Introduction in Ireland
The Irish Midlands are the country’s flatlands—horse country, all soft green grass and sprawling fields, veined with long, winding rivers and picturesque, slow-moving streams. While it doesn’t have the glamour of Cork, Kerry, or Galway, there is more to this region than first meets the eye. You can find real gems—like the romantic medieval castles at Charleville and Birr, the atmospheric ancient monastic site at Clonmacnoise, or the surprisingly little-known (and really very old indeed) Corlea Trackway.
The most significant history here dates to the late 17th century, with the fateful battle for supremacy between two English kings: the Protestant William III and the Catholic James II. After William won at the bloody Battle of Aughrim in 1691, he cemented the hold of a Protestant establishment in Ireland for centuries to come. The lavishly high-tech museum at Athlone Castle is the best of several in the region that tell this important story.
