Shannonbridge!!

I guess you can tell by the heading, I REALLY liked Shannonbridge A LOT! It was such a small and lovely village. The 2016 population was 175 so I'm guessing it hasn't grown drastically. That only adds to the charm plus it is such a pretty setting, I would move there in a heartbeat!

First is the view - OH MY GOSH. It sets on the River Shannon and actually comes together with two other Rivers, the River Suck (no, I did not make that up) and River Brosna. The bridge over the Shannon was completed in 1757. Naturally, being built that early, the bridge is just one-way at a time. Thankfully there is a stop light that lets you know when it's your turn to drive over the bridge. Another plus - there are mooring points available on either side of the river. And, the sunset over the Shannon was gorgeous - my photos do not do it justice.

SECOND is the history. The buildings were once barracks (now a restaurant) and ammunition storage for various conflicts, which were interesting but to tell the truth, I had enough of negatives and decided to look for positives!! I began at the pubs. . . .

Now for my favorites :)

Luker's Bar is set at the very end of the main road before you cross the bridge and enjoys that great location next to the moorings on the River Shannon. It is very modern inside BUT next door is the original bar which dates back to 1758 and believe me .... not much has changed! In the back room, the floor looks like it's concrete, but it earthen that has been packed down over the last 250+ years. There is a fireplace which burns peat (I really enjoyed seeing that!), and the middle room has a piano and places for musicians to sit and others to enjoy. The front room reminds me of a pharmacy, convenience store, bar. There is so much there and you should take your time to really look at everything on the shelves.

Then there is Killeen's Pub. What an absolute delight! I walked into the covered patio, which was so inviting to sit and pass the time and I imagine they have live music there as well. But there are two other parts to Killeen's. One is the pub, which is exactly what you expect an old Irish Pub to look like and when you continue through, you are amazed at everything you see for sale. And I mean "EVERY-THING" from fishing lures, laundry detergent, smoking pipes, leisure rafts, food and the beautiful Shannonbridge Pottery.

The covered patio is bright, yet warm and very inviting. I can imagine sitting there on a summer's evening listening to live music.

This is the pub area of Killeen's. Just what you would expect!

Forget Facebook, Twitter, etc. This is the TRUE SOCIAL site!! Locals meet here to catch up on what is new and to rehash scores and plays of the GAA.

It was a treat to sit there and listen to their conversation and how effortlessly they drew you into their circle.

The 'Convenience' side of Killeen's.

The red boxes are teapot sets of Shannon-bridge Pottery. This is where I bought my daughter's gift. The owner, John, was wonderful packing it for the flight back home.

Oh, how I wish I had purchased some of this marmalade!! Those would have made some interesting gifts.

Killeen's will be on my list to stop and purchase several of these jars.

The local gas station. Is it just me or do these pumps look a little too close to the building?

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