Things To Do in Counties Galway, Westmeath and Offaly
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Counties Galway, Westmeath and Offaly Attractions
Officially the Midlands region covers the counties of Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath; we’ve also included a couple of sights in the far eastern part of County Galway, due to their close proximity. Attractions in this region are widely spread out—hiring a car is the only practical way to see the Midlands’ best sights without spending excessive amounts of time on public transport (where there’s even any at all).
17 Results
- Castle
Athlone Castle
Built in 1210 for King John of England, this mighty stone fortress sits on the edge of the Shannon, atop the ruins of an earlier fort built in 1129 as the seat of the chiefs of Connaught. Besieged for almost 6 months in 1641, the castle was attacked again in 1690 and finally fell in… - Museum
Battle of Aughrim Interpretative Centre
About midway between Galway City and Athlone, just off the M6 motorway, lies this interesting little museum, dedicated to a battle between two kings that took place here in 1691. When James II became king of England in 1685, his days on the throne were already numbered. He had a… - Garden/historic site
Birr Castle Gardens
This magnificent 90-room, 17th-century castle stands amid gorgeous, sprawling gardens, beautifully crafted as a kind of wonderland. The great house is still lived in by the same family that has owned it for centuries. It is only open to the public from May to August, 6 days a… - Historic Site
Charleville Castle
Now, this is a castle. Designed in 1798 by Francis Johnston, the spooky, crenellated Gothic Revival masterpiece took 12 years to build. Today it’s considered one of the best of Ireland’s early-19th-century castles, with fine limestone walls and plenty of towers, turrets, and… - Historic Site
Clonmacnoise
Resting somberly on the east bank of the Shannon, this is one of Ireland’s most profound ancient sites. St. Ciaran founded the monastic community of Clonmacnoise in 548 at the crucial intersection of the Shannon and the Dublin-Galway land route, and it soon became one of Europe’s… - Prehistoric Site
Corlea Trackway
This is one of those places that makes you stand back, scratch your head and marvel at just how old Ireland is. The fairly unassuming, modern interpretive center, situated in a bog, contains what at first glance looks like an elevated platform of planks nailed onto rails, like a… - Museum
Derryglad Folk & Heritage Museum
For a highly-concentrated dose of mid-20th-century nostalgia, visit this rather sweet little museum just outside Athlone. You walk through a series of recreated businesses, each little building jam-packed with memorabilia and antiques—a “medical hall” (drugstore), grocery store,… - Aquarium
Galway Atlantaquaria
Also known as the National Aquarium of Ireland (the largest in the country), this is a fantastic change of pace for kids who are tired of trudging around historic ruins. One’s imagination is captured right from the first exhibit—a dramatic “splash room,” where a large, 1-tonne (just… - Cooking Class
Medieval Banquet at Dunguaire Castle
One of the better ye olde worlde style entertainments in this part of Ireland, the medieval banquet at Dungaire Castle is actually pretty good fun. It’s best not to worry about anything silly like historical accuracy, because that’s hardly the point, now, is it? After being welcomed… - Historic home/museum
Pearse Cultural Centre and Padraig Pearse Cottage
This small but engaging center is devoted to Padraig Pearse (1879–1916), one of the leaders of Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rising. Dublin-based Pearse, who read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the G.P.O. in Dublin, made Connemara his countryside home. The center uses that… - Historic Site
Portumna Castle and Forest Park
Built in 1609 by Earl Richard Burke, this massive, noble structure on the northern shores of Lough Derg is a particularly fine manor house. Had it not been gutted by fire in 1826, who knows what billionaire might own it now? The fire spared much of the impressive exterior, including… - Cultural center
Spiddal Craft Village (Ceardlann an Spidéil)
On the main road as you enter Spiddal from Galway, this is a fantastic collection of cottage-style crafts stores and workshops. The artists-in-residence here change, but selection is always diverse. At this writing, they include a basketmaker; a ceramicist; a jeweler specializing in… - Factory Tour
The Kilbeggan Distillery
The oldest licensed distillery in Ireland, Kilbeggan has been producing whiskey here since 1757. Well, almost—it closed in 1957 and was virtually derelict for 25 years, until locals revived it as a smalltime distillery and museum. Full production resumed in the late 2000s, in part… - Ruins
The Rock of Dunamase
There isn’t much left of the castle that once stood atop this rocky outcrop overlooking a valley near the town of Portlaoise; however, what remains is a fetching and quite impressive sight. The ruins were once Dunamase Castle (though nobody calls it that anymore), built sometime… - Park/Garden
The Sensory Gardens
On the grounds of a convent in the town of Abbeyleix, not far from the border between counties Laois and Kilkenny, these gardens were designed by people with learning difficulties. They are intended to be not only accessible but also stimulating to disabled visitors. Plants are… - Historic Site
Tullynally Castle Gardens
A turreted and towered Gothic Revival manor, this creamy white castle is dazzling. It has been the home of the Pakenham family, the earls of Longford, since 1655. Frustratingly, the building itself is only open to pre-booked groups of 20 or more. But the 12-hectare (30-acre) grounds… - Tour
Viking Tours
Head to Clonmacnoise on this company's 71-passenger Viking replica ship. The 4 1/2-hour trip includes a 1-hour stopover at the monastic site. For no particular reason, the crew dress themselves in Viking attire for the journey, and passengers are encouraged to dress up as well --…
