First time in Athlone: the Left Bank, Sean's Bar and the castle, closed for now

Athlone confuses first-time visitors in one specific way before it does anything else: it is two halves of a town divided by a river, and knowing which half you are on makes the rest of a visit make sense. Here is how to plan around that, and around one significant, time-sensitive fact that most generic guides do not mention.

Two banks, two counties

The River Shannon splits Athlone down the middle. County Westmeath holds the east bank, with the modern town centre, Church Street, the railway station and the Golden Island retail area. County Roscommon holds the west bank, the older Left Bank quarter around Athlone Castle, Sean's Bar and the Luan Gallery. A single bridge crossing has joined the two banks since the town began, and most of what a first-time visitor comes for, the historic pub, the castle, the food scene, sits on the Left Bank rather than the modern centre. Base your walking plan around that: the Left Bank is compact and can be covered on foot in an afternoon.

The castle is closed, and that is worth knowing before you go

Athlone Castle's visitor centre and keep exhibitions are closed to the public for a Fáilte Ireland-funded redevelopment that began in October 2025. The reopening was originally planned for autumn 2026 but has since been pushed back to spring 2027. This is a genuinely important planning point: do not build a first visit around touring the castle's interior, because as of this research it is not accessible. The keep itself and the public square around it remain part of the streetscape and are worth a look from outside, but the guided history that the visitor centre usually provides is on hold. Confirm the current status before you travel, since the reopening date could shift again.

What carries the visit instead

With the castle interior closed, the Left Bank's other heritage does the work. Sean's Bar, a few minutes' walk from the castle, is dated by the National Museum of Ireland and Guinness World Records to around 900 AD, making it one of the oldest pubs in Europe, and it is a genuine working pub rather than a roped-off exhibit; walk in, no booking needed. The Luan Gallery, County Westmeath's free municipal art gallery, is a short walk further on. And the town's food scene, from a Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen to a long-running Thai restaurant, gives a first-time visitor plenty to fill an evening even without the castle tour.

How long to spend

A single overnight covers the Left Bank essentials comfortably: an afternoon wandering the castle exterior, the gallery and Sean's Bar, followed by dinner. Two nights lets you add a Viking Tours cruise onto Lough Ree, which only runs April to October, or a stretch of the Old Rail Trail Greenway, the 43 km traffic-free former railway line that starts near the town and runs out to Mullingar. Athlone also makes a practical touring base for longer, since it sits on the Dublin-Galway railway and the N6 road, genuinely central for exploring the wider midlands and the Shannon rather than just a stopover.

Where to stay

For a walkable, no-car stay, the Bastion B&B on Bastion Street puts you in the middle of the Left Bank a few minutes from Sean's Bar, with breakfast served next door. The Radisson Blu on Northgate Street and the Sheraton Athlone on Gleeson Street are the town's two international-brand hotels, both a comfortable walk or short taxi from the Left Bank. For a different kind of stay, Hodson Bay Hotel and Wineport Lodge sit directly on Lough Ree, better suited to a car-based visit that wants the lake itself as part of the experience rather than an evening walk to Sean's Bar.

Getting there and around

Athlone railway station is a genuine InterCity junction on the Dublin Heuston to Galway line, also served by Dublin to Westport and Ballina trains and by Galway to Limerick services, so rail access is better than most midlands towns can offer. One practical note worth planning around: the last direct evening train back from Dublin has historically left earlier than a commuter town closer to the capital would offer, so check the current timetable rather than assuming a late service exists. By road, Athlone sits on the N6, about 1 hour 45 minutes from Dublin and 50 minutes from Galway. Once you are here, the Left Bank itself is entirely walkable, and a car is really only needed for Lough Ree's hotels, Glasson, or the wider Greenway.