Neighborhooding: Athlone, Ireland

Athlone pips Mullingar as county's largest town | Westmeath ...

If you ever find yourself smack dab in the center of Ireland in Country Westmeath, you are likely in Athlone! Having based ourselves there for a family history trip to Ireland a couple of years ago, I didn’t have a lot of expectations for Athlone but I’m happy to report I was pleasantly surprised! It’s no Dingle Peninsula in terms of scenery, but I found the restaurants, bars and long country roads packed with cows and sheep to be their own brand of charming.

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Uncovering Athlone | Ireland.comWhile we packed several generations into an Airbnb across the street from Athlone Castle, there are a number of decent hotels all within downtown, including the Prince of Wales and the Radisson Blu.

Where to Eat

Thyme: Modern Irish food.

Rustic Roots: All-day cafe and restaurant.

Loaves and Fishes: Great coffee and home to a full Irish breakfast.

Where to Drink

Sean’s Bar

Peddler Mac’s: A younger crowd with a lot of bar singalongs and some incredible pornstar martinis.

Sean’s Bar:  A pub that’s over a thousand years old qualifies as Ireland’s oldest pub.

Worth a Detour

Atlantic Sheepdogs outside Sligo

Athlone is the perfect center of Ireland, so you’re no more than a couple hours from everything – Dublin, Dingle Peninsula, Galway, Ashford Castle and more.

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