Discover Athlone

A river town split between two counties

Athlone straddles the River Shannon at the point where it broadens into Lough Ree, with County Westmeath on the east bank and County Roscommon on the west, the two joined by a bridge that has crossed the river here since the town began. The crossing itself is the reason the town exists: the Irish name, Baile Átha Luain, means the town of Luan's ford, and the site of that ford is now Sean's Bar, dated by the National Museum of Ireland and Guinness World Records to around 900 AD, one of the oldest pubs in Europe. Athlone Castle, an Anglo-Norman keep first raised in wood by Turlough O'Connor in the 12th century and the scene of the pivotal 1691 Siege of Athlone, still stands guard over the crossing on the west bank, in the Left Bank quarter that also holds the Luan Gallery and the narrow streets locals send visitors to first.

The castle's own visitor centre is closed for a Fáilte Ireland-funded redevelopment through 2026, with reopening pushed back to spring 2027, so for now the keep is best appreciated from the outside and the Left Bank's other draws carry the visit: a food scene built around Thyme's Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen and the Left Bank Bistro on the old lock, the 43 km Old Rail Trail Greenway running out to Mullingar along the old Midlands Great Western Railway line, and Viking Tours' replica longship cruises out onto Lough Ree and down to Clonmacnoise. Athlone also sits on the Dublin-Galway railway, with lines onward to Westport, Ballina and Limerick, which makes it as much a touring base for the midlands and the Shannon as a destination in its own right.