Things to do in Athlone
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Viking Tours
Cruise along the Shannon aboard a replica Viking longship, complete with costumed staff and dress-up clothes, including helmets, swords and shields. Head north to Lough Ree or south to Clonmacnoise. A round trip to Clonmacnoise allows a 90-minute stop at the ruins. Call for schedules.
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Athlone Castle Visitor Centre
The Athlone Castle Visitor Centre contains some informative displays on the Siege of Athlone, the flora and fauna of the Shannon, and the Shannon’s role in the production of hydroelectricity. Other highlights are an old gramophone that belonged to the great Athlone tenor John McCormack (1884–1945); and a military and folk museum with two sheila-na-gigs. An hour is probably enough time to take it all in.
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Sean's Bar
Age certainly hasn't wearied Sean's Bar. Dating way back to AD 900, Sean's stakes its claim as Ireland's oldest pub. Its log fires, uneven floors (to help flood waters run back down to the river), sawdust, rickety piano and curios collected over the years attest to the theory. The riverside beer garden has live music most nights in summer; to really see things in full swing, turn up at about 5.30pm on a Saturday.
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Left Bank Bistro
With airy, whitewashed interiors, shelves of gourmet goods, and a menu combining superior Irish ingredients with Mediterranean and Asian influences, this sophisticated deli–bistro attracts those in the know. Lunch features bowls of steaming pasta, big salads and chunky open sandwiches, while dinner dishes up beautifully grilled meat and fish and some extraordinary desserts.
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Kin Khao
What is possibly the best Thai restaurant in Ireland is tucked away near the Dean Crowe Theatre and is renowned for its extensive menu of authentic dishes. All the chefs and staff are Thai (with the exception of one half of the husband-and-wife team who run the place) and you'd be advised to book ahead if you want to join the band of loyal Kin Khao devotees.
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Le Château
A Athlone favourite, this classy joint has a split-level timber dining room glowing with flickering candles. The menu features traditional Irish favourites spiced up with speciality and local produce. Expect plenty of meat dishes. Sunday lunch is particularly popular.
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Olive Grove
This slick waterside restaurant gets rave reviews from happy punters keen on the stylish design and creative menus. The food is good but at times fussy; think pan-fried black pudding with blue cheese and cider sorbet or duck confit with colcannon and pear, orange and date chutney.
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Shannon Safari
New outfit Shannon Safari offers private hour-long powerboat cruises year-round for €200 per hour. Boats depart beside the Radisson hotel.
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Strand Tackle Shop
Information and fishing permits are available from the friendly Strand Tackle Shop, on the eastern bank of the river opposite the castle.
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Dean Crowe Theatre
This refurbished theatre has wonderful acoustics and runs a broad program of theatrical and musical events year-round.
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Midland Tours
This company offers a range of half-day tours to Clonmacnoise, the Fore Valley, Birr Castle, Tullamore Heritage Centre and Locke's Distillery, and Strokestown Park House and Famine Museum.
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Dún na Sí Heritage Centre
This folk park 16km east of Athlone just off the M6 near Moate, features a recreated ring fort, portal dolmen, lime kiln, mass rock, farmhouse and forge. There's also a genealogy centre to help trace your roots, a ćeiĺi on the first Friday of the month year-round and a traditional session with music, song, dance and storytelling at 9pm on Fridays in summer.
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Athlone Castle
The ancient river ford at Athlone was an important crossroads on the Shannon and was the cause of many squabbles over the centuries. By 1210, the Normans had asserted their power and built a castle here. In 1690 the Jacobite town survived a siege by Protestant forces, but it fell a year later – under a devastating bombardment of 12,000 cannonballs – to William of Orange's troops. The castle was soon remodelled and further major alterations took place over the following centuries.
At the time of writing the imposing and well-preserved castle and its visitor centre were closed for refurbishment. Both should reopen in summer 2012.
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