Dún na Sí Heritage Park

‘Dún na Sí’, situated 10 miles east of Athlone is both a cultural centre for Irish dance, music and storytelling and a centre for tracing your family history."Dún na Sí" is the designated Genealogical research centre for Co. Westmeath, so you can trace your family name or ancestry.

Contact 090 6481183.

Locke's Distillery Museum

Located on the main Dublin-Galway road, Locke’s Distillery, established in 1757, is where pot still Irish malt whiskey was made for almost 200 years. Over 90% of the original machinery has been restored and can be seen working daily. A visit to the Distillery will take you through all the steps of how whiskey was produced, from the grinding of grain to the casking of the final product. It is well worth a visit to see the water wheel, to raise and lower the sluice-gates, to peer into the fermentation vats, to see the compound mill engine, and to learn all about the lives and working conditions of the people who worked there. - Contact (0506) 32134/ 32183

Apart from viewing the living Museum, visitors to Locke’s Distillery, can take a deep breath and inhale the delicious aroma of whiskey maturing in ancient stone warehouses. Locke’s and Kilbeggan Irish whiskey is today distilled in Cooley Distillery, Dundalk, Co. Louth and then transported by tanker to Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath. It is then gently transferred into the awaiting American Oak Casks. These casks have been carefully checked by their Master Cooper, John Neilly, to make sure that not a drop of this valuable spirit is lost. When the whiskey has been three years and one day in the casks, it then can be called ‘Whiskey’ legally. They do not use any of the three year old whiskey, it is left to mature further and develop into some of their Award Winning Brands.

Cooley Distillery has won 72 International Awards and commendations in the last 10
Years, including: the 1997 Ireland DHL Export Award, the 1998 International Wine and Spirits Competition and a IWSC Trophy for Worldwide achievement of Outstanding Contribution to the Spirits Industry and in 2004 the San Francisco World Spirit Competition “Best Of Irish” title. The tour ends with a complementary tasting of Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey.
Opening times: April to October, 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. daily. November to March, 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. daily.

Facilities and Services:
Guided and self-guided tours available in French, German, Italian, Swedish, Spanish, Finnish and Dutch, Coach and car parking at rear of building. Locke’s Pantry Restaurant with wine licence. Visitors can sample and purchase their preferred Irish whiskey in Locke’s Irish Whiskey Bar. Personalised messages can be printed on the spot, on bottle labels if whiskey is purchased, making wonderful gifts and souvenirs.

Lockes Distillery Home Page

An Dún Transport and Heritage Museum

An Dún, 15 minutes drive from Athlone offers a unique insight into the history of transport during this century, featuring the popular Bullnose Morris Cowley, a rare Shelvoke & Drewry truck, 1920’s right up to the modern classic Morris Minor. Also on display is an unusual collection of refurbished farm implements, Garvey Mill 1932, early combine harvesters, horse drawn implements, farm tools and mass produced post-war tractors. - Contact 090 6430106.

Bog Tours

Clonmacnoise & West Offaly Railway is a unique opportunity to enjoy a guided tour and get an insight into the raised bog, the Blackwater Bog. The area of cutaway bog you cross, 12,000 years ago lay beneath a glacier, 3,000 years later, was a lake and then this developed slowly into a fen, and finally a bog. A train journey across this desert of modern cutaway is a journey through time, and is a memorable exploration of its long and fascinating history. Contact +353 (0)90 9674450

Glendeer Pet Farm

The O’Connell family welcome visitors to their award winning farm to see their wide range of animals from spotted pigs and deer to angora rabbits and rare birds, ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep, and the extraordinary Vietnamese pot-bellied Pigs.

The farm is a favourite with children who can play freely in the playground while the adults can sample fresh home made fare in the coffee shop or go for a nature walk. Self Catering apartments sleeping up to five people available.

Contact 090 6437147.

Glendeer Pet Farm Home Page

Glasson

Glasson, the village of the roses, 10 minutes drive from Athlone is a village, that still retains its old world charm, with elegantly restored old houses, historic buildings and monuments, including the old school house built in 1844. Glasson is an ideal starting point for lake trails or forest walks, surrounded by resplendent countryside on the shores of Lough Ree. After your days journey or activities the village is renowned for its welcoming hostelries and top class restaurants. - Contact 090 6485119.

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Birr Castle Demesne

Home to the Earl of Rosse, Birr Castle, on the banks of the Cancor River is situated in the heart of 50 hectares of spectacular gardens with waterfalls, fountains, bridges, over 1000 of different species of trees and shrubs, and bird sanctuary. Birr Castle is also home to one of the world’s largest telescopes built over 150 years ago by the Third Earl of Rosse. - Contact (0509) 20336.

New Junior Science Teaching Tool at Birr Castle
The ‘Junior Science Trail’ was launched recently for Junior Certificate Science students and their teachers at Birr Castle, home to Ireland’s Historic Science Centre and the Earls of Rosse. The Centre, in Birr Castle Demesne, charts the development of the famous Great Telescope and other scientific initiatives of the Parsons family over four hundred years.

The Centre has developed the Trail to cover curriculum areas in chemistry, physics and biology such as light, energy conversion, living things, ecology, classification of substances and the historic lives and scientific interests of the Parsons family.

Conscious of concerns within many educational institutions, research organisations and industry bodies of the declining numbers of science students at university level, the Centre hope their ‘Junior Science Trail’ can help in providing practical activities and an experience of the adventure of scientific discovery outside the classroom to address reversing that trend.

Combining a botany field trip to the award-winning gardens with an interactive museum visit, the ‘Junior Science Trail’ involves student activities such as recording an ecology in the 400-year-old wildflower meadow using plant and animal keys, identifying trees using a tree key, using the Periodic Table of Elements to determine the makeup of thetelescope mirrors and observing the many engineering features and exhibits, such as the Great Telescope and the Lunar heat Machine, to draw conclusions and apply their knowledge in a practical way.

For further information, student ticket prices and bookings, please contact Alicia Parsons at Ireland’s Historic Science Centre, Tel: (0509) 20336 or visit www.birrcastle.com

Clonmacnoise

A medieval university founded by St. Ciaran in 548 AD Clonmacnoise became a great monastic city and university with a cultural reputation that was to endure for centuries. The history of Clonmacnoise is one of recurring disaster, alternating with periods of rapid recovery and progress.

It was plundered, burned and destroyed again and again by Norsemen, Anglo Normans, the English and even the native Irish. Despite all these adversities the settlement continued to make progress in the arts of peace and learning. The most notable features to-day consist of the Cathedral, seven other church buildings, two round towers, three high crosses, remains of a castle or fortified wall, and two holy wells.

Parts of an ancient causeway of the 11th century, leading towards the "nuns" chapel and beyond are still recognisable. Clonmacnoise houses an interpretative centre and guided tours are available.

Contact  (0905) 74195.

Strokestown Park & Famine Museum

Strokestown Park was built by Thomas Mahon MP (1701-1782). The Mahon family were also responsible for the construction of the town of Strokestown. Strokestown House also houses the famine museum, located in the stable grounds. The extensive Strokestown estate papers, now regarded as the best "Big house" archive in Ireland are used to explain the significance of the famine in national terms. The museum also provokes visitors to consider the ongoing plight of victims of today’s world-wide poverty and famine. - Contact (078) 33013.

Strokestown Park Home Page

Kinnity Castle

Nestled midst the Slieve Bloom mountains and in the heart of Ely O’Carroll country, Kinnity Castle is one of the strongholds of the O’Carroll family of which one Charles Og O’Carroll was one of the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence. The family still maintain vast estates in Maryland. The estate itself includes 65 acres of parkland, formal gardens and a walled-in garden. - Contact (0509) 37318.

Kinnity Castle Home Page

Kilbeggan Races

Every year the Kilbeggan Races attract thousands of racegoers who flock to study the form, mingle in with the crowds, place their bets, or just have a drink and collect their winnings.Kilbeggan was voted Race Course of the Year in 1990 while the Racecourse Manager was elected National Hunt Manager of the Year in 1999. Contact (057) 9332176.or http://www.kilbegganraces.com/

Tyrrellspass Castle Museum

Built by the Tyrrells of Fartullagh c. 1411 the castle is 30 minutes from Athlone. It is 60ft. high approx. For two hundred years it guarded the western entrance of the Barony of Fartullagh.

The museum which is on the first floor houses an interesting collection which includes an early Christian stone head, a bronze age axe, Viking coinage, a wide array of weapons from 1760 - 1940, a collection of very rare old IRA despatches and intelligence reports, the altimeter used by Colonel Howard Bury on his expedition to Mount Everest and much more.

Visit: http://www.tyrrellspasscastle.com/

In-depth history of Moydrum Castle, including a superb images gallery:

http://www.mickcoplen.com/History/Moydrum/Moydrum.htm

Midlands Tours

You will hear all about Historic Athlone, explore Clonmacnoise, Ballinahown Craft Village and our Beautiful Waterways, all from the comfort of the Viking Replica Ship and our Luxury coach.

Why not take one of our tours of the Midlands?

There are three options and you can start from the centre of Athlone or be picked up directly from your hotel in the Athlone area.

See our Tours page for details and simply contact us to make a booking, it couldn't be simpler. Early booking recommended to avoid disappointment.

Midlands Tours website