Sara and I wanted a few days away from busy cities, some time to take it easy, to save a little on the cost of a room, and to spend time working on our posts and writing. We were heading back from Galway to Dublin for our last days in Ireland, so we chose a city we had never heard of, Athlone, which sits halfway between Galway and Dublin, and right in the center of Ireland. Mary, our AirBnB host, picked us up from the train station which we really appreciated. Here are some highlights from our visit to Athlone.
Athlone Castle: Dating back to the 12th century, Athlone Castle sits right along the west side of the Shannon River. One visit to the castle will convince you that Athlone played an important role in Irish history. When Parlaiment deposed King James II to replace him with William of Orange, James fled to Ireland turning to the Catholics to fight to retain his crown. On July 12, 1690, at the Battle of the Boyne, William’s forces defeated the “Jacobites,” as the Catholic supporters of James were called. Although James fled to France after the battle, the Jacobites continued to fight on. Athlone Castle overlooked and controlled the bridge on the Shannon, a crucial strategic asset. This modern museum in the very old Athlone castle tells the story of this siege in vivid detail. But it also includes later history, including a lot of attention to a favorite son of Athlone, the great tenor John McCormack.
Across the street from the castle, still on the west side of the river, is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, built between 1932-1939. It’s big, and a lovely church, but architecturally quite a contrast to the Castle. And on the sidewalk between the two, on most afternoons, was an older busker, happily playing his accordion for all who walked by.
Crossing the Shannon on the new bridge, built after the original was destroyed in 1690, we found the “Dead Centre Brewery.” Yes, craft beers are to be found in Ireland, and Dead Centre offered a nice variety. We’re not sure if “Dead Centre” applies to the brewery’s location in Athlone, or the location of Athlone itself within Ireland. Probably both.
In front of the Castle, a sign promised a Walking Tour of Athlone at 11:00 on Saturday, so we were there. But there was only one other guy. He turned out to be Vincent, the tour guide, who was just as happy to lead the two of us as he had been leading much larger groups. We probably spent two hours with him reviewing the history of Athlone, pointing to historical buildings, and even playing a clip of John McCormack singing. We enjoyed Vincent and his tour, which we ended watching a boat go through the lock system on the Shannon River.
Sean’s Bar, just around the corner and down the hill from the castle, is a major attraction in Athlone. During renovations in 1970, the bar’s walls were found to be made of “wattle and wicker,” dating back to the ninth century. It’s been thoroughly researched by the Guinness Book of Records which has certified Sean’s Bar as the “Oldest Bar in Ireland” and quite possibly in the world. Whether it’s the oldest or not, we enjoyed the pub atmosphere, as well as the Guiness. Sean’s also has its own Irish Whiskey, which Sara sampled and approved.
