At Killaloe, the Shannon narrows again after the Lough for the final stretch of this great river's journey to the sea. An old stone bridge still spans the waters at this traditional crossing point. The old part of Killaloe centers on St Flannan's Cathedral , and the narrow lanes that run up the steep slopes to the west suggest the town's ancient origins.

The cathedral itself is a plain thirteenth-century building, impressive in its solid simplicity, with a low square tower and straight, strong buttresses. Just inside the entrance is a heavily decorated Romanesque doorway from an earlier church, and alongside it the huge Thorgrim Stone , unique in its ogham and runic inscriptions ( ogham is a form of the Latin alphabet associated with early Christianity; the runic forms are Scandinavian in origin), which is probably the memorial of a Viking convert. In the churchyard the stout Romanesque St Flannan's Oratory dates from the twelfth century and is complete with barrel-vaulted roof. Well signposted just over a mile north of town, on the western shore of Lough Derg, stands the earthen fort Beal Boru , possibly the site of Brian Boru's palace "Kincora", which was either here or in Killaloe itself. The best way to spend your time in Killaloe, though, is to get out onto the water .

The villages along the scenic road north of Killaloe are all very small. Wealthy tourists into hunting, shooting and fishing tend to stay in fancy hotels, and amenities for other visitors are sparse. That said, it's still very beautiful countryside, especially the lakeside area up as far as Mountshannon. Traditional music here is very much alive, and there are some excellent opportunities to get out onto the water.

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