The Midlands: Westmeath, Longford, Offaly and Laois
Obeying the siren call of the west coast, most foreign tourists, and indeed Irish holiday-makers, put their foot down to motor through the Midlands as quickly as possible. It’s true that you’re unlikely to want to make a comprehensive tour of the area, but if you fancy a stopover off the main radial routes out of Dublin, there are some compelling sights, and a surprisingly varied landscape, to discover.
The dairy farms of County Westmeath (Iarmhí) are interspersed with large, glassy lakes, including Lough Ennell to the south of Mullingar, the county town, on whose shores Belvedere House is well worth a short detour off the N4. Among the county’s more northerly lakes nestle the quirky gardens of Tullynally Castle and the pastoral charms of the Fore Valley, where you can poke around medieval monastic remains and be entertained by their wondrous legends. The N4 ploughs on through County Longford (An Longfort), mostly rich grasslands but blending into Northern Ireland’s drumlin country in its northern third. In the south of the county, the Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre gives a fascinating glimpse of a prestigious but ill-fated Iron Age road-building project.
The River Shannon and its seasonal floodplain delineates most of the Midlands’ western border, running down through Athlone, a major junction town whose castle has recently been give an excellent, high-tech redevelopment. Just south of here, the major ecclesiastical site of Clonmacnois enjoys a dreamy setting above the river’s meanders and meadows. Elsewhere, County Offaly (Uíbh Fháilí) is known for its bogs, but the charming town of Birr, with its imposing castle and Georgian terraces, makes the best base in the Midlands. To its east rises the attractive bulge of Slieve Bloom, with a thick topping of blanket bog, beyond which County Laois (pronounced “leash”) is mostly lush grazing and cereal land.
Brief history
These counties were mostly beyond the Pale, the enclave around Dublin that the Anglo-Normans retreated to in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and indeed Offaly is named after the Uí Failí (O’Connor Faly), Irish chieftains who would attack the Pale and then retreat to their strongholds deep in the boglands. In the sixteenth century, however, this region was fairly comprehensively planted, when land was confiscated from native Irish owners and given to loyal English landlords. In 1541, Westmeath was split off from County Meath, and in 1556 Offaly and Laois were created as “King’s County” and “Queen’s County”, respectively, with the latter’s main town named Maryborough (now Portlaoise) after the current monarch. Bypassed by the Industrial Revolution, many of the planned estate-towns that were attached to these landholdings remain to this day, along with the vestiges of a slow, steady rural style of living.
BIRR CASTLE GROUNDS
Highlights
1 Belvedere House A beautifully restored Georgian hunting lodge, set in attractive gardens, overlooking Lough Ennell.
2 The Fore Valley Explore the rich ecclesiastical history of this remote, green valley or suspend your disbelief in appreciation of its Seven Wonders.
3 Sean’s Bar Soak up the atmosphere at this ancient and characterful pub in Athlone.
4 Clonmacnois The Midlands’ pre-eminent historical site, a prestigious complex of churches and ornate high crosses overlooking the River Shannon.
5 Birr Castle Wander around the huge and varied grounds and immerse yourself in the scientific exploits of the talented Parsons family at the Historic Science Centre.
Highlights are marked on The Midlands map.
GETTING AROUND
By bus and train Buses access all the main towns and villages, but as many of the attractions of this region are off the beaten track, you really need your own transport to get the best out of it. Only Athlone (on the line to Galway and Westport) and Mullingar (on the Sligo line) are served by train.
Mullingar
Set in lush cattle-country, MULLINGAR, the county town of Westmeath, holds little of interest for visitors, except as a base for visiting Belvedere House, a Georgian mansion in a lovely setting on Lough Ennell.
Belvedere House
House daily: March–Oct 9.30am–5pm; Nov–Feb 9.30am–4pm;
gardens daily: March & Oct 9.30am–6pm; April & Sept 9.30am–7pm;
May–Aug 9.30am–8pm; Nov–Feb 9.30am–4.30pm; last admission 1hr before closing
• €8; currently fifty percent discount with Athlone Castle ticket; Heritage Island • 
044 934 9060,
belvedere-house.ie
Belvedere House stands in abundant gardens on the eastern shore of Lough Ennell, 5km south of Mullingar on the N52. The house was built in the 1740s by Richard Castle as a hunting lodge for Robert Rochfort, later the first Earl of Belvedere, the so-called “Wicked Earl”, whose main pastime seems to have been making life hell for his wife and brothers. In 1743 he falsely accused his wife Mary of having an affair with his brother Arthur and imprisoned her for the next 31 years at their nearby main residence, Gaulstown. It was only when the Earl died that she was released by their son, whom she no longer recognized. Meanwhile, the Earl had successfully pressed charges of adultery against Arthur, who, unable to pay the damages of £20,000, lived out his days in debtors’ prison.
The house itself, which commands beautiful views of the lake, has been painstakingly restored and authentically refurbished by Westmeath County Council. It holds some gorgeous fireplaces of carved Irish oak with Italian marble insets, but is most notable for the exquisite craftsmanship of its rococo ceilings, the work of a French stuccodore, Barthelemij Cramillion. Look out especially for the vivid depictions of the Four Winds, a fire-breathing dragon and a horn of plenty in the dining room, while the library, intended for night-time use, features sleeping cherubs wrapped in a blanket of clouds, a crescent moon and stars, and on the cornice a swirl of flowers with their heads closed.
A feud between Robert Rochfort and his other brother George was behind one of the gardens’ main sights, the Jealous Wall. When George commissioned Richard Castle in the 1750s to build Tudenham House, a much larger mansion than Belvedere, just 1km away, the Earl of Belvedere spent £10,000 building this huge Gothic folly, three storeys high and nearly 60m long, just to block the view. Other features include a Victorian walled garden, enclosing an unusual collection of Himalayan plants, playgrounds for kids and a café in the old stable block by the entrance. Or you can just take a stroll around the extensive woodlands and lawns: the 45-minute Earl’s Trail, for example, will take you along the lakeshore and back, past a restored ice-house and follies known as the Octagonal Gazebo and the Gothic Arch.
See the website for details of the many concerts, festivals and other events hosted at Belvedere throughout the year.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: MULLINGAR
By train Trains on the Dublin–Sligo line stop at the station on the southwest side of the centre.
Destinations Dublin Connolly (6–9 daily; 1hr 15min); Sligo (6–7 daily; 1hr 50min).
By bus Most buses call at Castle St right in the heart of town, though some stop only at the train station.
Destinations Athlone (up to 4 daily; 1hr); Dublin (10–21 daily; 1hr 30min); Sligo (5–6 daily; 2hr 20min).
Tourist information Market House, just round the corner from the Castle St bus stop,
on the main Pearse St (Mon–Fri 9.30am–5.10pm; 044 934
8650).
ACCOMMODATION
Greville Arms 044 934 8563, grevillearms.com. Bang in the centre of town,
this welcoming and recently refurbished old coaching inn on Pearse
St is mentioned in James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Bedrooms are either contemporary and colourful, or plush and
traditional with swagged curtains, gilt mirrors and padded
headboards on the beds. Good rates for singles. €90
Lough Ennell Caravan Park 044 934 8101, caravanparksireland.com. Quiet, sheltered
and well-equipped, lakeside campsite, 5km south of town off the N52,
just beyond Belvedere House, with a campers’ kitchen, laundry, games
room, playground, restaurant and minimart. April–Sept. €20
Lough Owel Lodge 044 934 8714, loughowellodge.com. The pick of the B&Bs
around Mullingar, a friendly spot on an organic working farm 3km
north of town off the N4 and a short stroll from the eponymous lake.
The en-suite bedrooms (some with four-poster or half-tester beds)
and lounges are large and attractive, with some pretty views, the
breakfast is excellent, and there’s tennis and table tennis. Family
room; very good rates for singles. April–Oct. €70
EATING AND DRINKING
Dominik’s 37 Dominick St, the westward continuation of
Pearse St 044 939 6696, dominiksrestaurant.ie. Smart, contemporary
restaurant with friendly service that rustles up crowd-pleasing main
courses with a twist, such as duck breast with sweet potato purée
and fruits of the forest sauce. The à la carte menu is a little
expensive but the early-bird menu (€23 for three courses) is
available all evening Tues–Thurs & Sun, and until 7pm Fri &
Sat, and there’s a two-course Sun lunch menu for €13. Tues–Sat 5–10pm, Sun 1–9.30pm.
Ilia Café 28 Oliver Plunkett St, the westward
continuation of Pearse St 044 934 0300.
Tasty and relaxing daytime café, offering everything from soups,
salads, bagels and simple main courses such as pork and leek
sausages with mash and onion gravy (under €10), to cakes and
pastries, alongside great coffees and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Mon–Sat 9am–6pm.
Oscar’s 21 Oliver Plunkett St 044 934
4909, oscarsmullingar.com. Lively and
unpretentious restaurant directly opposite Ilia
Café that’s well known locally for its reasonably
priced pasta and pizza (around €15), as well as steaks, chicken and
seafood (around €20–25). Mon–Thurs 6–9.30pm,
Fri & Sat 6–10pm, Sun 12.30–2.15pm & 6–8.15pm.
Castlepollard and around
The far north of Westmeath shelters two compelling and whimsical attractions, the gardens of Tullynally Castle and the Seven Wonders of the Fore Valley, near CASTLEPOLLARD, a pretty eighteenth- and nineteenth-century village laid out around a large triangular green.
Tullynally Castle
Gardens and tea rooms Easter–Sept Thurs–Sun
11am–6pm • €6 • 044 966 1159, tullynallycastle.com
A little over 1km northwest of Castlepollard on the Granard road, Tullynally Castle has been the seat of the Anglo-Irish Pakenhams, later Earls of Longford, since the seventeenth century. Remodelled as a rambling Gothic Revival castle to the designs of Francis Johnston in the early 1800s, it remains the family home, open only to prebooked group visits (minimum 20 people) and for occasional concerts. The extensive gardens, however, and tea rooms are open to casual visitors in the summer. Terraced lawns around the castle overlook parkland, laid out by the first Earl of Longford in 1760. From here winding paths lead through the woodland to lakes, a walled garden with a 200-year-old yew avenue and a limestone grotto, as well as a Chinese garden with a scarlet pagoda and a Tibetan garden of waterfalls and streams.
The Fore Valley
To the east of Castlepollard off the R195 Oldcastle road, the Fore Valley is a charming, bucolic spot, sheltered between two ranges of low, green hills and dotted with some impressive Christian ruins. Around 630, St Fechin founded a monastery here, which had grown into a community of three hundred monks by the time he died in 665. Over the centuries since, various sites in the valley have become associated with Fechin’s miraculous powers, known as the Seven Wonders of Fore, though in truth they’re far from jaw-dropping – it’s unlikely that you’ll be converted to this brand of folk religion, but the wonders add some fun and interest to an exploration of the locale. The historical and supernatural sites are all within walking distance of the village of FORE at the heart of the valley.
The Seven Wonders
To the west of the village, on the south side of the road, stands St Fechin’s Church, now roofless, the oldest remaining building in the valley, dating probably from the tenth century. The first wonder lies over its main entrance, a massive lintel inscribed with a small cross-in-circle: the stone raised by St Fechin’s prayers. Up the slope and across from the church, you’ll find the Anchorite’s Cell, a fifteenth-century tower to which the mausoleum chapel of the Greville-Nugent family was added in the nineteenth century (ask for the key behind the bar at the Seven Wonders pub in the village, which opens at around 12.30pm). Practising an extreme form of asceticism that was popular in the early and high Middle Ages, anchorites would stay in the tower, meditating and praying alone, with food brought to them by local people, until they died. Inside the chapel, an inscription commemorates the last hermit of Fore, and probably of all Ireland, Patrick Beglin, whose body is “hidden in this hollow heap of stones” – the second wonder, the anchorite in a stone. Like the other hermits, Beglin had vowed to remain in the cell until he died: in 1616, he fell trying to climb out, and broke his neck – thus enacting his promise.
Back down the slope and across the road you’ll see the water that will not boil, a holy well known to cure headaches and toothaches, where in the nineteenth century rites were performed on St Fechin’s Day (January 20). In the spring stands a dead ash tree, gaily festooned with sweet wrappers, stockings, knickers and coins (which caused the copper poisoning that killed the tree) – the fourth wonder, the wood that will not burn. Nearby, a stream that runs underground from Lough Lene to the south resurfaces at the ruined St Fechin’s Mill – the mill without a race.
A couple of hundred metres across the marshy valley floor rise the substantial but compact remains of Fore Priory – the monastery built on a bog. It was erected in the early thirteenth century, one of very few in Ireland to follow the rule of St Benedict, the fifth-century Italian ascetic. Attached to the central cloister, of which several Gothic arches remain, you’ll find the church to the north, the chapterhouse to the east, with the dormitory above, and the refectory to the south. A little away from the main buildings, up a small slope, there’s a circular, thirteenth-century columbarium, where the monks kept doves, an efficient source of meat in the Middle Ages.
The seventh wonder is a little removed from the others to the south of the village – ask for directions at the coffee shop. A short woodland walk will bring you down to the attractive shore of Lough Lene, which is dotted with small, green islands. A stream flows out of the lake, apparently in the wrong direction, passing under an overgrown arched bridge, before disappearing into a sinkhole (to emerge at St Fechin’s Mill) – the water that flows uphill.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: CASTLEPOLLARD AND AROUND
By bus The daily bus service to Castlepollard and Granard from Dublin (1–2 daily; 2hr 20min) via Trim (supplemented by a weekly Mullingar–Castlepollard bus on Thurs; 30min) might work out for a visit to Tullynally, but the Fore Valley is too long a walk from Castlepollard.
By car With your own transport, Castlepollard is easily approached from Mullingar on the R394, or from the Loughcrew Cairns near Oldcastle, just across the border in County Meath.
Tourist information The café in Fore (June–Sept daily noon–6pm; Oct–May Sat & Sun
11am–6pm; 044 966 1780,
foreabbeycoffeeshop@gmail.com) hosts a 20min
audiovisual on the monastery, sells literature, arranges guided
tours and provides tourist information on the area.
ACCOMMODATION
Hounslow House Fore 044 966 1144, hounslowhouse.com. B&B in single,
double, triple and family rooms is available at Hounslow House, a large, 200-year-old farmhouse set in
extensive grounds with fine views of the valley, about 1km from the
village and well signposted. April–Sept. €70
Athlone and around
Straddling the Shannon at its midpoint, ATHLONE is the bustling capital of the Midlands and an important
road and rail junction on the Westmeath–Roscommon frontier. It probably derives
its name from the Táin Bó Cúailnge, in which the
remains of the white bull of Connacht, the Findbennach, after its defeat by
Ulster’s brown bull, are scattered throughout Ireland; its loins came to rest
here at Áth Luain, the “Ford of the Loins”. A bridge
was first built over this ford in 1120 by Turlough O’Connor, king of Connacht,
which the Anglo-Normans replaced with a stone bridge in 1210; they were also
responsible for the mighty castle. Today, the town
supports an important college, the Athlone Institute of Technology, as well as
various civil-service offices and high-tech firms, but its main function for
tourists is as a jumping-off point for the monastic site of Clonmacnois.
Fewer visitors know about the Corlea Trackway Visitor
Centre, but the evocative, 2000-year-old wooden road preserved here
is also well worth a visit if you have your own transport. Over the bank holiday
weekend at the beginning of June, the Oliver Goldsmith
International Literary Festival is held in nearby Ballymahon and
Abbeyshrule ( goldsmithfestival.ie).
Athlone Castle
Visitor Centre June–Aug Mon–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun noon–6pm; Sept & Oct Tues–Sat 11am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; last admission 1hr before closing • €8; currently fifty percent discount with Belvedere House ticket, twenty-five percent discount with Viking Tours ticket; Heritage Island
Athlone Castle still casts a formidable shadow over the town, having weathered some bloody fighting during the Cromwellian Wars and the War of the Kings of the seventeenth century. The imposing, grey, thirteenth-century fortifications on the west side of the main bridge have been stylishly converted to house the lively and fascinating exhibitions of the Athlone Castle Visitor Centre. As well as some beautiful, early Christian, carved stone slabs, the centre houses impressive audiovisuals and interactive games, focusing on the vicious Sieges of Athlone during the War of the Kings. After the Battle of the Boyne, William III’s army took control of eastern and southern Ireland, while the Jacobites attempted to defend the west along the line of the Shannon. In July 1690, Athlone Castle did its job, forcing the Williamites to retreat after a week; they returned with some serious artillery in June of 1691, however, and after building a pontoon over the river and reducing much of the castle to rubble, they took it from the Jacobites, who lost over 1200 men. Within two weeks of taking Athlone, William’s men won the Battle of Aughrim, near Galway, and soon after the war was ended with the Treaty of Limerick.
The Luan Gallery
Tues–Sat 11am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm • Free • 090 644
2154, athloneartsandtourism.ie
It’s well worth checking out the exhibitions, workshops and events at this lovely, new contemporary art gallery, on the west bank of the Shannon, opposite the castle. The building was constructed in 1897 as Father Mathew [sic] Hall (named after the anti-alcohol campaigner), a temperance hall for entertainments to promote sobriety among the employees of Athlone Woollen Mills. The addition of a beautiful extension has created bright, airy exhibition spaces that afford great views of the river.
Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre
Easter–Sept daily 10am–6pm; guided tours every hour, on
the hour, last tour 5pm • Free • heritageireland.ie
It’s a little tricky to get to the fascinating Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre, which is actually across the county border in Longford and signposted along a minor road off the R392, 20km northeast of Athlone, but its isolation in the midst of a desolate bog only adds to the appeal of the place. In 1984, Bord na Móna (the Peat Board) discovered a buried togher, an early Iron Age trackway, while milling turf here in Corlea raised bog. Dated to 148 BC, the trackway was made of split oak planks up to 4m in length that were meant to float on the bog surface, one of the most substantial and sophisticated of many such prehistoric roads found in Europe. However, the builders knew more about woodworking than the properties of the bog, because within ten years the heavy planks had sunk into the peat – which preserved them perfectly for the next two thousand years. The road connected dry land to the east with an island in the bog to the west, but it’s clear that such a prestigious construction was intended for more than just the movement of animals by farmers: it may have been part of a ceremonial highway from the Hill of Uisneach, the ritual “centre of Ireland” that marked the division of the five ancient provinces, between Mullingar and Athlone, to the royal site of Rathcroghan in Roscommon, via the narrow crossing of the Shannon at Lanesborough.
Excellent guided tours begin with the 18m of trackway that’s been preserved under cover in the visitor centre (which also sports a tea room). Another 80m has been left outside under the turf, but the guides, as well as delving into the extraordinary ecology of the bog, will take you to the wooden walkway built over it, which gives a good idea of what the trackway would have looked like, undulating over the peaty tussocks.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: ATHLONE AND AROUND
By train The train station is on the north side of the centre on Southern Station Rd.
Destinations Dublin Heuston (10–15 daily; 1hr 40min–2hr); Galway (6–10 daily; 1hr 10min); Westport (4–5 daily; 2hr).
By bus The Bus Éireann station is at the train station; Citylink’s most convenient stop is at AIT on Dublin Rd to the east of the centre.
Destinations Bus Éireann: Birr (2–3 daily; 50min); Dublin (most via the
airport; hourly; 1hr 40min–2hr 20min); Galway (roughly hourly;
1hr 30min); Kilkenny (1–2 daily; 2hr 50min); Limerick (2–3
daily; 2hr 10min); Mullingar (up to 4 daily; 1hr); Waterford
(1–2 daily; 4hr); Westport (2 daily; 2hr 45min–3hr). Citylink
( citylink.ie):
Dublin & Airport (7 daily; 2hr); Galway (7 daily; 1hr
40min).
Tourist office Inside the castle (mid-March to mid-May & mid-Sept to Oct
Mon–Fri 9.20am–5/6pm, closing for lunch usually 1–1.30pm; mid-May to
mid-Sept daily 9.20am–5/6pm; 090 649 4630).
GETTING AROUND
Bicycle rental Buckley’s, about 1km east of the river on Dublin Rd ( 090
647 8989, buckleycycles.ie).
Car rental Europcar, about 5km west of the town centre on the R362
( 090 649 3999, www.europcar.ie).
BOAT TRIPS TO LOUGH REE AND CLONMACNOIS
Viking Tours ( 086 262 1136, vikingtoursireland.ie; twenty-five percent discounts with
Athlone Castle tickets) runs trips on the
Shannon (roughly Easter–Oct), which involve sailing in
a partly open, 20m wooden boat that’s been made up to look like a
longboat, with Viking costumes for kids to dress up in. Every day,
the boat heads north around the islands of Lough Ree (1hr 15min; €10), which include Hare Island,
site of a Viking encampment that has yielded considerable amounts of
Viking treasure. Less often, it sails south on the scenic approach
to Clonmacnois (€16, including return by bus to Athlone;
1hr 30min), allowing you 1hr 30min to look around the site, before a
bus (30min) takes you back to Athlone. Departures are from the west
bank of the river below the castle, where the latest schedule of
trips is always posted – or consult their website.
ACCOMMODATION
The Bastion 2 Bastion St 090 649 4954,
thebastion.net. The pick of the town’s B&Bs,
a colourful, relaxing spot that serves healthy continental
breakfasts (though prices are €10 cheaper without breakfast). The
decor of polished wooden floors, white walls and crisp white linens
is splashed with colour from modern artworks and Peruvian wall
hangings; some bedrooms share bathrooms. €65
Lough Ree (East) Caravan and Camping
Park 3km north of Athlone on the N55 in
Ballykeeran 090 647 8561, athlonecampingandcaravan.com. Peaceful,
spacious and well-equipped, lakeside campsite with a campers’
kitchen, a recreation room and a 500m stretch of the Breensford
trout river. Mid-April to Sept. €20
Radisson Blu Northgate St 090 644 2600,
radissonblu.ie. This central hotel enjoys a
peerless setting on the east bank of the Shannon overlooking the
castle – have a sundowner at the heated riverside terrace bar to
make the most of it – and offers smart, well-designed rooms with
either an urban or soothing marine theme, a swimming pool and
leisure club. €84
EATING AND DRINKING
Market Place by the castle hosts a lively farmers’ market every Sat morning.
Bastion Kitchen Bastion St 087 972
1373. Small, popular and friendly health-food
shop and café that serves great pitta sandwiches (€5), home-baked
cakes and scones, and sausage baps with tomato and onion relish for
breakfast. Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, Sat 10am–5pm,
Sun noon–5pm.
Kin Khao 1 Abbey Lane 090 649 8805,
kinkhaothai.ie. Set in a cute yellow-and-red
cottage, this is one of Ireland’s best Thai restaurants. It offers
tasty versions of all the classic Thai dishes, as well as delicious
specialities such as hor mok gai (chicken
curry soufflé; €18.50); wash it down with a craft beer and leave
room for an authentic Thai dessert. Two-course lunch €10; early-bird
deal (two courses for €20) until 7.30pm Mon–Thurs & Sun, 7pm Fri
& Sat. Mon, Tues & Sat 5.30–11pm,
Wed–Fri 12.30–2.30pm & 5.30–11pm, Sun 1.30–11pm.
Left Bank Bistro Fry Place 090 649
4446. Stylish restaurant offering plenty of
seafood, some Asian-influenced dishes and more classic fare like
rump of Roscommon lamb with garlic confit and rosemary jus. Prices
are high in the evenings, but you can ease the pain by opting for
the set menu (€20 for two courses; only available until 7pm Sat);
lunch, which consists of varied sandwiches, salads and a few select
hot dishes, is cheaper again. Tues–Sat
10.30am–9.30pm.
Sean’s Bar Main St, near the castle 090 649
2358. Another claimant to the title of
Ireland’s oldest pub. It’s certainly appealingly old-fashioned and
sociable, with sawdust on the floor, live music most nights
(including a traditional session Sat early evening) and a huge beer
garden at the back stretching down towards the river. Mon–Thurs 10.30am–11.30pm, Fri & Sat
10.30am–12.30am, Sun 12.30–11pm.
Clonmacnois
Daily: mid-March to May, Sept & Oct 10am–6pm; June–Aug
9am–6.30pm; Nov to mid-March 10am–5.30pm; last admission 45min before closing •
€6; Heritage Card • heritageireland.ie • There are no buses to Clonmacnois from Athlone,
21km away, but the trip is perfectly manageable in a day by renting a bike or a
car
or by taking a boat tour down the Shannon.
The substantial remains of Clonmacnois, pre-Norman Ireland’s most important Christian site, enjoy an idyllic location on the grassy banks of the gently meandering Shannon. Here the river descends at a shallow gradient through flat land that floods extensively in winter, but in spring, the receding flow leaves beautiful, nutrient-rich water meadows, some of the last of their type in Europe. The Shannon Callows, as they are known, become the summer home of rare wildflowers, grazing cattle, lapwings, curlews, redshanks and rare corncrakes.
Brief history
The monastery was founded, as a satellite of St Enda’s house on Inishmore, in around 548 by St Kieran (Ciarán), who with the help of Diarmuid of the Uí Néills, the first Christian High King of Ireland, erected a wooden church here. Kieran brought with him a dun cow, whose hide later became Clonmacnois’ major relic – anyone who died lying on it would be spared the torments of Hell – and who was commemorated in the Lebor na hUidre (Book of the Dun Cow), the oldest surviving manuscript written wholly in Irish. Perfectly sited at the junction of the Slí Mhor, the main road from Dublin Bay to Galway Bay, and the major north–south artery, the Shannon, the monastery grew in influence as various provincial kings endowed it with churches and high crosses. With a large lay population, Clonmacnois resembled a small town, where craftsmen and scholars produced illuminated manuscripts, croziers and other remarkable artefacts, many of which can be seen in the National Museum in Dublin. However, between the eighth and twelfth centuries the site was plundered over forty times by Vikings, Anglo-Normans and Irish enemies, and church reforms in the thirteenth century greatly reduced its influence. In 1552, Athlone’s English garrison reduced it to ruins, though, as the burial place of Kieran, it has persisted to this day as a place of pilgrimage, focused on the saint’s day on September 9.
The visitor centre and high crosses
Visitor centre same hours
Clonmacnois’ three magnificent high crosses have been moved into the excellent visitor centre (which also shelters a small café), to prevent further damage by the weather. (Outside, the Office of Public Works has erected all-too-faithful replicas, complete with erosion – an attempt to re-create their appearance when first carved would have been far more constructive.) The finest is the Cross of the Scriptures, a pictorial sermon showing the Crucifixion, Christ in the Tomb and the Last Judgement. It was erected in the early tenth century by Abbot Colman and Flann, the High King of Ireland, who may be depicted together (with Flann holding a pole) in the bottom scene on the shaft’s east face. Standing 4m high, the cross is carved from a single piece of sandstone and may originally have been coloured. The other two crosses are about a century older and much simpler, the South Cross featuring the Crucifixion surrounded by rich interlacing, spirals and bosses, while the North Cross is carved with abstract Celtic ornaments, humans and animals.
Elsewhere in the visitor centre there’s a good audiovisual on Kieran’s life and the history of Clonmacnois, and an interesting reconstruction of a dairthech (oak house), the type of small oratory that would have been built out of wood at this and other monasteries throughout Ireland before stone began to be used in the tenth century.
The site
Most of Clonmacnois’ nine churches are structurally intact apart from their roofs, the largest being the cathedral straight in front of the visitor centre. It was built in 909 by Abbot Colman and King Flann, but its most beautiful feature now is the fifteenth-century north doorway, featuring decorative Gothic carving surmounted by SS Dominic, Patrick and Francis. The last High King of Ireland, Rory O’Connor, was buried by the altar here in 1198. Several smaller churches encircle the cathedral, notably Temple Ciarán, the burial place of St Kieran, dating from the early tenth century.
In the western corner of the compound rises a fine round tower, erected in 1124 by Abbot O’Malone and Turlough O’Connor of Connacht, High King of Ireland and father of Rory. There’s another round tower attached to the nave of Temple Finghin, which is Romanesque in style and thought to date from 1160–70.
In a peaceful, leafy glade about 500m away from the main site and signposted from the east side of the compound, the Nun’s Church is the place to escape to if a fleet of tour coaches descends. Founded by Queen Devorguilla, who retired here as a penitent in 1170, it boasts a fine Romanesque doorway and chancel arch carved with geometrical patterns.
The site’s tranquillity is often broken by coach tours in summer so, if you can, time your visit for late afternoon, when you might be lucky enough to catch the birds singing as the sun sets over the river.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING: CLONMACNOIS
Kajon House Under 2km southwest on the Shannonbridge
road 090 967 4191, kajonhouse.ie. If you want to stay near the
site, head for Kajon House, a friendly,
comfortable B&B with en-suite rooms, in a bright, modern,
pine-furnished house. You’ll be offered tea and homemade scones when
you arrive, and there are pancakes for breakfast, and evening meals
on offer. March–Oct. €70
Birr
Around 45km south of Athlone at the confluence of the Camcor and Little Brosna
rivers, BIRR ( www.destinationbirr.ie) is
the Midlands’ most attractive town, planned around the estate of Birr Castle,
the home of the Parsons family, later the Earls of Rosse. Around central Emmet
Square – formerly Duke’s Square, though the unpopular statue of the Duke of
Cumberland, victor over the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, is long
gone from the central pillar – you’ll find several broad Georgian terraces,
graced with fanlights and other fine architectural details, notably St John’s
Mall to the east and Oxmantown Mall to the north off Emmet Street. Running south
from Emmet Square, O’Connell Street, which becomes Main Street, heads down to
Market Square. Birr is not yet on the country’s main tourist trail but supports
some appealing places to stay and eat, making it an excellent base from which to
explore the Shannon, Clonmacnois and Slieve Bloom. The town comes to life in
early August during its Vintage Week and Arts
Festival ( birrvintageweek.com), when shop assistants, bar staff and townspeople
deck themselves out in historic regalia, and there’s a varied programme of
street theatre, music, and art exhibitions. In October, the five-day Offline Film Festival ( offlinefilmfestival.com)
features screenings, workshops and a short-film competition.
Brief history
A monastery was first founded here in the sixth century, later becoming famous for the Mac Regol Gospels (now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford), an illuminated manuscript named after the early ninth-century abbot and bishop. Birr was settled by the Anglo-Normans, who built a castle here in 1208, later becoming the site of an O’Carroll stronghold between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. In the 1619 plantation of their territory (known as Ely O’Carroll), however, Sir Laurence Parsons was given Birr, which became known as Parsonstown. A descendant of his set about reconstructing the town in the 1740s in Neoclassical style, a development which continued in stages until as late as the 1830s.
Birr Castle
Grounds & Historic Science Centre daily:
mid-March to Oct 9am–6pm; Nov to mid-March 10am–4pm; castle certain days in May, July & Aug only by advance
booking through the website (no under-12s, no photography) • €9 • birrcastle.com
Lying to the west of Emmet Square, the forbidding Gothic castle has restricted opening hours on a very expensive ticket, but there’s plenty of interest in the Historic Science Centre in the coach houses, which also shelter a pleasant summertime café, and in the varied grounds. In the nineteenth century, the Parsons family gained an international reputation as scientists and inventors, partly it would seem because they were educated at home. The third Earl of Rosse, William Parsons, devoted himself to astronomy, and in 1845 built the huge Rosse Telescope, with a 72-inch reflector, which remained the largest in the world until 1917. It was fully reconstructed in the 1990s, along with the massive, elaborate housing of walls, tracks, pulleys and counterweights needed to manoeuvre it, and can be seen in the garden. The fourth Earl, Laurence, and his mother, Mary, a friend of Fox Talbot’s, were eminent photographers, while Laurence’s brother, Sir Charles Parsons, was carving himself a varied and colourful career, which included building a small flying machine and a helicopter in the 1890s and spending 25 years unsuccessfully trying to make artificial diamonds. He’ll be best remembered, however, as the inventor of the steam turbine and for his exploits at the 1897 Spithead Naval Review, celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee when, frustrated at the Royal Navy’s foot-dragging, he gatecrashed in the Turbinia, the first steam-turbine ship, racing through the fleet at the unheard-of speed of 34 knots. Within a few years the technology was adopted by navies and passenger liners around the world. All of this is set in historical and global context in the Science Centre, with plenty of astrolabes, cameras and other instruments, and some lively audiovisuals.
You could easily spend a couple of hours strolling around the beautiful castle grounds, especially if you buy the booklet on its fifty most significant trees or let your kids loose on the treehouse adventure area. Beyond the wildflower meadows, which are left to grow tall until July every year, lie a nineteenth-century lake, a fernery and fountain, and the oldest wrought-iron suspension bridge in Ireland, dating from 1820. The walled gardens feature the tallest box hedges in the world, which are over three hundred years old, as well as intricate parterres and paths canopied with hornbeams in the formal, seventeenth-century-style Millennium Garden.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: BIRR
By bus Buses stop on Emmet Square.
Destinations Bus Éireann: Athlone (2–3 daily; 50min); Limerick (2–3 daily;
1hr 20min). Kearns Transport ( kearnstransport.com): Dublin (2–6 daily; 2hr); Galway
(via Portumna and Loughrea; Fri–Sun 1–2 daily; 2hr).
Tourist office Inside Jim Cashen’s Auctioneers on Emmet Square (June–Sept Mon–Fri
10am–1pm & 2–5pm, Sat 10am–1pm; 057 912
3936).
Horse riding Birr Equestrian, Kingsborough House, about 3km east of Birr off
the Kinnitty road ( 087 244 5545, birrequestrian.ie),
offers treks on Slieve Bloom by the half-day or day.
GETTING AROUND
By bike Bicycle rental from Velo, Roscrea Rd ( 057 912 0080,
velo.ie).
ACCOMMODATION
Dooly’s Hotel Emmet Square 057 912 0032,
doolyshotel.com. The town’s social hub, a
welcoming Georgian coaching inn, with a chequered history; it was
here in 1809 that the Galway Hunt partied a little too hard after a
day in the field and managed to burn the hotel down, thus gaining a
new name, the Galway Blazers. The bedrooms, some of which are on the
small side, don’t quite match up to the period elegance of the
public rooms. €79
The Maltings Castle St 057 912 1345, themaltingsbirr.com. Off the west side of
Market Square and overlooking the leafy river, this restored 1810
warehouse, which was used to store malt for Guinness, offers quiet,
large rooms with en-suite bathrooms, and homemade bread and jams for
breakfast. Very good rates for singles. €70
The Stables Oxmantown Mall 057 912 0263,
thestablesbirr.com. Fanlit
nineteenth-century town house that’s been fetchingly refurbished in
a plush style, with chandeliers and gilt mirrors in the spacious
bedrooms. There’s an open fire in its cosy lounge, as well as a
home-furnishings shop and tearooms with courtyard seating. €79
Townsend House Townsend St 057 912 1276,
townsendhouse-guesthouse.com. On a busy
street to the north of Emmet Square, this central, welcoming
guesthouse provides en-suite rooms and wonderful breakfasts, in an
airy, high-ceilinged Georgian house that’s tastefully furnished with
antiques. Very good rates for singles. €80
EATING AND DRINKING
The Chestnut Green St, between Emmet Square and the
castle 087 220 8524, thechestnut.ie. Welcoming, nineteenth-century
bar, stylishly outfitted with dark wood and leather seats, and
backed by a large beer garden, which hosts live music – anything
from traditional to rock – mostly at weekends, sometimes in the
garden. Mon–Thurs 8am–11.30pm, Fri
5pm–12.30am, Sat 3pm–12.30am, Sun 3–11pm.
Craughwell’s Castle St, off the west side of Market
Square 057 912 1839. Very sociable and
cosy pub, with a good pint of Guinness and traditional music at
weekends. Mon–Thurs 7–11.30pm, Fri & Sat
7pm–12.30am, Sun 1–11pm.
Emma’s 31 Main St 057 912
5678. Your best bet during the day, a mellow
café with comfy banquettes, preparing delicious panini and soup, as
well as speciality teas and coffees, and a tempting array of freshly
baked cakes and scones. Mon–Sat 8.30am–6pm,
Sun 10.30am–6pm.
The Emmet Dooly’s Hotel, Emmet Square. The hotel’s main restaurant is a formal, luxurious affair, serving dishes such as grilled sea bass with lemon and caper cream (€18). Mon–Sat 6–9pm, Sun 12.30–3pm & 6–9pm.
The Thatch Crinkill, on Military Rd, which runs east
off the N62, about 2km south of Birr 057 912
0682, thethatchcrinkill.com. This quaint thatched
white cottage conceals an equally appealing interior of exposed
brick and stone, pine furniture, log fires and candlelight. The pub
is most famous among locals for its food, such as rack of Kinnitty
lamb with rosemary sauce (€22), while early birds can order warm
smoked mackerel salad with lemon and chive crème fraiche, together
with a pint or prosecco, for €18. Food
served daily 4–8.30pm, plus Fri, Sat & Sun
12.30–3pm.
ENTERTAINMENT
Birr Theatre and Arts Centre Oxmantown Mall 057 912 2911,
birrtheatre.com. Located on a fine Georgian
street, the town’s main creative hub hosts a varied programme of
drama, music and artistic events throughout the year.
Slieve Bloom
To the east of Birr, straddling the Offaly–Laois border, rises Slieve Bloom, the “mountain of Bladhma”, named for
an ancient Connacht warrior who sought refuge here. Although it extends only for
about 20km across and down, the massif provides welcome relief from the flatness
of the Midlands and a refuge for wildlife including bog plants such as the
insect-eating sundew, and birds including skylarks, kestrels and the rare
peregrine falcon. The waymarked 77km Slieve Bloom
Way describes a heavily indented circuit of most of the range,
before passing underneath the highest point – Arderin (527m), which means,
rather hopefully, the “height of Ireland”. Six shorter, signposted loop walks
are detailed on the very useful website, slievebloom.ie, while the Ordnance Survey of Ireland map #54 covers the whole of Slieve Bloom. For something more
organized, there are walking festivals over the
bank-holiday weekend in early May and over a weekend in July, as well as guided walks at least every Sunday (€5 per person).
Details are available on the website, which also has information about a
four-day storytelling festival in October.
Kinnitty
The best base on the Offaly side of the mountains, within walking distance of the Slieve Bloom Way, is the charming village of KINNITTY, which huddles around a couple of pubs and a triangular green that’s traversed by a tiny stream.
ACCOMMODATION: SLIEVE BLOOM
Ardmore House Kinnitty 057 913 7009, kinnitty.com. This nineteenth-century stone
house with a lovely garden and a fine view of the mountain offers
attractive en-suite B&B, home-baking and turf fires, and is
especially accommodating to walkers. Self-catering cottage also
available. €80
Roundwood House Mountrath 057 873 2120, roundwoodhouse.com. On the Laois side of the
range, about 20km southeast of Kinnitty on the R440, this handsome,
three-storey Palladian villa set in extensive wooded gardens offers
welcoming, traditional country-house accommodation, either in the
spacious main house or the earlier, more compact Yellow House.
Serves communal dinners. Self-catering also available. €130