3 Best Sights in Boyle, The Midlands

A shuttle bus operates from King House in Boyle for the 4-km (2-mile) trip to 350-hectare Lough Key Estate. It’s a natural, nautical wonderland with a scattering of small islands, some with fabulously picturesque ruins, like Castle Island with its 19th-century McDermott’s Castle. It's especially popular with families due to its fairy bridge, ziplines, boat trips, a wishing chair, bog gardens, and a panoramic, 300-meter-long treetop canopy walk. Marked walking and electric-bike trails cut through the park, which was once part of the King family’s estate from the 17th century until 1957, when their Rockingham House was destroyed by a fire. There still remains the shell of stables, and sinister, dark tunnels that lead to Key Lake---designed to obscure the servants from their affluent, fainthearted guests.

Founded in 1161, this fine Romanesque and Gothic-style abbey is located on the edge of town on the banks of the River Boyle, directly across from the five-arch Abbeytown Bridge, which was constructed in the same era. A glass wall supports the roof, creating an atmospheric glow later in the day. The nave is unusual in that it has a mix of architectural styles, which marks the years of construction and expansion. Animals and figures are intricately carved---and another surprise is the presence of a pagan sheila-na-gig fertility symbol. After the dissolution of the monasteries by invading forces, the abbey was transformed into a military base before becoming a cornerstone of Boyle Castle.

The mannequins that recite the backstory of the King clan haven’t a cheerful disposition, but then again, neither did the family they depict, and many of them have a grim tale to tell in this large, white-painted Georgian mansion. The often brutal, sometimes glorious stories of Connaught chieftains, sibling squabbles, and the tragedy and evictions during the famine are just some of the topics recounted. Many of the props are interactive and child friendly---and Tarzan The Ape Man (1934) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) star Maureen O’Sullivan, who was born in Boyle, has a room devoted to her story. The King family moved to Lough Key until it burnt down in 1957, while King House fell into disuse after it had a stint as an army barracks. The courtyard has a crafts shop, café, and weekly farmers’ market.