tourist attractions westmeath

A desire to escape from the formality of country house life during the eighteenth century led to the emergence of small, comfortable holiday retreats known as villas. Undoubtedly the best example of such a building in Ireland is Belvedere - an exquisite house with an unusual elongated plan set in a fine landscape park overlooking Lough Ennell....

Welcome to Locke's Distillery, established in 1757, where pot still Irish malt whiskey was made for almost 200 years....

A portion of the old walls when Athlone was a fortified town can be seen at Railway View on the Leinster (east) side of the town.
The Bawn: Situated off Mardyke Street the Bawn is the birthplace of the celebrated Irish Tenor - John Count McCormack. A bronze plaque marks the house. There is a monument to his memory on the banks of the River Shannon at Athlone....

Belvedere is an exquisite house with an unusual elongated plan set in a fine landscape park overlooking Lough Ennell.
When the property passed to Charles Marley, he commenced the development of the Walled Garden and also added the terraces facing the lake. The garden was further developed by Col. Howard Bury who was an amateur plant colllector, and his additions to the garden were many.

The Gardens might be divided into two parts, consisting of the walled garden and the arbo...

Athlone Castle was built in 1210 by John de Gray, Bishop of Norwich, for King John of England. From 1569-1672 it was the headquarters of the Presidents of Connacht. The Castle was occupied by Col. Richard Grace, Governor of Athlone during the first Siege of Athlone in 1690 and also played a major role in the second Siege of 1691.

In the Napoleonic era the Castle was remodelled for defence and took on much of its present appearance. The Castle served for almost 300 years as an...