The Midlands
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Midlands - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Athlone Castle
Bold and imposing, Athlone Castle stands beside the River Shannon. A raft of dazzling exhibitions are housed inside this 13th-century Norman stronghold. After their defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in 1691, the Irish retreated to Athlone and made the river their first line of defense. The castle, which is now more than 800 years old, has played a strategic role in Irish history. Eight exhibition spaces—in the main building as well as the keep and the armory—detail this enthralling chronological story and that of the town from the earliest settlement up to modern trading times. Sculptural forms convey human figures that bring the characters of Athlone to life in an engaging way. They sit cheek by jowl with 3D maps, audiovisuals, and weapons, like a bow and arrow, that allow hands-on experiences for both children and adults. You will feel right at the center of things with the 360-degree view of events of the Siege of Athlone in 1690. It's not your typical Irish fairy-tale castle, but it is fun, and kids especially love the interactive game "How to Capture a Castle." It's hard to beat on a wet day in the Midlands. A fascinating permanent exhibition focuses on the life of the singer John Count McCormack, who was born in Athlone in 1884. Programs from the Dublin Amateur Operatic Society, his papal chain presented to him in 1928, a montage of photographs, and HMV records with his signature song, "I Hear You Calling Me," are on show. Cabinets contain a silver cup from his admirers in Philadelphia and a cup presented by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, New York. McCormack sang in the Metropolitan Opera House in New York opposite Dame Nellie Melba in 1910 and continued to sing at the Met until 1918. During 2019, the first phase of a major €500,000 project to restore the castle walls took place and continuing maintenance work is needed, but this will not affect the opening of the attraction. The castle gatehouse serves as the town's tourist office. If you are here in summer the castle hosts a two-day medieval fair in the courtyard and upper battlements held in conjunction with the Athlone River Festival. Dates vary (it has been held in June and in August) so it is best to check the website for exact details.
St. Peter's Square, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland090-644–2130Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, Closed Mon. and Tues. Nov.--Feb.; closed Mon. Mar.--May, Sept., and Oct. -
2. Belvedere House, Gardens, and Park
A stately mid-18th-century hunting lodge with extensive gardens, Belvedere House occupies a beautiful spot on the northeast shore of Lough Ennell. Access to the mansion is through the servants' entrance—so you can see what life behind the scenes was like back then. The interiors are a quirky mix of Georgian stateliness and Victorian charm. The noted bow and Palladian windows have great parkland views sloping down to the lake and its islands. It was built in 1740 by architect Richard Cassels for Robert Rochfort, 1st Earl of Belvedere, and his wife, Mary. She was accused of having an affair with Robert's brother Arthur, which was denied, but she was locked away in the Rochfort's ancestral home at Gaulstown House for 31 years on a charge of adultery. During this time, Robert had considerable work carried out on Belvedere House to make it more homey; one of the most impressive features he commissioned was the rococo plasterwork ceiling by the renowned stucco artist Bartholomew Cramillion. He spent much of his family fortune dotting the gardens of the estate with "follies," including the Jealous Wall, a gigantic mock-castle ruin that served to cover up a view of the adjoining estate, owned by another brother, also hated. It now stands as Ireland's largest folly and is loved by Instagrammers. You can walk around the 160 acres of the estate and 10 km (6 miles) of woodland trails; some walks take you past the Gothic arch folly. Belvedere rebranded its historical interpretation in autumn 2019 to add interactive panels, audio guides covering both the house and grounds bringing history to life in a new way through illustrated characters, and even talking portraits. In the dining room, for example, you can listen to the commentary of the Wicked Earl, known for his extreme jealousy, hosting a lavish dinner party for his friends. Also on the grounds are a café and four children's play areas, which include a zipline and a fairy garden. At the back of the house, look out for the sculpture of King Malachy, the last High King of Ireland, made from the stump of an old oak tree whose story is recounted in the audio tour.
N52, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland044-933–8960Sight Details
Rate Includes: House and parkland €8 -
3. Birr Castle Gardens and Science Centre
Summer visitors can join a guided tour of one of Ireland's most elegant stately homes and peer behind the scenes of a previously closed-off world. Although relatively recently constructed, during the great famine in the mid-19th century, this Gothic Revival castle (built around a series of castles since the 12th century---including one that was damaged by fire in 1823) has been the home of the earls of Rosse or Parson family, since the turbulent 17th century. Castle tours, usually given by family members, bring you through the spectacular Gothic music saloon, the library, the yellow drawing room, and reception rooms. Held from May to August, Monday--Saturday, the tours run at 10, 11:30, and 1, and last around 60 minutes. Note that the castle has more than 100 rooms and the tour takes in just a small number of them. The Parson family continue the tradition of making botanical expeditions for specimens of rare trees, plants, and shrubs to fill the demesne's 150 acres. The formal gardens contain the tallest box hedges in the world (at 32 feet) and vine-sheltered hornbeam allées. In spring, check out the wonderful display of flowering magnolias, cherries, crab apples, and naturalized narcissi; in autumn, the maples, chestnuts, and weeping beeches blaze red and gold. The demesne consists of 4,000 varieties of tree and nearly 40 percent of the plants are of Chinese origin. If you are joining a house tour, book in advance; allow at least three hours to see everything in the demesne—there are 3,400 plants and 3,860 varieties of trees from 40 countries. The grounds also contain Ireland's Historic Science Centre, an exhibition on astronomy, photography, and engineering housed in the stable block with the oldest surviving darkroom in the world. The giant (72-inch-long) reflecting telescope, built in 1845, was the largest in the world for 75 years. In 2019, three science galleries were renovated and include a hologram of the third countess of Ross inside the darkroom from the 1800s. There is no public access to the I-Lofar (Low Frequency Array Radio) telescope---a gateway to solar physics beyond our galaxy. Although if you can, request a view reception. On the grounds. there's also a tree house designed in the shape of a fairy-tale castle with round turrets and Gothic-style windows. It features a huge slide, tree decks lined by a rope bridge, and secret tunnels. Along with the adventure playground, with its giant bouncing pillow and a myriad of child-friendly activities, there is a crafts shop and Courtyard Café.
Rosse Row, Birr, Co. Offaly, Ireland057-912–0336Sight Details
Rate Includes: Castle tour, gardens, and science center €20, gardens €12.50, Castle closed Sept.–May and Sun. -
4. Lough Boora Discovery Park
This open expanse of once commercial, now exhausted, bog has been restored for a variety of leisure activities, from hiking and cycling to coarse angling and bird-watching (more than 150 species make their home here). When it was first established as a sanctuary in 2001, there were just 11 breeding pairs of gray partridge in the parkland—now there are several hundred of these ground-nesting birds, the last remaining population of them in Ireland. You're unlikely to see them, however, as they spend only one minute of each day in the air. Best of all, Lough Boora is home to one of Ireland's most unique sculpture parks. Along the Sculpture Walk, where golden plovers, lapwings, and starlings may accompany you, 24 large-scale sculptures made from local materials (including glacial stone, water, and willow) have been created by artists influenced by the legacy of the bogs. The result is some of the most creative environmental outdoor artwork anywhere in Ireland. To cite one example, the installation artist Mike Bulfin has turned a rusty old bog train into a cartoonish curve whose image will remain imprinted in your mind long after your visit to this magical place. The most recent sculpture, the Gathering of Stones, features a different type of stone from each of the four provinces in Ireland, creating a ring fort and circular wall. It reflects the Irish diaspora through "emigrant stones" laid out in a cruciform shape embracing people from all corners of the world. A café serves snacks from 10 am to 6 pm. An off-road bike trail runs for 22 km (13 miles). You can choose from five different looped color-coded walks, while guided walking tours run April–September. Bring your binoculars: bird hides are located throughout the park to provide the opportunities to spy on birds such as golden plover and lapwing.
Boora, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland057-934–5978Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free; bike rental €5 per hr, parking €4 full day -
5. Lough Key Forest Park
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.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Bear Essentials Ireland
Relive your childhood at this fun stop for all ages where you can view the largest collection of teddy bears in Ireland. Each bear is handcrafted in the workshop from the finest mohair. The Silver Bear Centre and gift shop is next door. There's a "Teddy Bear Hospital" on-site, where you can bring your damaged teddy for repair or redesign, and the shop also sells "My First Teddy," a baby bear for infants. Free 30-minute tours of the visitor center must be prebooked.
Bawnboy, Co. Cavan, Ireland049-952–3461Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Sat. 9–6, Sun.–Mon. by prior arrangement -
7. Clara Bog Visitor Centre
As one of the best remaining examples of an intact raised bog in western Europe, Clara Bog is home to protected wildlife species, including the rare dark tussock moth, the keeled skimmer, a powder-blue dragonfly, as well as two rare midges and a click beetle. Unique bog plants, such as sphagnum mosses and the pink rosemary (Offaly's county flower), can be seen. Clara Bog's visitor center---based in Clara library---provides unique insights into bog ecology and 10,000 years of natural and social history through touch-screen, text, and audiovisuals. The center is staffed seasonally by education guides (call in advance to check on opening hours). A five-minute walk from Clara railway station, Clara Bog is a wet environment (deep pools and quaking surfaces), so dress appropriately and stay on the boardwalk.
Ballycumber Rd., Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland57-936--8878Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.--Apr.; May--Sept., closed weekends -
8. King House
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.
King's House, Co. Roscommon, Ireland087-144--4739Sight Details
Rate Includes: €7, Closed Oct.--mid-Apr.
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