Things to do in Athlone
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Athlone
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Sailings, the waterpark, the folk museum and terraces are all running, with the longest river evenings.
The RTE All Ireland Drama Festival fills the Dean Crowe Theatre for nine nights in early May, with a town fringe.
Shoulder bargain. Sailings run on thinner schedules from around Easter to Halloween and the town is quiet.
Worst months. Short dark days, seasonal attractions shut, and the lowest room rates of the year.
What's on
- RTE All-Ireland Drama Festival early May, nine nights
Nine qualifying amateur companies stage full productions at the Dean Crowe Theatre, with a fringe across town.
- Athlone Agricultural Show a Sunday in mid to late June
The town's traditional summer agricultural show day, with livestock, produce and a local crowd.
Best things to do in Athlone
Athlone Castle Visitor Centre
A 1210 Norman keep over the Shannon whose siege galleries are closed for redevelopment, so visit the exterior and quayside.
Luan Gallery
A free contemporary gallery opposite the castle, with a long windowed room hanging over the River Shannon.
Church of Saints Peter and Paul
The twin towered church by the castle, worth stepping into for stained glass from the Harry Clarke studios.
Derryglad Folk & Heritage Museum
A family run folk museum with thousands of farm and household items, open seasonally and loved for its personal welcome.
Dean Crowe Theatre
Athlone's main theatre and home each May to the RTE All Ireland Drama Festival and a year round touring programme.
Glendeer Pet Farm
An award winning open farm near Athlone where children can pet animals and use extensive play areas.
Where to stay in Athlone
Left Bank, West Bank
first trip, couples, evenings and no car
The castle quarter with Sean's Bar, Thyme, the Luan and the Viking quay in a few walkable streets.
East Bank Town Centre
train arrivals, shopping, widest hotel choice
The commercial centre with the Sheraton, malls and bus stops, a short bridge walk from the old town.
Lough Ree Shore, Hodson Bay and Glasson
resort breaks, golf, spa and special occasions
Lakeside hotels, golf, the waterpark and destination dining about ten to fifteen minutes by car from town.
Think twice about
- Golden Island and Dublin Road retail strip
Car dependent, charmless and a long dull walk from the sights. Fine for a road stop, a poor holiday base.
Best restaurants in Athlone
Thyme Restaurant
Athlone's top table, cooking seasonal Midlands produce by the river at a fair price.
Wineport Lodge Restaurant
The special occasion dinner facing Lough Ree at Glasson, best at sunset on the terrace with cocktails.
The Fatted Calf Restaurant
A multi award winning kitchen for modern Irish food from local producers, with slow cooked beef a signature.
Bacchus Restaurant
A warm Mediterranean dining room on the river at Custume Place, and a proven family favourite in Athlone.
Kin Khao Thai Restaurant
Athlone's Thai institution near Sean's Bar, with generous portions, proper heat and staff who match dishes to tastes.
Al Mezza
A well loved Lebanese restaurant with sharing plates, strong vegetarian choice and good gluten free provision.
Grogan's of Glasson
The Glasson village pub restaurant, the natural lunch on a golf day and a family dinner after the lake.
La Provence Brasserie
The Sheraton's French leaning brasserie, the polished and reliable dinner for east bank stays.
Best bars in Athlone
Sean's Bar
Recognised as Ireland's oldest pub, with a turf fire, sawdust floors and live music a short walk from the castle.
Dead Centre Brewing
Athlone's riverside craft brewery and taproom, pouring house ales beside the Shannon with artisan pizzas.
Piano Bar Athlone
A three floor late venue with live bands, DJs and cocktail party packages, open late on its big nights.
Outdoor things to do in Athlone
Viking Tours Ireland
Replica Viking ship cruises from the castle quay up to Lough Ree or downriver to Clonmacnoise with live commentary.
Clonmacnoise
An early monastic city on the Shannon with round towers and high crosses, reached by road, bus or Viking boat.
Baysports
Ireland's largest inflatable waterpark on Lough Ree, plus kayaking, paddleboarding, pedal boats and sailing.
Old Rail Trail Greenway
A flat, traffic free 43 km rail trail from Athlone to Mullingar, best sampled as a ride to Moate and back.
Shannon Banks Nature Trail
A free 5 km loop behind the castle along the Shannon and the old canal, with boards on the wildlife around you.
Portlick Millennium Forest
Native oak and ash woodland on the Lough Ree shore, walked as a 6 km loop past a medieval tower house.
Glasson Golf Club
A championship parkland course by Christy O'Connor Jr. along the Lough Ree shore at Glasson Lakehouse.
Athlone Golf Club
The locals' parkland course at Hodson Bay, praised for its welcome, greens and clubhouse food at fair prices.
Best hotels in Athlone
Wineport Lodge
A small luxury lakeside lodge in woodland at Glasson, with lake view rooms, a spa and a floating hot tub pontoon.
Glasson Lakehouse
A stylish lakeside resort beside Glasson golf course, with lake view rooms, a spa and outdoor hot tubs.
Sheraton Athlone Hotel
The town centre flagship in a twelve storey tower, with a pool, spa, rooftop garden and views over Athlone.
Hodson Bay Hotel
A large four star lakeside hotel beside Baysports, with a pool, a praised spa and big family friendly rooms.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone
A riverside hotel over the marina at the bridge, with Shannon view rooms, a terrace and a leisure club pool.
Shamrock Lodge Hotel
A family run hotel five minutes from the centre, with free parking, apartments, a bistro and a warm welcome.
Bastion B&B
A stylish small B&B in the old town, with breakfast next door at Bastion Kitchen a short stroll from the castle.
Arch House B&B and Apartments
Central B&B rooms plus two bedroom self catering apartments with free parking, ideal for families and groups.
Is Athlone expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €75 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €150 a person |
| Splurge | €320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Dead Centre Brewing: a few days ahead
- Dean Crowe Theatre: a few days ahead
- Piano Bar Athlone: a few days ahead
- Viking Tours Ireland: a few days ahead
- Baysports: a few days ahead
- Glasson Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Athlone Golf Club: a few days ahead
- The Hot Tub Boat: a few days ahead
- Book Thyme and The Fatted Calf for weekend dinners, and Wineport Lodge rooms and spa for summer weekends.
- Book Viking sailings, Baysports sessions, Hot Tub Boat sunsets and Glasson tee times ahead in summer.
- Book Dean Crowe tickets weeks ahead for RTE All Ireland Drama Festival nights in May.
- Check Athlone Castle and Clonmacnoise official sites before travel, as both have works closures in 2026 to 2027.
Is Athlone safe?
- No Athlone neighbourhood is flagged in local sources as unsafe to stay in. Normal town sense applies on pub streets.
- Pre book taxis back from Glasson and Hodson Bay rather than walking unlit rural roads.
- Lough Ree makes its own weather. Take a jacket on the semi open Viking boat and follow operator briefings.
- Portlick shore paths flood and turn muddy after rain, so wear boots or wellingtons. Emergency number 112.
Athlone travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not build a day around Athlone Castle's interior while it is closed for redevelopment.
- Sean's Bar on a Saturday night is a crush. Go on a weekday afternoon for the room and the fire.
- The east bank is a working shopping centre, not a quaint old town. The charm lives over the bridge.
- Hodson Bay and Glasson are drives from town, not walks, and their roads are unlit at night.
Getting around Athlone: public transport and more
- Walk the centre. The Town Bridge is the whole commute between the west bank old town and the east bank shops.
- Trains link Athlone with Dublin Heuston in about 1 hour 20 minutes and with Galway in roughly an hour.
- Use a car or taxi for Clonmacnoise, Derryglad, Glasson, Hodson Bay and Portlick, and hire or share a bike for the greenway.
- Park in the Athlone Towncentre underground car park rather than relying on the station car park, which fills up.
Who Athlone suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Athlone your trip
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