All smiles at Adaire Springs and Tackle Shop in sunny South-East

A former dairy farmer and agricultural contractor, Ned Maher was hooked on the idea of setting up an angling centre on his family farm close to the Kilkenny/Waterford border from the moment he visited a similar enterprise in Mullingar almost 20 years ago.

And when Kilkenny Leader Partnership (KLP) reviewed his business plans for Adaire Springs and Tackle Shop in Mooncoin, they too went for it — hook, line, and sinker.

Today, angling enthusiasts, school groups, and corporate and leisure travellers from as far away as Cork, Dublin, and Belfast are revelling in the 2.5-acre lake attraction, brimming with rainbow and brown trout.