Kilgarvan is a popular stopping point for pleasure craft on Lough Derg, a small unspoilt village of great beauty. A strange place to find one of Irelands’ top restaurants, but it’s here and well worth visiting.
About 20 minutes walk from the Kilgarvan Quay is the village of Ballinderry, which has some good pubs and a shop.
When commercial traffic sailed on the river Shannon, Kilgarvan was one of the principal barley exporting stations, where barley was shipped to the malting in Banagher. There are some fine nineteenth century houses in this area, including Gurthlougha, which was converted into a country house hotel.
Angling on Lough Derg requires local club membership, available at the local tackle shop in Portumna. There are some good bays around the town, and good bream and rudd fishing in the Shannon and some trout in Lough Derg. Pike is also available, the best months are March to May, and October.
The harbour walls and quays provide good coarse fishing, as does the shore of the lake and Rossmore is a popular bay for anglers.
About an hour and a half walk from the village is the Comminchas Forest Walk, which will take about an hour and offers some stunning views of Lough Derg.