Day trips from Athlone
See something new just an hour away
Athlone is pretty much at the geographical centre of Ireland, with the newest bridge across the river Shannon marking the boundary between Connacht and Leinster. Connacht comprises the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo; Leinster comprises Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.
Trains stopping at Athlone can take you West to Galway and further up to Westport or East to Dublin. However, most of the day trips you can do from Athlone will require driving.
Galway
A typical day trip is to go to Galway: it only takes one hour by train and more or less the same by car, but traffic can make the drive much longer than that.
Galway has so much to offer so you may want to go back a few times if you get the chance. Yes, there is a nice shopping centre and cute shops in the Latin Quarter, but what Galway does really well is culture, from art exhibitions to theatre and live music.
My personal recommendation is to visit Monroe’s Tavern for live music and Printworks for art exhibitions.
Birr
Birr is a little gem and it’s an easy drive by car but it’s a less straightforward journey by coach as there are very few services running per day. Basically there’s one coach leaving Athlone at lunchtime and another coach leaving Birr mid afternoon.
Birr Castle and Gardens are the main attraction: there are guided tours of the castle during the summer and you can visit the gardens all year round. You can also learn about the giant telescope and the astronomical studies that have been carried out in Birr.
Dublin
Dublin is an obvious day trip destination from Athlone. Going by train takes about 1.5 hours and by car it could take anything between just over an hour to two hours depending on traffic.
It’s impossible to summarise what to do in Dublin in one snappy sentence because there’s plenty on offer. My favourite places in Dublin are the Hugh Gallery and the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Westport
Westport is a two hour drive or a two hour train journey from Athlone and is a picturesque town with colourful buildings, independent shops and cafes.
Not far from the centre is the beautiful palace of Westport House, a historic building that is about 300 years old with original artifacts and that is surrounded by stunning gardens.
Dún na Sí
Dún na Sí is quite close to Athlone, about 30 minutes by car. If you ever wanted to rent a bike from Athlone it would take you about an hour to cycle to Dún na Sí. You can choose different walking routes across the grounds and stop by the cafe for refreshments. At various times in the year you can also enjoy live music.
Fore
Fore is about an hour away from Athlone and the ruins of Fore Abbey are fascinating. The surrounding landscape offers plenty of walking opportunities.
Belvedere House
Belvedere House is also about an hour from Athlone by car and you could spend a few hours there. Using public transport can be a challenge as there is no direct route and you will need at least a couple of buses. You can visit the main building and the surrounding extensive gardens, where you can enjoy guided tours. During the year the gardens hosts a series of themed events including for Halloween and Christmas.
Newcastle Wood
About half an hour by car from Athlone is Newcastle Wood, a beautiful forest in a picturesque location.
It’s the perfect place to recharge and admire the lush natural landscape.
These are just a few ideas for day trips but of course there is so much more to explore and I will definitely make more day trips in the future so I can write about them!
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On my way to the airport now. I'll check out your Galway recommendations 👌🏻
Sounds like you’re enjoying yourself.