Not everyone on tours of Ireland visits this interesting town. But you should! It has a lot of boating traffic that is on the Shannon, and a great mooring situation. The town sits at the southern end of Lough Ree, one of the Shannon’s three major lakes. That brings...
On this Island in Lough Ree, six churches make up the extensive remains of a monastery founded in the early 6th century by St Diarmuid. These include the Belfry Church, set on the highest point on the Island, an unusual Romanesque church with a square...
A tree-bordered green is the focal point of this busy county town. It has been a town of stature since the 16th century , receiving a royal charter from James I in 1613. A variety of wars , however , has meant that little of...
The River Shannon here divides the counties of Westmeath and Roscommon and the provinces of Leinster and Connacht. As it was a strategic crossing point there were frequent battles in the town, first between the Irish tribes and then with the Anglo-Normans. Bishop John de...
You may come across County Westmeath on your Ireland tours. It is an inland county in the province of Leinster. The county has an area of 710 square miles and a population of approx 75,000. The old royal kingdom of Mide became part of the "de Lacy" earldom...