Athlone: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Athlone's Irish name, Baile Átha Luain, means 'the town of Luan's ford': for thousands of years this was the place to cross the Shannon between Leinster and Connacht. Whoever held the crossing held the road west, which is why the castle was built and why the town was besieged twice in two years. This walk stays on the west bank and the bridge. About two hours, flat, and it ends at a pub.
A short history of Athlone
Athlone lies in the middle of Ireland, at a point where the River Shannon can be crossed, and so it has always been an important junction. In 1210 John de Gray, on behalf of King John, built a Norman castle here on the riverbank, and parts of it still stand. In 1691, in the war between William III and James II, the town was besieged and heavily bombarded, and on 30 June it fell to the Williamites, who crossed the river. The singer John McCormack, one of the famous tenors of the early 20th century, was born in the town in 1884.
The ten best sights in Athlone
1Athlone CastleMedieval castle on the Shannon with an exhibition on the great siege of 1691
2Sean's BarClaims to be the oldest pub in Ireland; live music most nights, crowded on weekends
3Church of Saints Peter and PaulThe twin-towered church beside the castle; its domes define the town skyline
4Luan GalleryFree municipal art gallery right on the river; small, good changing shows
5John McCormack bustThe town's tenor, by the bridge over the Shannon
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6Athlone Weir
Where the Shannon drops through town; river cruises leave nearby in summer
7Old Rail TrailFlat greenway on a disused railway towards Mullingar; rent bikes in town
8Hodson BayMarina and small beach on Lough Ree, 10 minutes north
9Lough ReeThe great lake of the Shannon north of town; boat hire and fishing
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10Glasson
Pretty village on the lake road with good pubs and restaurants
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Athlone →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Athlone:
Free walking tours in Athlone
The ford of Luan
Athlone's Irish name, Baile Átha Luain, means 'the town of Luan's ford': for thousands of years this was the place to cross the Shannon between Leinster and Connacht. Whoever held the crossing held the road west, which is why the castle was built and why the town was besieged twice in two years. This walk stays on the west bank and the bridge. About two hours, flat, and it ends at a pub.
- Athlone Castle · The castle was built around 1210 for King John to hold the Shannon crossing; in 1691 the Williamite army bombarded the town in what is often called the heaviest bombardment in Irish history.
- Market Square · The square sits between the castle walls and the church, the heart of the old town that the 1691 siege reduced largely to rubble.
- Church of Saints Peter and Paul · The church was opened in 1937, designed in a Roman Baroque style with two towers and a dome, unusual in an Irish market town.
- Luan Gallery · The gallery takes its name from Luan, the man of the ford in the town's Irish name, and its glass wing looks straight onto the Shannon.
- John McCormack bust · John McCormack, born in Athlone in 1884, became one of the most famous tenors in the world and was made a papal count, so the plaque calls him Count John McCormack.
- Sean's Bar · During renovations in 1970 old wattle-and-wicker walls were found here, and the pub claims a history going back to around 900 AD.
Saints and bogs of the Shannon
South of Athlone the Shannon spreads into wide flood meadows, and on a ridge above them Saint Ciarán founded Clonmacnoise in the 6th century. For hundreds of years it was one of the great schools of Europe, and kings of Ireland were buried there. Around it lie the brown bogs of the Midlands, now being turned back into wild land. A full day by car, roughly 120 km.
- Clonmacnoise · Saint Ciarán founded the monastery around 545; the high crosses now stand inside the visitor centre, with copies in their old places outside, and Pope John Paul II came here in 1979.
- Shannonbridge · The heavy stone battery at the west end of the bridge was built in the Napoleonic wars, when the British feared a French landing would push inland across the Shannon.
- Lough Boora Sculpture Park · The park stands on cutaway bog where peat was milled for power stations, and the sculptures are made from the old rails and machines of the bog industry.
- St Manchan's Shrine · A small parish church at Boher keeps a 12th-century shrine for the bones of Saint Manchan, the largest surviving reliquary of its kind in Ireland.
- Kilbeggan Distillery · A licence to distil was granted here in 1757, which makes Kilbeggan one of the oldest licensed distilleries in the world; it was run for generations by the Locke family.
- Dún na Sí Heritage Centre · Its name means 'fort of the fairies', and the centre helps visitors trace Westmeath ancestors in the parish records.
The centre of Ireland
Athlone likes to call itself the centre of Ireland, and the hills and lakes east and north of it carry the old stories of that centre. There is the hill where the five provinces were said to meet, a Georgian house built around a family feud, and a lake with its own monster. A day by car, about 130 km, with short walks; finish at Hodson Bay for sunset over Lough Ree.
- Hill of Uisneach · On its slope lies the Cat Stone, Ail na Míreann, which tradition says marks the point where the five ancient provinces of Ireland met.
- Belvedere House · In the garden stands the Jealous Wall, a fake ruin built by Robert Rochfort, the 1st Earl of Belvedere, so that he would not have to see his brother's house next door.
- Moydrum Castle · The house was burned in 1921 during the War of Independence, and its ruin became famous worldwide on the cover of U2's 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire.
- Glasson · Glasson is known as the Village of the Roses, and the country around it is linked to the writer Oliver Goldsmith, who grew up nearby.
- Hodson Bay · The bay is on the shore of Lough Ree, where in 1960 three priests out fishing reported a large creature in the water, giving the lake its own monster legend.
- Lough Ree · Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the Shannon, and Viking fleets used it as a base for raids on the monasteries along the river.
Getting to Athlone and getting around
- Athlone Railway Station · On both the Dublin–Galway and Dublin–Westport lines, about 1.5 hours from Dublin
- Athlone Bus Station · Next to the train station; intercity buses across the Midlands
Cheap eats in Athlone
Athlone eats like a busy Irish market town: full breakfasts, soup and brown bread, toasted sandwiches and a pint at lunch. The lanes of the West Bank around the castle are full of small cafés and bakeries, and the east bank has the chains. Prices are Irish, so a café lunch runs about €10-15; a coffee and scone is the cheapest way to sit down.
- Bastion Kitchen · Small café on Bastion Street; breakfast and salads about €8-14
- Beans and Leaves · Café off Lloyds Lane; coffee and cake about €5-8
- Le Bon Bouche · French-style café on Church Street; a croissant and coffee about €5-7
- Lowe & Co. · Arts café and general store; soup and a sandwich about €9-12
- Savoury Fare · Hot lunch at the counter about €10-13
- Kin Khao · Thai lunch about €12-16
Museums in Athlone
- Athlone Castle · About an hour; good for children too
- Luan Gallery · Free; contemporary Irish art by the river
- Clonmacnoise · 25 minutes south; give it two hours
- Kilbeggan Distillery · Licensed in 1757; tours with tasting
- Belvedere House · Georgian house, gardens and the Jealous Wall
Nature and day trips near Athlone
- Lough Ree · Big Shannon lake; hire a boat in summer
- Hodson Bay · Lakeshore walks and a small beach
- Hill of Uisneach · Guided tours only; book ahead
- Lough Boora Sculpture Park · Sculptures and lakes on old bogland, 40 minutes south
Things to do in Athlone with kids
- Old Rail Trail · Flat cycling; bikes for hire in town
- Burgess Park · Riverside park with space to run
- Athlone Castle · Siege exhibition with sound and projections
- Lough Boora · Bike hire at the visitor centre
Where to eat in Athlone
- Thyme · Irish produce cooked well, by the river; book ahead
- The Left Bank Bistro · Long-running bistro in the castle quarter
- Hatter's Lane Bistro · Small bistro on the east bank
- The Fatted Calf · Modern Irish cooking; one of the town's best
- Al Mezza · Lebanese food in the West Bank lanes
- Sean's Bar · A pint and traditional music after dinner
Frequently asked questions about Athlone
What is there to see in Athlone?
The top sights in Athlone are Athlone Castle, Sean's Bar and Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Athlone?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Athlone without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Athlone?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Athlone, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The ford of Luan.
How do you get to Athlone and get around?
The main ways are Athlone Railway Station and Athlone Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Athlone, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Athlone that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Athlone for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.