What happens when an Armagh man meets a Tyrone man in an orchard in County Clare?
Well, the Armagh man returns home with a wealth of seed knowledge and a clipping of an apple tree that is growing in a property connected to Armagh GAA manager Kieran McGeeney. It's a random, old world.
You just never know who will meet or what you will learn when you go discovering new adventures in Ireland's Hidden Heartlands
And it just shows that when you keep discovering this island of ours, a treasure trove of unexpected experiences is waiting to be uncovered. And that's exactly what we did on a two-night discovery tour of Tipperary and East Clare.
Our family of four - two girls aged eight and four - were invited as guests of Failte Ireland to stay and experience all that Ireland's Hidden Heartlands has to offer.
For the two-night trip around Tipperary and East Clare, we stayed at The Abbey Court Hotel, which is an independent Irish-owned hotel in the historic town of Nenagh, Tipperary.
It was the perfect base to discover what the surrounding area offers. There is a restaurant and bar on-site and that's where we enjoyed a hearty breakfast each morning.
First up on our pack itinerary was a Killaloe One-Hour River Cruise. They offer daily one-hour tranquil boat tours of the River Shannon and Lough Derg. The tour cruises north along the River Shannon and Lough Derg with stunning views and a journey through heritage and history.
A commentary is provided on all interesting sites as you cruise by and it is a great way to start a trip of the area as you really get a feel for the Lough and how everything from wildlife to folklore revolves around it.
How to get there: The boat departs from Lakeside Drive Ballina which is across the bridge from Killaloe County Clare.
After a quick car journey, we arrived at Aqua Splash. They have lots of fun water activities to discover in a harbour that is packed full of facilities for food, fun, and relaxation. We tried out the pedal boats and took a four-seater out on the lake - the adults in the back doing all the pedaling, of course!
It was a lot of fun and even though it was windy, the boats were pretty easy to pedal. They also have a 'water gym' there surrounded by water, which looked like a lot of fun.
How to get there: You'll find the Aquasplash park at Dromineer Quay
After all the water activities we had worked up an appetite and were delighted to discover the beautiful harbour of Garrykennedy.
After a lovely summer evening walk, we went for dinner in Larkin's Bar and Restaurant. You know you are in for a traditional pub/restaurant treat when you see the thatch roof is being re-done as you approach the front door.
Larkin’s reopened under the new management of Maura and Cormac Boyle and family in March 2006 and they have curated a lovely pub area on the entrance and a breezy, modern restaurant out the back, with great views of the Lough.
The food was great and it was just a pity the rain arrived so we couldn't explore the outside space some more.
A hearty breakfast at the Abbey Court Hotel on day 2 of our discovery adventure, meant we were in good spirits arriving at the Wilde Irish Chocolates shop and factory.
It was a real treat for the girls to make their own chocolate bar - with the 8-year-old taking particular care where all her sprinkles and sweets would go on the bar. Trish was great in explaining everything and allowing us to taste all the different coca.
She was great with the kids and tailored the experience so they would be focused throughout. It was really interesting to watch all the action and listen to the sounds of a chocolate production setting, and the chocolate tasted delicious to boot.
How to get there: Head to Unit 6, Enterprise Centre, Tuamgraney, Co. Clare, V94 83X2
Next on our packed day, two was the Orchard Tour at the Irish Seed Savers Association where we met Jill and Jeremy (The Tyrone man). It was an amazing guided tour of the Orchards and full site at the Irish Seed Savers Association.
They focus on the conservation of heirloom vegetable seeds and Irish heritage apple trees. The informative pair showed us crop varieties from all over the world that are suitable for Ireland’s unique growing conditions.
The kids then had a really fun interactive game of spotting bees and plants (the clipboards were a huge hit). We got to meet other members of the Seed Savers Association and there is a really lovely family feel to the place.
We did the full tour - which took over two hours - but it was great and we all really enjoyed it. Tea and cake at the end helped refuel us, with some lovely honey on the go, as well.
How to get there: It can be tricky to find, but is well worth the effort to discover all it has to offer. There is a town square at the top of the hill in Scarriff – at the Centra/Post Office. Follow the road by the chemist – signposted for Feakle/Gort. Take this road for approx 5kms. Just after the Derrymore Stud take a right turn – signposted for Irish Seed Savers Association. Follow this road for 1km until you arrive at the Irish Seed Savers Association where the car park is located on the right.
Just out the road and on our way back to the hotel we called into the Derg Isle Adventure Centre - an impressive setup that has lots to offer. While we were there a hen party was getting great fun of the assault course which can also be used for corporate events and team building. We were there, though, to try out kayaking and we got a lovely sunny hour to give it a go.
The location has a great 'channel' where you can find your kayaking legs before hitting the lough. The four-year-old and I were taken out on a small boat to experience the lough and it proved invaluable as we gave the kayakers a well-deserved lift back to the center. A great, fun adventure.
After a long day of activities, dinner at the Lakeside Hotel was very much welcome. The Head Chef, Cora Ward, and her team have put together a really well-thought-out menu - catering to all needs. And when we asked for plain pasta - for the picky four-year-old - it was no hassle at all and came perfectly plain. Exactly as we wanted it.
After a good night's sleep and another lovely breakfast, we tried out the Abbey Court Hotel's leisure facilities. The kids loved the shallow kid's pool, while the adults stole away for a minute in the sauna and steam room.
To round off this amazing Hidden Heartlands adventure we had a Lough Derg Boat Tour. John, the driver, and guide was a wealth of knowledge and was great with the kids. It is a high-speed boat tour around Lough Derg and John brought us across to Drummann where we had a little wander and exploring before heading to Garrykennedy - which was lovely to see from the water.
How to get there: The tour sets off from Dromineer harbour.
We rounded off this trip of discovery with some sandwiches and soup from The Lake Cafe Lough Derg House. It was the perfect tonic for hitting the road and heading back to Dublin.
The Details
Our family was a guest of Fáilte Ireland, whose ‘Keep Discovering’ campaign is encouraging people living in Ireland to experience the joy of discovering the many hidden gems that Ireland has to offer. If you need inspiration on where to go and what to do, visit discoverireland.ie
We, as a family (two adults, two kids), have tried out a few family-orientated stays including Westport House Hotel , Glenlo Abbey in Galway, Ard na Sidhe Country House .
