Sights in County Westmeath
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Belvedere House Gardens & Park
Don’t miss the magnificent Belvedere House Gardens & Park, an immense 18th-century hunting lodge set in 65 hectares of gardens overlooking Lough Ennell. More than a few skeletons have come out of Belvedere’s closets: the first earl, Lord Belfield, accused his wife and younger brother Arthur of adultery. She was placed under house arrest here for 30 years, and Arthur was jailed in London for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, the earl lived a life of decadence and debauchery. On his death, his wife emerged dressed in the fashion of three decades earlier, still protesting her innocence.
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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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Mullingar Pewter Visitor Centre
Pewterware is Mullingar’s best-known export. At the Mullingar Pewter Visitor Centre, you can tour the factory floor (h9.30am-4pm Mon-Thu, 9.30am-3.30pm Fri) and see artisans turning the matt-grey metal into goblets, tankards, candle sticks and objets d’art. The centre is about 6km southeast of Mullingar on the Dublin road (N4).
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Tullynally Castle
The imposing Gothic revival Tullynally Castle is the seat of the Pakenham family. The castle itself is closed to visitors, but you can roam its 12 hectares of gardens and parkland containing ornamental lakes, a Chinese and a Tibetan garden, and a wonderful stretch of 200-year-old yews.
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Jonathan Swift Park
Lough Ennell is renowned for its brown trout and coarse fishing. It's also the area where Jonathan Swift first dreamed up Gulliver's Travels (1726), hence its park's name, Jonathan Swift Park. The park is 10km south of Mullingar on the N52.
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Cathedral of Christ the King
Mullingar's most obvious landmark is this immense church, built just before WWII. It has large mosaics of St Anne and St Patrick by Russian artist Boris Anrep, as well as a small ecclesiastical museum.
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Rockfield Ecological Estate
This secluded organic farm is set around a beautiful Georgian house and runs crafts courses and arts events as well as farm tours. To get here head north 24km of Mullingar along the N4 to Rathowen from where the farm is signposted.
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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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Belvedere House & Gardens
Don't miss magnificent Belvedere House, an immense 18th-century hunting lodge set in 65 hectares of gardens overlooking Lough Ennell. More than a few skeletons have come out of Belvedere's closets: the first earl, Lord Belfield, accused his wife and younger brother Arthur of adultery. She was placed under house arrest here for 30 years, and Arthur was jailed in London for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, the earl lived a life of decadence and debauchery. On his death, his wife emerged dressed in the fashion of three decades earlier, still protesting her innocence.
Lord Belfield also found time to fall out with his other brother, George, who built a home nearby. Ireland's l…
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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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ecclesiastical museum
There's a small ecclesiastical museum over the sacristy, entered from the side of the church, which contains vestments worn by St Oliver Plunkett.
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animal sanctuary
The gardens of Belvedere House, with their Victorian glasshouses and lakeshore setting, make for wonderful walking on a sunny day. Kids will enjoy tram rides around the grounds, which hold an animal sanctuary full of donkeys, ponies and goats. Note that the last admission to both the house and gardens is one hour prior to closing.
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