Sights on the M6

Edinduberdeen

Hello Offaly!

I'm driving with some foreigners from Dublin across to Athlone then up to Leitrim for New Years and they're looking for some good sights along the way to stop at. I've had a look at Tullamore and Athlone's websites and found a couple of things not too far from my route (along the M6 to Athlone) such as Clonmacnoise and Charleville castle. I'm wondering if you fine people could recommend anywhere along the way to stop at? Or whether Clonmacnoise and Charleville are worth a look?

Cheers!

keith gallagher

Lough Boora Parklands is a cool place, Birr Castle may be a bit out of your way but a nice place to visit also.

Storminateacup

keith gallagher wrote: »

Lough Boora Parklands is a cool place, Birr Castle may be a bit out of your way but a nice place to visit also.

It may just be idealistic memories from childhood, but clonmacnoise is so beautiful. There is a bog tour down there too. It is ah-mayzing.

Charleville castle - meh. I guess the scenery is okay but I find it disturbing personally, the torture that went on there years ago. The seedy disgusting dark stuff that goes on in the forest now. It's meh. Kind of ruins the nice image for me.

keith gallagher

Storminateacup wrote: »

It may just be idealistic memories from childhood, but clonmacnoise is so beautiful. There is a bog tour down there too. It is ah-mayzing.

Charleville castle - meh. I guess the scenery is okay but I find it disturbing personally, the torture that went on there years ago. The seedy disgusting dark stuff that goes on in the forest now. It's meh. Kind of ruins the nice image for me.

Are you from Offaly? I live in Geashill and I try to bring my little one off somewhere different every weekend. We went to Belvedere House a while back, Emo Court, Birr Castle and go walking with the dog in Charleville Castle a lot. Don't know anywhere else local to visit.

Edinduberdeen

Cheers for the tips - Lough Boora Parklands look cool, possibly a bit out of the way for us on this trip, but definitely worth a visit some other time maybe!

What goes on in the forests around Charleville castle now?? Seedy, disgusting, dark stuff? I'm intrigued!

Storminateacup

Keith, I actually live around charleville! I used to love coosan (think that's how you spell it. When I was little. It's around athlone!)
I wish there were more to do around Offaly, but short of scenic drives there isn't that much. Cadamstown is also fabulous, it's fun and so pretty, that river.

Edindub - the castle grounds are a haven for the heavies around town to go up and indulge in anti social behaviour that needs to be done in a secluded enough place. The castle surroundings are beautiful, no doubt. But the drug-scum do ruin it for the civilized people!!

keith gallagher

Storminateacup wrote: »

Keith, I actually live around charleville! I used to love coosan (think that's how you spell it. When I was little. It's around athlone!)
I wish there were more to do around Offaly, but short of scenic drives there isn't that much. Cadamstown is also fabulous, it's fun and so pretty, that river.

Edindub - the castle grounds are a haven for the heavies around town to go up and indulge in anti social behaviour that needs to be done in a secluded enough place. The castle surroundings are beautiful, no doubt. But the drug-scum do ruin it for the civilized people!!

Don't I know. We have a wolfhound and bring her out walking there a lot. On one particular weekend there were young lads thrashing the changing rooms at the pitch there as you go in. Well i wouldn't call it a pitch but you know what I mean . I got a few nice pieces of wood from Dudley Stewart who is renovating the castle for woodturning. He was cutting back some yew trees and I got some of it, still more to collect thats been left in the woods.

burren

It's not county Offaly but around Mullingar north of the M6 you may also find some good sights:

• Fore abbey http://www.megalithicireland.com/Fore.htm
• Loughcrew passage tombs http://www.megalithicireland.com/loughcrew.htm
• Mullaghmeen forest http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=53&rec_site=57
• Belvedere house and gardens http://www.belvedere-house.ie/

ghosttown

I'll second Belvedere House and Clonmacnoise if you're going that route. Also just off the motorway is Tyrellspass Castle for lunch, has improved greatly the last few times there.

IrishHomer

ghosttown wrote: »

I'll second Belvedere House and Clonmacnoise if you're going that route. Also just off the motorway is Tyrellspass Castle for lunch, has improved greatly the last few times there.

Yes but they are very expensive

burren

Belvedere is €8.75 for an adult which is indeed very expensive :eek:. On the other hand as a couple you can buy an annual membership for €115.- which I think is good value for money if you happen to live in nearby Mullingar. Belvedere probably would see much less visitors if the entrance rates were displayed on the signs on N4 and M6

Clonmacnoise is €6.- for an adult. Don't know if it is worth it, as have not yet visited.

Tyrrellspass Castle restaurant I think has fairly standard rates for its kind. Maybe slightly on the high end, but would not want to call it very expensive.

Loughcrew passage tombs, which I mentioned in my earlier post, is completely free . It is a megalithic tombs complex similar too, but much smaller than, Newgrange. You can pick up the key to one of the tombs in Loughcrew gardens and then go exploring on your own. Great stuff.

IrishHomer

burren wrote: »

Belvedere is €8.75 for an adult which is indeed very expensive :eek:. On the other hand as a couple you can buy an annual membership for €115.- which I think is good value for money if you happen to live in nearby Mullingar. Belvedere probably would see much less visitors if the entrance rates were displayed on the signs on N4 and M6

Clonmacnoise is €6.- for an adult. Don't know if it is worth it, as have not yet visited.

Tyrrellspass Castle restaurant I think has fairly standard rates for its kind. Maybe slightly on the high end, but would not want to call it very expensive.

Loughcrew passage tombs, which I mentioned in my earlier post, is completely free . It is a megalithic tombs complex similar too, but much smaller than, Newgrange. You can pick up the key to one of the tombs in Loughcrew gardens and then go exploring on your own. Great stuff.

Well for you.

I would consider €13.95 very expensive for a dinner i won't pay that anymore to me that is Celtic Tiger prices.