Westmeath - 26 Attractions You Must Visit

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.

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 a traditional Irish pub located in the heart of Athlone, Co. Westmeath. Sean's Bar has a rich history and is officially Ireland's oldest pub. It is notable for its reputed establishment in 900AD, and claim to being the oldest extant bar in both Ireland and Europe. Other architectural and archaeological records, including the Record of Monuments and Places and the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, date the building to the 17th or 18th century.

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.

The Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway is a long-distance cycling and walking trail in County Westmeath, which forms a section of the Dublin-Galway Greenway. It is a 42 kilometres long rail-trail over the disused Athlone-Mullingar rail line beginning in Athlone and ending in Mullingar. The route was originally opened c. 1850 as a railway line by the Midland Great Western Railway and was the first to reach Athlone from Dublin.

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.