This castle is in Castlepollard, County Westmeath. It is definitely worth a visit on any tours of Ireland. It is the largest castle in Ireland still lived in as a family home. The castle has been the home of the Pakenham family since 1655. The walls are 10 feet...
This is an attractive small village in County Westmeath. The village is laid out English style, around a green. It is popular on tours of Ireland for fishing. There is a tiny village called Fore nearby. Fore stands among a group of ecclesiastical ruins. There is a graveyard beside the...
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...
The ruins of Fore Abbey lie in glorious rolling countryside about 8km east of Tullynally Castle. St Fechin established a monastery here in 630, but what you see now are the remains of a large Benedictine priory founded around 1200. Located on the northern border...
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...
Athlone is a substantial ancient / modern town on the River Shannon ; some narrow winding streets , tucked away behind a lively main shopping street. Athlone is a favourite stop off for cabin cruisers on the Shannon and is well worth a stop of on your...
East of Castlepollard towards the Meath border , the Fore Valley is an area of exceptional natural beauty , and well worth a look on any Ireland tours. It is a real hidden gem with great Irish myth !! The Seven Wonders of Fore are supposedly...
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...