Mountshannon is a small picturesque village on the shores of Lough Derg, the largest and busiest lake on the Shannon river. The village itself is elevated on a hill overlooking a beautiful harbour with an exceptional vista of the lake and its islands.
Many watersports can be enjoyed on the lake including boating fishing and kite-surfing. Bike hire is a great way to get around and explore while holidaying on the lake.
The two most famous islands on the lake are Holy Island and Bushy Island. Bushy Island has a pair of white-tailed eagles nesting on it. These amazing birds can be easily viewed using binoculars and scopes from the shore at Mountshannon Harbour. A Bird Viewing & Information Point is set up at Mountshannon Harbour, equipped with telescopes to view the eagles from the shore. White-tail eagles were reintroduced into Ireland quiet recently, if you are lucky and come at the right time of year you may see chicks in the nest.
Iniscealtra or Holy Island, is a monastic settlement of great importance in ancient Ireland. The island is just a short boat trip from the village, and comprises of various churches, graveyards, a holy well and a selection of religious stone carving.