20 Attractions to Explore Near Lough Iron

This majestic friary was originally founded in 1268 and is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God, and to St. Francis of Assisi. The 700 year old Franciscan Friary includes extensive grounds. The friary had fallen into ruin by the 19th century, but the Franciscans reoccupied it in 1827. They re-used the nave, south transept and tower of the original friary in the construction of a new church.

Lough Owel is a mesotrophic lough in the Midlands of Ireland, situated north of Mullingar, the county town of Westmeath. It has a maximum depth of 21 metres. Water from Lough Owel feeds the Royal Canal, a canal crossing Ireland from Dublin to the River Shannon. The lake is close to the N4 primary road.

Lough Derravaragh is a lake in County Westmeath, Ireland, north of Mullingar between Castlepollard, Crookedwood and Multyfarnham.This long, shallow lake is best known through its association with the Irish legend of The Children of Lir. Lough Derravaragh is also known as one of Ireland’s most important inland lakes for wintering waterfowl. It is a popular lake for angling and other watersports.

Mortimer's Castle is a castle and National Monument located in County Westmeath, Ireland. A large Anglo-Norman castle stood on the site, 52 m × 125 m in dimensions. The remains of a two-storey stone tower are in the northwest corner. It is located on the east bank of Lough Derravaragh, 4.4 km southwest of Castlepollard.

Knockeyon is a hill in County Westmeath, Ireland in the townland of Streamstown. When viewed from the Ranaghan, and Gillardstown side of the hill, it dominates the surrounding lakes in the countryside of northern County Westmeath. The chimney of the cement works in Duleek near Drogheda can be seen on a clear day due west, as well as Slieve Gullion in Co. Down and the Mourne Mountains beyond to the north east.

A majestic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Mullingar.The cathedral, which boasts a beautiful modernised Renaissance style, opened in 1936 and is the seat of the Bishop of Meath.The cathedral is both the cathedral church of the diocese of Meath and the principal centre of worship in the catholic parish of Mullingar, including parts of counties Meath and Westmeath.

This is a country house which was originally built in the mid 1650s. It is probably the largest castle in Ireland that is still used as a family home. The house is surrounded by twelve acres of parkland and gardens, including woodland gardens and walled gardens laid out in the early 19th century with a limestone grotto and ornamental lakes. It attracts a lot of tourists here and also it is a mindblowing location.

A beautiful public park situated in the centre of Mullingar, a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. The park includes a wide variety of playgrounds, a swimming pool and a large pond near the centre. On 22 July 2016, the park became one of 22 public spaces in Ireland to be awarded a Green Flag.

The Hill of Uisneach is an ancient ceremonial site containing a series of monuments in Rathconrath, County Westmeath. It consists of numerous monuments and earthworks—prehistoric and medieval—including a probable megalithic tomb, burial mounds, enclosures, standing stones, holy wells and a medieval road. Uisneach is near the geographical centre of Ireland, and in Irish mythology it is deemed to be the symbolic and sacred centre of the island.

A beautiful lake near the town of Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. The lake is part of the Lough Ennell Special Protection Area. It is 6.5 km long by 2 km wide, with an area of about 12 km2. Lough Ennell has a large area of shallow water with nearly two-thirds of its area being less than 25 feet (8 m) and almost half of it being under 10 ft deep. The lake produced Ireland's largest ever lake brown trout at 26 lbs.

The Jealous Wall was built c. 1760 as a result of a quarrel between Robert Rochfort and another brother George, the owner of nearby Rochfort House , now, alas a melancholy ruin. The Wall was built between the two houses as an artificial ruin of an abbey so as to exclude from Robert’s view the sight of his brother’s residence of which he was jealous.

Lough Lene is situated in North Westmeath between the villages of Castlepollard and Collinstown. It has a rich and varied history. As well as the existence of prehistoric burial sites, Lough Lene also has claims to being the home to Kings and Vikings. The lake is described in Lewis's Topographical as being an irregular oval shape, possibly 3.2 km long by 1.7 km broad.

A majesdtic woodland located in the Newcastle, Ballymahon, Co.Longford. This forest is a Coillte owned semi-mature mixed woodland of 325 hectares that extends to both sides of the River Inny, a main tributary of the River Shannon.

This is a freshwater lake in the north midlands of Ireland. It is located on the borders of Counties Longford, Westmeath and Cavan. Lough Kinale forms part of the River Inny. The lake's inflow is from Lough Sheelin and the outflow is to Lough Derravaragh. The neighbouring Derragh Lough is also connected by a river to Lough Kinale.

This majestic christian monastry was founded by St Feichin in 630AD. Unfortunately, the only remaining pre-Norman building is St Feichin's Church, which was built in the 12th century, on the foundation of an earlier structure. The site is referenced in the Annals of Inisfallen (AI) as "Repose of Fechtnach of Fobar".

This is the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle and National Monument in Granard, County Longford, Ireland. It was built on a hill overlooking the town in 1199 by Anglo-Norman Knight Richard Tuite. The Motte is a great flat-topped, circular earthen mound, on top of which would have been a timber tower surrounded by a palisade. Across the base was a U-shaped bailey: an enclosure surrounded by a palisade ditch.

Lough Kinale is a freshwater lake in the north midlands of Ireland. It is located on the borders of Counties Longford, Westmeath and Cavan. Lough Kinale forms part of the River Inny. The lake's inflow is from Lough Sheelin and the outflow is to Lough Derravaragh. The neighbouring Derragh Lough is also connected by a river to Lough Kinale.

This is a dedicated cycle path that follows the old rail track under arched bridges, through a tunnel and past beautiful countryside all the way to Athlone. The Old Rail Trail begins in the bustling town of Athlone and ends in the elegant old market town of Mullingar, County Westmeath. Between these two cultural hotspots, you will hear nothing but birdsong and the whirr of the spokes on your bike as you lose yourself along the spectacular 42km cycle path.

This is an solated area of forest rising above the farm land of north Westmeath. Mullaghmeen Forest is the largest planted beech forest in Ireland. Along with beech, within its 400 ha of forest. The Red Trail takes you to the summit of Mullaghmeen and provides magnificent views north across Lough Sheelin and into the neighbouring county of Cavan.

This is a beautiful lake located in the border of County Meath and County Westmeath in Ireland. The lake is the largest of three lakes in the SAC, the others being Lough Glass and Lough Glass North. It supplies water to the towns of Kells and Oldcastle. It also has so many fish and algae species too.