Roscommon is 82km (51 miles) NE of Galway, 147km (91 miles) NW of Dublin; Longford is 129km (80 miles) NW of Dublin, 44km (27 miles) NE of Athlone; Carrick-on-Shannon is 56km (35 miles) SE of Sligo; Cavan is 105km (65 miles) NW of Dublin
The northern region of the Republic sprawls across three counties, with vast green parks and luxurious manor houses dolloped generously across it like clotted cream on a scone. Through it all, the River Shannon pours and rushes and trickles into a series of lakes, canals, and waterways, providing plenty to keep rough-and-ready anglers and sailors happy.
In County Roscommon you can spend days wandering through places like the grand Strokestown Park House, which, with its sobering Irish Famine Museum, tells of both the haves and the have-nots of Ireland's recent past. Head to the town of Boyle to wonder at the ancient carvings on the worn walls of Boyle Abbey and explore the green and pleasant baths within the wilds of Lough Key Forest Park before heading off to discover the lost worlds of Roscommon Castle.
In County Leitrim, above Lough Ree, the river is relatively narrow until it reaches the town of Carrick-on-Shannon, which sits beautifully at one of the great ancient crossing places of the Shannon, now the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell Canal, which provides a clear path from the Shannon in the Republic of Ireland all the way to Lough Erne in Ulster. Carrick-on-Shannon is one of the true boating hubs in Ireland, and its vast marina holds dozens of companies that rent or sell cabin cruisers.
Similarly, County Cavan is a lovely place to drive through, with thick forests, miles of farmland, and a distinctive form of local crystal that makes a memorable souvenir.
