Discover Athlone

When looking for a hotel in Athlone, the activities you have planned can make all the difference: castle and town history, contemporary art, a guided tour or a trip on the water each offer a different focus. The Old Rail Trail also provides a cycling option with a clearly stated distance. The details below give you some pointers for planning your trip around your interests.

Culture, history and art

Athlone Castle Visitor Centre is located in the centre of Athlone. Its eight modern exhibition rooms present the history of Athlone Castle through interactive features and artefacts. At Athlone Castle, the Siege of Athlone is recreated in an audiovisual 360-degree presentation. Audio guides are available in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. If a visit is important to your plans, check current access arrangements in advance.

Luan Gallery is located on the banks of the River Shannon in Athlone’s cultural quarter. Its programme includes contemporary painting, sculpture and textiles. The artists come from the Midlands, Ireland and other regions. As individual exhibitions change, it is worth checking the current programme if you are planning a gallery visit.

Abbey Road Artists’ Studios is a creative centre for artists, cultural practitioners and community groups. You can visit its studios by appointment with an artist based there. So, if you would like to explore the studios, arranging an appointment is part of the planning.

Sean’s Bar describes itself as Ireland’s oldest pub and traces its history back 1,100 years. It offers a guided tasting of local Irish whiskeys, including whiskeys from Sean’s Bar and others from the region. Check the current booking details if you are planning to attend the tasting.

Walking tours and experiences on the water

Athlone Guided Tours start at Athlone Castle and include stops at the beach, Civic Square and Athlone’s Latin Quarter. They cover oral history, folklore, memories, notable residents, landmarks and place names. The tours are approximately 3,000 steps, or 2.3 kilometres, long. This makes a guided town walk a specific option to consider alongside activities on the water or a cycling trip.

Pearse Connell offers a water taxi service from Athlone, as well as guided boat tours on the River Shannon and Lough Ree. Private charters to Clonmacnoise depart from below Athlone’s old castle and return to Athlone. On a private boat tour from Athlone, Hidden Heartlands Boat Tours & Water Taxi passes the Shannon Callows. You may spot native wildlife such as moorhens, little grebes, mute swans, coots and grey herons; sightings are not guaranteed. If you are planning a trip, check the current booking details in advance.

Cycling the Old Rail Trail

The Old Rail Trail Greenway is a dedicated, entirely traffic-free and mostly flat cycle path that leads to Athlone. The full route is 42 kilometres long and runs from the River Shannon in Athlone to the Royal Canal in Mullingar. A shorter cycling trip covers 8 kilometres from Athlone to Moate. The two figures refer to different route lengths: the trip between Athlone and Moate, and the full route to Mullingar. This lets you choose between a shorter ride and the longer connection when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Killachonna, Drumcree, Tang, Kilbeggan, Moate, Killinure, Glasson, Crookedwood

For the broader travel overview: County Westmeath.