Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [461]
Dean Crowe Theatre ( 090-649 2129; www.deancrowetheatre.com; Chapel St) This refurbished theatre has wonderful acoustics and runs a broad program of theatrical and musical events year-round.
Getting There & Around
Athlone’s bus depot ( 090-648 4406) is beside the train station. Express buses stop there on many east–west routes. There are 15 buses daily to Dublin (€12, two hours) and Galway (€12, 1¼ hours); three from Monday to Saturday (one Sunday) to Westport (€11.50, 2¾ hours) in County Mayo; and three Monday to Saturday (one Sunday, plus an extra bus Friday) to Mullingar (€10.30, one hour).
From Athlone train station ( 090-647 3300), there are 11 trains daily Monday to Saturday (nine Sunday) to Dublin (€15 to €34, 1¾ hours); three or four daily to Westport (€15 to €32, two hours); and five to eight daily to Galway (€15 to €21.50, 1¼ hours).
The train station is on the eastern bank, on Southern Station Rd. To get here, follow Northgate St up from Custume Pl. Its extension, Coosan Point Rd, joins Southern Station Rd near St Vincent’s Hospital.
You can order a taxi on 090-647 4400.
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LOUGH REE & AROUND
Many of the 50-plus islands within Lough Ree were once inhabited by monks and their ecclesiastical treasures, drawing Vikings like moths to a flame. These days, the visitors are less bloodthirsty, with sailing, trout fishing and birdwatching the most popular pastimes. Migratory birds that nest here include swans, plovers and curlews.
Poet, playwright and novelist Oliver Goldsmith (1728–74), author of The Vicar of Wakefield, is closely associated with the area running alongside the eastern shore of Lough Ree. Known as Goldsmith Country, the region is beautifully captured in his writings. The Lough Ree Trail: A Signposted Tour, by Gearoid O’Brien, is available from the tourist offices in Athlone and Mullingar. Ideal for cycling, this 32km tour runs through Glasson (which Goldsmith called the ‘loveliest village of the plain’) and around the shores of Lough Ree, and into County Longford.
Situated 8km northeast of Athlone on the N55, the little village of Glasson is these days well worth a stop for its outstanding restaurants and lively pubs. The Glasson Village Restaurant ( 090-648 5001; michaelrosebrooks@gmail.com; mains €21-30; 6-9.30pm Tue-Sun, 12.30-2.30pm Sun) is a wonderfully informal place serving excellent food. The nearby Wineport Restaurant ( 090-643 9010; www.wineport.ie; d €150-350, mains €25-37; 6-10pm Mon-Sat, 3-5pm & 6-10pm Sun), in a lakeside cedar lodge, has a reputation for the finest modern Irish cuisine. The lodge’s 10 luxurious rooms are named after wines and Champagnes.
Getting There & Away
Bus Éireann ( 090-648 4406) service 466 from Athlone to Longford has two trips daily from Monday to Saturday, stopping outside Grogan’s pub in Glasson.
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KILBEGGAN & AROUND
Little Kilbeggan has two big claims to fame: a restored distillery-turned-museum and Ireland’s only National Hunt racecourse.
Whiskey buffs and industrial technology enthusiasts will get a kick out of Locke’s Distillery ( 057-933 2134; www.lockesdistillerymuseum.ie; Kilbeggan; adult/child €7/free; 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm Nov-Mar). Established in 1757, this whiskey producer is believed to have been the oldest licensed pot still in the world before it ceased operation two centuries later. Today you can marvel at hulking machinery, visit a cooper’s room and warehouse, and listen to the creaks and groans of the working mill wheel. Guided tours last 50 minutes, finishing off with a whiskey tasting.
Punters from all over the country attend the old-time evening meetings at the Kilbeggan Races ( 057-933 2176; www.kilbegganraces.com; tickets €15; approx fortnightly May-Sep). The town is transformed on race nights