The West —
Counties Roscommon,
Longford & Westmeath

Less traveled and less touristy than Galway or Mayo, the nearby counties of Roscommon, Longford, and Westmeath offer a wealth of historic, literary, and cultural activities — all well worth a detour or a special trip.

Since May of 2007, the lead attraction of the area is the newly developed and expanded Lough Key Forest & Activity Park:

Photos: (upper) Lough Key Park visitor centre entrance; (lower, left) Castle Island, and (right) the Tree Canopy Walk

Lough Key Forest & Activity Park – After a hefty 10 million euro investment by the Irish government and the EU, Lough Key Forest & Activity Park launched a host of new man-made attractions on May 14, 2007. The new attractions, geared to enhance the natural environment of pristine forest and lakeland scenery, include the Lough Key Experience, a self-guided audio trail for visitors.  The trail begins with the 5-story Moylurg viewing tower (accessible by lift), which looks out over a panorama of  forests and lakelands. The trail then meanders through 19th century underground tunnels and along the lakeshore, leading to a treetop boardwalk, known as the “Tree Canopy Walk,” the first of its kind in Ireland. With a raised wooden walkway that winds through the forest and around the lake, it provides a “bird’s eye view” of nature. The number-keyed audio commentary describes each stopping point along the trail including Castle Island, as well as identifying types of trees and foliage on the route. In addition, there is a new visitor centre with café, an adventure play zone for children, and an all-weather Boda Borg Challenge, a Swedish concept containing numerous rooms with fun-filled activities, puzzles and challenging tasks. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information: Lough Key Forest & Activity Park, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, tel. 071-966-3242 or 086-124-8422. Web site: www.loughkey.ie

Here is a small sampling of the area's other diverse attractions:

Photos: (clockwise) View of Athlone from Athlone Castle's turrets; Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre, Keenagh, Co. Longford; Locke's Distillery, Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath.

Athlone Castle, Athlone, Co. Westmeath (tel. 090-649-2912), is a sprawling 13th century stone fortress, with medieval walls, turrets, towers, and cannons, sitting on the edge of the Shannon River. Declared a national monument in 1970, the castle contains many informative exhibits on the history of Athlone and its favorite son, tenor John McCormack who was born in the town in 1884. It's fun to explore but requires lots of uphill ramp walking and some stone steps. Open April-October. Web site: www.heritageireland.ie

Belvedere House, Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath (tel. 044-49060). Considered by many to be one of Ireland's finest historic houses, Belvedere was built in 1740 and designed by Richard Castle, the same architect who drew up plans for Leinster House, Rotunda Hospital, Powerscourt Estate, and Russborough House. A visit includes access to the Georgian-era house as well as a heritage centre with exhibits on the history of the estate, extensive walled gardens with many exotic plants, almost 5 miles of walking trails, and 160 acres of woods and parkland plus a café, shop, children's pet corner and play area. A tram connects the heritage centre with the various outdoor attractions. The grounds also include one of Ireland's largest man-made follies (a large "jealous wall" built by the Earl of Belvedere). Set overlooking Lough Ennell, 3 miles south of Mullingar on the N52 Tullamore Road, it is located 50 miles west of Dublin and is ideal as a stop for tourists en route between east and west. Open daily year-round. Web site: www.belvedere-house.ie

The Belvedere Falconry Centre at Belvedere House & Gardens, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath (tel. 044-49060), is the largest of its kind in Ireland - housing eight different species of owls, hawks, falcons and eagles. It also has a lakeside Flying Theatre where daily displays take place at 2.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m.  Open daily, yeara-round. Web: www.belvedere-house.ie 

Irish Famine Museum, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon (tel. 078-33013), depicts one of the most far-reaching and wrenching events of Irish history — the Great Potato Famine of the 1840's. This award-winning museum illustrates "how" and "why" the famine started and was allowed to spread, reducing the Irish population by almost three million people through death and emigration. The exhibits range from photographs, letters, documents, and satirical cartoons of the time to farm implements and a huge caldron that was used for soup to feed the starving people in a famine-relief program. Open Easter-October. Web site: www.strokestownpark.ie

Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre, Keenagh, Co. Longford (tel. 043-22386), is a new skylit cruciform-shaped heritage center built around one of Ireland's oldest roads — a timber trackway dating from 148 BC. Discovered 15 years ago underneath a bog and commonly referred to as "The Old Bog Road," it is believed to extend for at least eight miles. A large section of the original trackway has been transferred and re-assembled, plank by plank, into a special humidity-controlled display room for visitors to get a close-up look. In addition, there are exhibits, murals, and bog-oak sculptures on view, as well as a 17-minute audio-visual presentation about the history of the road. Open April-September. Web site: www.longford.ie

Locke's Distillery, Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath (tel. 0506-32134), is a great stop on the main Dublin-Galway road, for a bit of history and refreshment. Established in 1757, the original distillery on this site operated for almost 200 years until it closed in 1953. It has since "re-invented" itself and re-opened as a museum of whiskey-making. A 25-minute tour will take you on a step-by-step process, ending in a "tasting room" for a sample. Facilities include rest rooms and a restaurant and coffee shop. Open year-round. Web site: www.lockesdistillerymuseum.ie

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