HOW TO SPEND A GREAT DAY IN ATHLONE, IRELAND

Last updated: July 30, 2024

Athlone is the largest town of the Midlands Region in central Ireland, about 1.5 hours of a drive west of Dublin.

It lies within County Westmeath, and the Shannon, Ireland’s longest river (36.5 km or 224 miles), flows right through here.

So here’s a detailed guide on How to Spend a Great Day in Athlone, Ireland!

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Things to See and Do in Athlone

Athlone Castle

Address: Athlone And Bigmeadow, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 EA32, Ireland

Athlone Castle is a popular attraction that was completed in 1210 by Bishop John De Gray of Norwich for King John of England during the Norman Invasion of Ireland.

In 1691, the castle was the staging ground for The Great Siege of Athlone between the Williamites (under King William) and Jacobites (under King James II). As a result of this battle, 12,000 cannon balls were fired, and 1,500 men were killed.

Another major event happened in 1697, when 260 barrels of gunpowder suddenly exploded because of a lightning strike. Afterwards, most of the town was destroyed.

Today there’s a visitor centre and museum with eight exhibitions. It tells the story of the town of Athlone and its castle with the help of modern displays, interactives, games, and authentic and replica artifacts.

Visitors can even dress up in historic costumes, so it’s a fun experience for the whole family!

It’s open all year, and the admission cost is 12 EUR for adults, and 5.50 EUR for children under 15 years.

Here’s a video by the Athlone Castle Visitor Centre:

Church of Saints Peter and Paul

Address: Barrack St, Ranelagh, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland

Right across the street from Athlone Castle, this eye-catching landmark is impossible to miss. While this neoclassical church is much younger than many other churches in Ireland (completed by Ralph Byrne in 1939), it doesn’t need to hide behind its older siblings!

It looks very impressive from the outside, and inside, you can look at its colourful stained glass windows, that were painted by Richard King (1907-1974). He was Harry Clarke’s (1889-1931) apprentice, who was one of the leaders of the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.

The Bastion Gallery

Address: 6 Bastion St, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 KX23, Ireland

Then walk along the charming and winding streets of Athlone, and admire houses painted in various colours! You may even find some unexpected gems at one of the cute independent shops in the town centre.

Such as The Bastion Gallery, that has books, tea towels, glass shamrocks, artist prints, stuffed animals, cards, jewelry, and more. They were either designed or handmade in Ireland, and/or Fairtrade.

Or buy one of their hand painted Ogham gifts, which is the first written proof of the Gaelic language. My Mom (who’s joining me on this trip, by the way ;)) is buying a painted print by local artist S. Walsh, that shows many of Athlone’s cool attractions.

Golden Island Shopping Centre & Athlone Towncentre

Athlone also has two shopping malls: Golden Island Shopping Centre (Golden Island, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 N8V0, Ireland) has 45 stores, for clothing, phone providers, Tesco, coffee shops, and a movie theatre.

Athlone Towncentre (Mardyke St, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland) has 60+ retail stores, like H&M, ZARA, eason books, TK Maxx, and Sketchers.

Strokestown Park House

Address: Cloonradoon, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, F42 H282, Ireland

If you have time, I highly recommend visiting Strokestown Park, that is 46 km (28 miles) north of Athlone. This estate was owned by the aristocratic landlords, the Mahon Family, led by the Major, Denis Mahon. Their tenants (mostly poor peasant families) leased some of it during the Great Irish Famine in the mid-1800’s.

The landlords lived at Strokestown Park House (Palladian House), which King Charles II. gave to Nicholas Mahon to thank him for his help during the English Civil War (1642-1651). This estate belonged to the Mahon Family until it was sold in 1979.

Visitors can book a guided tour and look at a kitchen with an oven from 1740, a school room, and a toy room with 19th century toys.

The National Famine Museum

Now it’s time to enter the National Famine Museum next door. In the mid 18th century, the majority of the growing population in Ireland was struggling hard to survive. They were only allowed to lease tiny pieces of land from their wealthy landlords at a high cost.

Besides, the only food option for a third of the eight million Irish people were Lumper potatoes. They could be grown pretty much everywhere, because of the boggy, wet, or thin lands that Ireland has. But in 1845, the greatest crisis in Irish history started when blight, a fungal disease, infested the potato leaves and tubers while they were growing in the ground.

As a result, they were rotten on the inside, so the potatoes were inedible. Within seven years, a million Irish people had died from starvation. Things got even worse when many peasants were evicted from their houses by their cruel landlords, because they couldn’t pay their rent anymore.

Moreover, from 1845 to 1855, two million Irish people were forced to flee overseas, with hopes for a better future, mostly to Canada and the USA. But the ships were often crowded, and the conditions were catastrophic due to a lack of food and water, and no hygiene. So many people got sick or even died on the way. That’s why these ships were often called “coffin ships”.

Although other European countries were affected by blight as well, they had more food options and the disease spread best in the mild and damp Irish climate. Also, the governments reacted faster and better to this tragedy, which didn’t happen in Ireland. So it was hit the hardest.

The tenants living and working at Strokestown Park were no exception to this. For example, Denis Mahon evicted his starving tenants unable to pay their rent anymore. Then he organized boats to North America to get rid of them. So, it’s not surprising that he was shot by three of his tenants in 1847. The gun used is displayed in the National Famine Museum.

There are also 50,000 documents written during the Great Famine and you can listen to recordings of contemporary witnesses talking about their suffering. This makes the exhibit even more moving than it already is.

The Walled Gardens & Woodland Trails

Phew, after learning about the darkest chapter of Ireland’s past, we’re relieved to go outside for a walk inside the Walled Gardens. This area belonged to the landlords. We also wander around the Woodland trails, and all the trees, tranquility, and stunning green areas help lift our spirits again.

The National Famine Museum is open all year, and I’d recommend buying a Full Ticket for 18.50 EUR. It includes a guided visit to the Palladium House, a self guided visit to the National Famine Museum, self guided visit to the estate gardens, and free access to the Woodland trails.

Other Things to Do in Athlone

If you have more time, here are a few more suggestions on Other Things to Do in Athlone:

Joining a river cruise with Viking Tours Ireland (Castle St, Athlone, Co. Westmeath). It starts on the Shannon next to Athlone Castle and ends on Lough Ree north of town (75 mins). Or you can go to the Clonmacnoise Monastery (90 minutes), which was built in the 6th century.

You’ll sail on their 21-meter-long replica of a Viking ship and travel back in time 1,200 years. Learn everything about the Viking history, battles, and kings of this area, all while looking at the beautiful scenery. You may even spot some local wildlife!

Their season runs from Easter to Halloween each year, and group bookings for wedding parties and school groups are available as well.

Luan Gallery (Elliot Rd, Ranelagh, Athlone, Co. Westmeath). This free art gallery is right across from Athlone Castle and displays stunning artwork exhibits by top Irish and international artists. The exhibit changes every two months.

The artwork includes paintings, sculptures, multimedia, and textiles, and the large windows offer a great view of the Shannon as well. The older part of the building used to be a public library that opened in 1897.

Shannon Banks Walk & Nature Trail. This easy 5 km (3.1 miles) looped walking trail starts at Athlone Castle and takes you along the riverbank of the Shannon and the Old Canal Bank. There are tons of signposts telling you about the local flora and fauna along the way.

Where to Eat & Drink in Athlone

We’re having dinner at Pavarotti’s Italian Restaurant (Fry Place, High St, Athlone, Co. Westmeath) in the heart of Athlone. We like the dark blue coloured outside building and the pretty interior design, with dark brown tables, light green and beige-coloured walls, and flowers on the tables!

The menu has many items you’d expect to find at an Italian restaurant, like pizza, calzone, crostini bread, bruschetta, fish, steak, and chicken dishes, and pasta options (Spaghetti Carbonara, Lasagne al forno, Cannelloni, Spaghetti Bolognese, etc). Vegetarian meals are available as well.

We’re both having the Tagliatelle al Funghi e Spinachi, a pasta dish with spinach, mushrooms, and red pepper in a creamy sauce. Although it looks very appealing, it’s a bit bland for our taste, but of course, salt and pepper shakers are available. So I’d give this restaurant another chance. 😉

Are you in the mood for a pint and some ‘caint, ceol, agus craic’ (chat, music and craic) after a long day of exploring Athlone? Then head right to Sean’s Bar (13 Main St, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 DW76)! It was opened in 900 AD and is Ireland’s Oldest Pub, as listed in the Guinness Book of World Records!

It’s a cozy and dimly lit authentic Irish pub next to the west bank of the Shannon, and “when you walk in, you can feel the history and the romance straight away,” as per their website.

Besides, the awesome interior design (e.g. license plates and pictures on the walls, open turf fireplace, vintage wooden and checkerboard pattern floors, piano, and rustic-style bar) will surely leave a lasting impression on you!

You can listen to traditional Irish live music, buy some cool merch, or even take a sip (or more, lol 😉 from their homemade Sean’s Whiskey!

Sean’s Bar from the outside and enjoying a tasty pint of Guinness, and partial areas of the inside of the pub (the last two are photo credit of Sean’s Bar).

There are many other restaurants (e.g. Indian, Asian, Mediterranean, and Lebanese cuisine), fast food places, Irish pubs, coffee shops, and bars in Athlone. Most of them are east or west of the Shannon River.

Where to Stay in Athlone

Despite its size, Athlone has a variety of B&B’s and hotels to offer. Unfortunately, there are no hostels.

If you like it quiet, but close to town, the Burren Lodge B&B (Dublin Rd, Creggan Upper, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 W029) is a great choice. We’re staying in a two bedroom, and Mary, our friendly hostess, gives us great tips on how to spend the rest of the day in Athlone.

Our room is very clean and cozy, with a nice garden view. The continental breakfast (cereal, toast, scrambled eggs, yoghurt, and fruit) is very tasty, too!

Our two bedroom at Burren Lodge B&B.

How to Get to and Around Athlone

Athlone is halfway between Dublin and Galway.

From Dublin, it’s a 125 km (77 miles) drive west on the M4 and M6 motorway. From Galway, it’s 85 km (52 miles) eastbound on the M6 motorway.

For public transit, you can take the Bus Eireann from Dublin (1 1/2 hours) or Galway (1 3/4 hours), which runs hourly, or Irish Rail from either city (1 1/2 hours from Dublin, 1 hour from Galway).

The closest international airport to Athlone is Dublin (DUB) and the Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC) in Co. Mayo offers flights to/from some European destinations, like London, Cologne, Malaga, and Milan.

There are also a few local buses in Athlone, and the town centre is very walkable as well.

To learn about other Ireland destinations, please check out these blog posts:

The Best Dublin Travel Guide

Killarney, Ireland Travel Guide

How to Spend a Perfect Day in Howth, Ireland

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