Rhode: Grand Canal Greenway and Sporting History

The Grand Canal Greenway, the sporting history of Rhode GAA and the historic landmarks in the surrounding area offer different starting points for planning a trip. If you are looking for a hotel in Rhode, you could first consider whether you want to focus mainly on walking and cycling, club history or architecture.

Grand Canal Greenway and getting your bearings

Rhode is one of the main access points to the Grand Canal Greenway in County Offaly. Rhode Bridge is a starting point for the Greenway; the village of Rhode is only a short distance from the route. The Greenway follows the canal and offers a route for walking and cycling away from roads. This brings two activities that can be combined along the same route into focus.

There is a paved car park at Rhode Bridge with eight spaces, one of which is accessible. As parking arrangements may change, it is best to check them locally before travelling. Conditions and works on the route may also change. So check the current route status before your trip.

Sporting history in Rhode and the surrounding area

The first recorded football match for Rhode & Croghan G.A.A. took place against Portarlington on 17 March 1889. Rhode GAA won its first championship in 1900. These two dates give the local club’s history a timeline: the earliest recorded match and the first championship win were eleven years apart.

About a mile from Rhode is Fahy’s Cross Handball Club, which has hosted several All-Ireland finals. The area’s sporting history thus extends beyond football and also includes handball.

Landmarks in the surrounding area

Rhode Bridge is an intact, single-arch masonry canal bridge dating from the late 18th century. The grounds of Toberdaly House are home to a ruined, Gothic, octagonal folly. It was built around 1780 on the site of an earlier ruined tower house. The two structures illustrate different forms of historic architecture: a canal bridge and a small, deliberately designed structure on an older ruin site.

Ballymoran House is a Georgian house dating from around 1800 that once belonged to the Quaker Odlum family. Toberdaly Bridge spans the Grand Canal as a distinctive humpback bridge and contributes to the canal landscape and the architectural heritage of the inland waterways. At Ballystrig, there is also a freestanding circular limestone windmill dating to around 1770. It recalls the former practice of grinding grain using wind power, is no longer in use today and is considered an unusual, attractive addition to the landscape.

More destinations in County Offaly

County Offaly offers a range of experiences beyond Rhode, too. The ruins of Clonmacnoise include a cathedral, two round towers, three high crosses, nine churches and more than 700 early Christian grave slabs. For a different perspective on history and landscape, the Offaly Way is a 32.4-kilometre linear walking route from Cadamstown to Lemanaghan. It follows quiet roads, riverside and woodland paths, crosses agricultural land and uses paved roads. By comparison, the Grand Canal Greenway is a route along the canal for walking and cycling.

At Lough Boora Discovery Park, the Sculpture Park combines a 3.3-kilometre walking and cycling route with 24 works by Irish and international sculptors. The visitor centre at Loch an Dochais offers visitor information, public toilets, a café, bike hire, a picnic area and a car park. Check the operator’s information before visiting. This makes it possible to consider cultural attractions, landscape and different types of routes separately when planning a trip in County Offaly, without conflating them with Rhode’s features.

Discover more destinations: Killurin, Cloghan, Banagher, Shannonbridge, The Curragh, Toberpatrick, Kinnitty, Clonmacnoise.

For the main travel overview: County Offaly.