Athlone thread

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

I often see people posing various questions about Athlone (suggestions for restaurants, places to go, pubs etc). I thought maybe it would be a good idea to have a thread running that would keep this stuff together and get some community spirit going while we're at it :D I have noticed other towns our size with threads like this and they seem to do well.

So if you have a question about our fair town, or just want somewhere to discuss whatever's going on locally, maybe this would be the place for it.

Has anyone tried either of the Asian Street Food places, or that new tapas bar yet?

flowerbattle

Great idea!! I can't recommend the Yakisoba place in Belhavel enough. The food is absolutely divine. I'd also advise people to check out Chameleon there up from Permanent TSB. It's cheap and cheerful and the food is delicious. I've never had Polish food before going there!

charlieIRL

Heard a rumour that Coppers was opening again, place has been given a massive cleaning inside. Anyone else hear anything?

Anesthetize

charlieIRL wrote: »

Heard a rumour that Coppers was opening again, place has been given a massive cleaning inside. Anyone else hear anything?

Haven't heard anything. Don't know about inside but outside looks very shabby at the moment.

caviardreams

Hope this is the right thread! I have a meeting in Athlone next week but will need to get a taxi from the train station. Do you know are there normally taxis waiting outside the train station or will I have to ring one? If so any recommendations of good companies would be great - thanks!

Anesthetize

There's always taxis waiting right outside the door.

caviardreams

Anesthetize wrote: »

There's always taxis waiting right outside the door.

Great - thanks a million!

veryangryman

Some craic with the football team eh. Hope the perpetrators get what's coming to them and a new club gets formed out of the rubble of all of this.

charlieIRL

veryangryman wrote: »

Some craic with the football team eh. Hope the perpetrators get what's coming to them and a new club gets formed out of the rubble of all of this.

Its some farce isn't it?

I presume they would be expelled from the league if found guilty?

tayto lover

I worked down in Athlone years ago.
I used to meet a girl in the Bon Bouche for tea, head to Sean's Tavern for a drink or two before heading on out to the Dell for the music and dancing.

I wonder if those places still exist as I haven't been in the town for over 40 years?

L.Jenkins

The Bon Bouche has a new name, but I can't think of it. Sean's is still Sean's, but the Dell burn't down years ago and the site is now part of a new junction.

charlieIRL

I think the Dell was levelled about 25 years ago!!!Is the Bon Bon now Ricks or something like that?

bennyineire

veryangryman wrote: »

Some craic with the football team eh. Hope the perpetrators get what's coming to them and a new club gets formed out of the rubble of all of this.

T'is the end of an Athlone team on the LOI I fear

L.Jenkins

bennyineire wrote: »

T'is the end of an Athlone team on the LOI I fear

I would assume so, given their financial difficulties in the past, change of management and now the potential scandal brewing.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

IF the FAI decide to make an example of Athlone and send them expel them from LoI (quite likely tbf), the likelihood is they just go again in Leinster Senior League and given the right direction, could be back in LoI within a couple of years. I don't know. Awful shame though, great facility in Lissywollen. If someone could come in and run the club properly then Athlone could be back among the bigger clubs. Still very much a soccer town.

Anesthetize

charlieIRL wrote: »

I think the Dell was levelled about 25 years ago!!!Is the Bon Bon now Ricks or something like that?

Where about's was the Dell? It was clearly before my time.

Rick's bar is gone a few years now. The Bon Bouche was the upstairs part of Rick's but it existed on it's own for a while.

jh79

Anesthetize wrote: »

Where about's was the Dell? It was clearly before my time.

Rick's bar is gone a few years now. The Bon Bouche was the upstairs part of Rick's but it existed on it's own for a while.

The junction at the train station near the bus depot. Thin Lizzy once played there.

DVD-Lots

Probably the first real gig with the first band I was in was in The Dell. Don't think the locals were too happy with us belting out Metallica's version of Last Caress and The Ramones Palisades Park.....got paid ?60 between 4 of us, happy days for 1988!!!

Steven81

Anyone any idea opposite Supervalue in Monksland the equipment there, seems a silly place to have them on the main road, never see anyone use them.

L.Jenkins

I've used the outdoor gym equipment once. Must use it more frequently.

blast06

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

. Still very much a soccer town.

Do you really think so ?!
Starting with the GAA .... you have 4 GAA clubs that have part of their catchment area in Athlone town ... Garrycastle, Athlone, St Bridgids and Clann na Gael. They all have serious operations and 3 of them have appeared in the the All-Club final town on St Patricks Day - there is not another town in Ireland that could come near to such a boast. Not to mention Caulry, Tubberclair, Castledaly, etc all within a few miles of the town

Rugby .... relatively speaking, Buccaneers consistently rank higher in rugby club ranking than Athlone Town do in League of Ireland club ranking

Even other less 'mass participation sports' are well organised and have high numbers participating with superb facilities .... swimming, athletics, hockey, etc

I could buy the argument of Athlone being a soccer town 40-50 years ago but i really think things have moved on in terms of diversity of sports and facilities. If anything, soccer is falling behind .... attendance at Athlone Town games in past few seasons is often bordering on pathetic. And personally, i hate the 'find-the-next-star-at-all-costs' attitude that is often prevalent in ADSL, very quickly casting aside those who do not cut it.

nice_guy80

blast06 wrote: »

Do you really think so ?!
Starting with the GAA .... you have 4 GAA clubs that have part of their catchment area in Athlone town ... Garrycastle, Athlone, St Bridgids and Clann na Gael. They all have serious operations and 3 of them have appeared in the the All-Club final town on St Patricks Day - there is not another town in Ireland that could come near to such a boast. Not to mention Caulry, Tubberclair, Castledaly, etc all within a few miles of the town

Rugby .... relatively speaking, Buccaneers consistently rank higher in rugby club ranking than Athlone Town do in League of Ireland club ranking

Even other less 'mass participation sports' are well organised and have high numbers participating with superb facilities .... swimming, athletics, hockey, etc

I could buy the argument of Athlone being a soccer town 40-50 years ago but i really think things have moved on in terms of diversity of sports and facilities. If anything, soccer is falling behind .... attendance at Athlone Town games in past few seasons is often bordering on pathetic. And personally, i hate the 'find-the-next-star-at-all-costs' attitude that is often prevalent in ADSL, very quickly casting aside those who do not cut it.

like everything else in the town, even the soccer team is dodgy

blast06

nice_guy80 wrote: »

like everything else in the town, even the soccer team is dodgy

Elaborate....
If its an effort at humour then it shows a lot of the problems of small town Ireland where people prefer to talk down their area at any opportunity (even if they know what they are saying is not true) rather than talking it up at every opportunity.
I prefer the latter approach

L.Jenkins

It's a day for Coosan or Hodson Bay today lads and ladies. I sure make good use of the weather with a walk, gardening and a trip through town.

flazio

Anyone get a Lotto ticket in the Topaz beside KFC?

L.Jenkins

I wish. May they enjoy that ?6 million.

charlieIRL

ADSL is finished as far as I know, a lot of the teams are playing in the MSL league next year.

As for soccer finished in the town, I don't think so, especially at underage. Every club in town has a huge amount of kids playing now, both boys and girls which is great to see. All ages as well from u8's to seniors.
Unfortunately the FAI want to move to summer soccer which will be a disaster, like what's mentioned above, gaelic is the first sport of many of the kids.

As for the lotto, hope its someone local who deserves it.

tayto lover

Anyone remember the famous Shannon Queen?
Many a good night I had on her.

Steven81

Fuel in Topaz for 61c for 61 minutes tomorrow starting at 1.06pm

The Red Lad

With the good weather and all is it just me or is the 99s in Kilmartins quite stingey got one today for the first time in yonks and was quite disappointed anyone recommended where's the best one in town ?

L.Jenkins

Steven81 wrote: »

Fuel in Topaz for 61c for 61 minutes tomorrow starting at 1.06pm

I take it, that's the one with the winner?

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

blast06 wrote: »

Do you really think so ?!
Starting with the GAA .... you have 4 GAA clubs that have part of their catchment area in Athlone town ... Garrycastle, Athlone, St Bridgids and Clann na Gael. They all have serious operations and 3 of them have appeared in the the All-Club final town on St Patricks Day - there is not another town in Ireland that could come near to such a boast. Not to mention Caulry, Tubberclair, Castledaly, etc all within a few miles of the town

Rugby .... relatively speaking, Buccaneers consistently rank higher in rugby club ranking than Athlone Town do in League of Ireland club ranking

Even other less 'mass participation sports' are well organised and have high numbers participating with superb facilities .... swimming, athletics, hockey, etc

I could buy the argument of Athlone being a soccer town 40-50 years ago but i really think things have moved on in terms of diversity of sports and facilities. If anything, soccer is falling behind .... attendance at Athlone Town games in past few seasons is often bordering on pathetic. And personally, i hate the 'find-the-next-star-at-all-costs' attitude that is often prevalent in ADSL, very quickly casting aside those who do not cut it.

You're right about the GAA, the area has a strong Gaelic Football tradition, although Athlone themselves have won very little since Garrycastle went out on their own and I suppose my point is that soccer is still more prevalent in the more central parts of the town. Clann na nGael and St Brigids are operating in overspill areas which always would have been much more GAA focused down the years. Just my theory.

You're right too about the paltry attendances at Lissywollen but I think there have been a number of contributing factors (not least the way the club is being run) that have resulted in a certain amount of apathy among the soccer public to the club. I genuinely think if they got their house in order and did things properly, maybe manage to get promoted again, you'd have more healthy attendances. We're a long way off that at this moment in time, unfortunately.

Sunny Dayz

Steven81 wrote: »

Fuel in Topaz for 61c for 61 minutes tomorrow starting at 1.06pm

Did ye all get your cheap fuel in Topaz?!! :P
Can't believe the photos on facebook of the mayhem in the town!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Did ye all get your cheap fuel in Topaz?!! :P
Can't believe the photos on facebook of the mayhem in the town!

Queues of traffic back out to the college if what I've been hearing is true! Madness.

In all fairness, 1pm was a stupid time to do it, they could have waited til 7.30 or 8pm this evening, you knew it was going to cause mayhem in the town at that hour and we know Athlone traffic can be sluggish enough anyway!

PMBC

Well done, good idea this thread. I always felt Athlone was a lovely town with the river, Hodson Bay, Athlone castle and interesting side streets rather than boring gridiron layout.
I lived some distance away but fifty years ago it did have 'a bad name', which I don't think was deserved. Was that because of the ArmyThe few people new from thre or thereabouts were as good as any, you could meet. With the RC and its location on the river and approx. midway across Ireland, it should be thriving. I was at some great weddings in Shamrock Lodge and others in my time. The major part of the economic re-birth has been in Dublin so possibly it has gained very little in the same way as with other midland towns such as Portlaoise, Mullingar and Tullamore. A midlander described them all recently to me as 'ghost towns', business wise he meant. What ever happened to the plan for the Chinese invasion? What is the current state socially, culturally and economically.

Sunny Dayz

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

Queues of traffic back out to the college if what I've been hearing is true! Madness.

In all fairness, 1pm was a stupid time to do it, they could have waited til 7.30 or 8pm this evening, you knew it was going to cause mayhem in the town at that hour and we know Athlone traffic can be sluggish enough anyway!

It was well advertised on social media all yesterday evening giving people plenty of notice. Few people telling there were people waiting since 7am for it, had they nothing else to do all day! Seen a video up of the queue of traffic out to Kilmartins roundabout. Heard that someone got vexed and blocked the road outside Topaz.

L.Jenkins

It's funny to see how cracked people go over cheap petrol. iRadio with the Esso station on the old tuam road did it a few years back. The Gardai had to put a stop to it, given the build up of traffic coming out of town.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

PMBC wrote: »

Well done, good idea this thread. I always felt Athlone was a lovely town with the river, Hodson Bay, Athlone castle and interesting side streets rather than boring gridiron layout.
I lived some distance away but fifty years ago it did have 'a bad name', which I don't think was deserved. Was that because of the ArmyThe few people new from thre or thereabouts were as good as any, you could meet. With the RC and its location on the river and approx. midway across Ireland, it should be thriving. I was at some great weddings in Shamrock Lodge and others in my time. The major part of the economic re-birth has been in Dublin so possibly it has gained very little in the same way as with other midland towns such as Portlaoise, Mullingar and Tullamore. A midlander described them all recently to me as 'ghost towns', business wise he meant. What ever happened to the plan for the Chinese invasion? What is the current state socially, culturally and economically.

I'd say Athlone has probably recovered slightly better than either Mullingar or Tullamore from the recession (I can't speak for Portlaoise, haven't been there in about 2 years). There are still a few vacant units in Church Street but the town usually seems to be busy with shoppers, the pubs are very busy at the weekends and there's plenty of life about the place in general.

bennyineire

Athlone is certainly the best town in the Midlands at the moment, best nighlife/resturants and of course the river/lake and all that goes with it (this from a Tullamore man),

Tullamore has suffered from to many retail units being built on the outskirts of the town, this has sucked the life out of the town however the planned shopping centre in the center of the town along with the urban street rejuvenation looks like it might bring a bit of life back to to town over the next few years

Mullingar has the biggest population but not as good as Athlone for shopping, not a bad town but not a whole lot going on there either.

Portlaoise is the fastest growing town (and it still growing fast) and no doubt will most likely over take all the towns in population over the next 10/20 years due to it's proximity to Dublin (also has the best links to Dublin as it's on the suburban rail network). However in my opinion Portlaoise is the east desirable town, it has 1 old street, a new street/old bypass that is horrible looking. Has a drug problem and a huge influx of people from all over.

Just my opinion BTW hope not to offend anyone

veryangryman

O Neill's pub. 2 questions...

1) Insurance scam?
2) Why not replaced yet?

Sunny Dayz

veryangryman wrote: »

O Neill's pub. 2 questions...

1) Insurance scam?
2) Why not replaced yet?

It's up for sale isn't it?

bennyineire

bennyineire wrote: »

Athlone is certainly the best town in the Midlands at the moment, best nighlife/resturants and of course the river/lake and all that goes with it (this from a Tullamore man),

Tullamore has suffered from to many retail units being built on the outskirts of the town, this has sucked the life out of the town however the planned shopping centre in the center of the town along with the urban street rejuvenation looks like it might bring a bit of life back to to town over the next few years

Mullingar has the biggest population but not as good as Athlone for shopping, not a bad town but not a whole lot going on there either.

Portlaoise is the fastest growing town (and it still growing fast) and no doubt will most likely over take all the towns in population over the next 10/20 years due to it's proximity to Dublin (also has the best links to Dublin as it's on the suburban rail network). However in my opinion Portlaoise is the east desirable town, it has 1 old street, a new street/old bypass that is horrible looking. Has a drug problem and a huge influx of people from all over.

Just my opinion BTW hope not to offend anyone

Wow, Portlaoise now has the biggest population of all the Midlands towns according to the latest census information released today
http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp2tc/cp2pdm/pd/

Addle

Sure it's practically a suburb of Dublin.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

bennyineire wrote: »

Wow, Portlaoise now has the biggest population of all the Midlands towns according to the latest census information released today
http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp2tc/cp2pdm/pd/

Addle wrote: »

Sure it's practically a suburb of Dublin.

Yeah, in context, Portlaoise's impressive growth is probably a lot to do with its proximity to Dublin. It has now almost doubled in population in 15 years!

I was expecting Athlone to go up by around 1,000 or so. There hasn't been much (or any) building since the last census so you wouldn't have been expecting a big increase, more I'd say a lot of empty properties have been filled since. After Kilkenny, it's the second fastest growing town over 10,000 outside the Dublin commuter belt towns.

charlieIRL

tayto lover wrote: »

Anyone remember the famous Shannon Queen?
Many a good night I had on her.

we used to fish off the remains of it as kids.

One hull is still on the water to this day as well.

charlieIRL

Speaking of filling stations, wonder has the court case concluded over the new filling station on the motorway outside Athlone?

nhunter100

PMBC wrote:

Well done, good idea this thread. I always felt Athlone was a lovely town with the river, Hodson Bay, Athlone castle and interesting side streets rather than boring gridiron layout. I lived some distance away but fifty years ago it did have 'a bad name', which I don't think was deserved. Was that because of the ArmyThe few people new from thre or thereabouts were as good as any, you could meet. With the RC and its location on the river and approx. midway across Ireland, it should be thriving. I was at some great weddings in Shamrock Lodge and others in my time. The major part of the economic re-birth has been in Dublin so possibly it has gained very little in the same way as with other midland towns such as Portlaoise, Mullingar and Tullamore. A midlander described them all recently to me as 'ghost towns', business wise he meant. What ever happened to the plan for the Chinese invasion? What is the current state socially, culturally and economically.

Athlon is thriving but faces challenges like all mid size towns that have good transport links to larger urban areas.
Golden Island on the weekend is a sign of the rise in the economy.
The Chinese trade area was nothing more than a white elephant one of the key components was apartments that stand alone wouldn't have a hope of permission.
The town attracks of hen parties ( good thing/ bad thing matter of opinion but they spend).
Culturally the town hosts the drama festival and has done for years.
Basically Athlone is a nice centrally located town good transport links and some due to the river and Lough Ree some excellent amenities.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

charlieIRL wrote: »

Speaking of filling stations, wonder has the court case concluded over the new filling station on the motorway outside Athlone?

Funny you should mention it http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/forecourt-firms-end-legal-fight-over-service-stations-35687623.html

whyulittle

Looking past the populations figures alone around Athlone versus Portlaoise.

2,500 IDA-backed jobs in Westmeath, against 97 in Laois.

http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/home/230793/new-ida-jobs-sees-laois-left-further-behind-in-midlands.html

A map of commuting in Ireland; Athlone drawing in lots from its hinterland, Portlaoise acting as part of Dublin's hinterland.

https://twitter.com/2ha_magazine/status/847054488951275521

TheRiverman

The centre of Athlone needs a major facelift.Church Street which is the main street down the centre is a shambles,and was totally neglected in favour of the Town Centre Shopping Centre during the "boom".Another area that is a disgrace is the site of the old Shopping Centre with it's crude, completely misguided and now derelict "multi-storey carpark"It is a horrendous eyesore and should be demolished.Connaught Street on the west side of the town is another drab dead area of the town.
The Golden Island Shopping Centre and the surrounding area of Belhavel/John Broderick Street is the best part of the town for shopping.

Zubeneschamali

TheRiverman wrote: »

Church Street which is the main street down the centre is a shambles,and was totally neglected in favour of the Town Centre Shopping Centre during the "boom"

The council had a plan to one way and upgrade it, but a combination of CIE dog in the manger and the old Athlone traders knocked it on the head.

I see the protest signs are back in windows in town, the council must be trying again.