar to take home with you.
And while you wait for your bar to harden, you can enjoy a drink and some house chocolates in the Hot Chocolate Cafe, which has eight different varieties of hot chocolate, while personalising your own wrapper for your bar.
The shop is also choc-full of handmade chocolates — buy some and compare it to your own creation.
The whole experience takes around 30 minutes and is available between 11am and 3.30pm, Monday to Saturday, priced from €11 for adults and children.
Our final stop was to head back to Ballina for dinner in Goosers Bar & Eating House ( where elevated bar food is the order of the day.
Sat in front of a cosy fire, we tucked into some of the best and freshest bar food (if you can even call it that!) I've ever had.
This is the type of food you can just tell has been prepared and cooked from scratch and not a moment before you order it.
Seafood seems to be the real hit here, though, ashamedly, just one of us opted for a fish dinner — Hake in Ale Batter with Mushy Peas, Fries & Tartar Sauce — which went down an absolute treat.
Other dishes we enjoyed were the 8oz Fillet Prime Irish Steak with Cherry Vine Tomatoes, Sautéed Onions, House Fries and Peppercorn Sauce, the Goosers Hereford Beef Burger on a Brioche Bun with Melted Irish Cheddar and Fries and Sausage and Chips.
And you know a meal is good when not a word is spoken during dinner — especially with a chatty nine-year-old in your party.
The staff here are also very attentive — a joke about the Fillet Steak being for the nine-year-old got laughs all round when the waiter realised it was indeed for the nine-year-old — and the atmosphere is inviting and cosy. And it's right on the riverside, bliss.
I highly recommend that you eat here on any visit to Ballina — I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
After a truly enjoyable day out, we hit the road for home with a vow to return in the summer for a day of water activities on Lough Derg — here's hoping the sun comes out for us then too!
