![[Logo] Midlands Regional Authority](Templates/top_banner6.jpg "Midlands Regional Authority")
Driving Tours
All Counties
County Laois 1 Day Tour
Lyster Square,Portlaoise,
Co. Laois
Web: www.laoistourism.ie
Email: info@laoistourism.ie
Tel: +353 (0)57 8664132
Donaghmore Workhouse and Agricultural Museum
This tour follows the Heritage Trail of Laois and starts in Donaghmore. Visitors to the Donaghmore Workhouse and Agricultural Museum see the rooms of an Irish workhouse almost exactly as they appeared in the late 1800s. The Donaghmore Workhouse was built to house the most desperate people of County Laois. Paid for by a tax on local property owners, the workhouse was deliberately made as unattractive as possible so that its only residents would be those who had lost all hope.
From Donaghmore take the R435 to Borris-in-Ossory, turning right along the N7, followed by the R434 to Aghaboe:
Aghaboe Abbey was founded in the sixth century by St. Canice. The abbey grew into a major centre of learning, commerce and agriculture. The astronomer St. Virgilius, also known as St. Feargal, was its abbot in the 700s before he left Ireland, going on to become Bishop of Salzburg. After the original monastery burned in 1234, it was rebuilt as an Augustinian priory. Today a Church of Ireland, which dates from the 1700s, stands where that priory once stood.
From Aghaboe continue along the R434 to Durrow:
The great oak forests that once covered ancient Ireland gave Durrow its name, which comes from Daurmagh Ua nDuach, or the Oak Plain of the people known as the Uí Duach. The way Durrow looks today is largely due to the Flower Family, Viscounts Ashbrook, who gained ownership of the town in the early 1700s. They built Castle Durrow and granted permits for many of the fine Georgian and Victorian houses that still line Durrow's streets.
From Durrow take the N77 to Attanagh:
The Irish Fly Fishing and Game Shooting Museum in Attanagh explores 300 years of hunting and fishing in Ireland. It is a treat for anyone interested in country life. The museum was founded in 1986 by Walter Phelan, who comes from a family devoted to fishing. He has restored and adapted a traditional farmhouse to house a collection of vintage rods, reels, guns, tackle, tools and specimens of birds and fish.
From Attanagh travel to Ballinakill:
Heywood Gardens is the site of two garden types: the great park created by Frederick Trench in the late 1700s and the small interlocked formal gardens created by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll in the early 1900s. Inspired by Trench's Grand Tour of Europe, he moved hills, dug lakes, planted trees and placed follies. In the early 1900s, Colonel Hutchenson Poe hired the eminent architect Sir Edwin Lutyens to create formal gardens around Heywood House.
From Ballinakill take the R432 to Abbeyleix:
The original town of Abbeyleix grew up near the River Nore, on the site of an early Christian abbey. The town developed under the protection of a twelfth century Cistercian monastery. When the de Vesci family acquired Abbeyleix in 1750, they decided that the town would have to move. The de Vescis levelled the old town of Abbeyleix and moved its people to a new planned town. Abbeyleix prospered in its new location. Over the next century the main industries included flour mills, a brewery, and a factory that made carpets used all over the world, including on the luxury liner Titanic.
From Abbeyleix take the R432 through Ballyroan and travel to Timahoe:
An extraordinary carved doorway makes this the most elegant round tower in Ireland. Carvings of human heads, with flowing beards and moustaches, decorate the main entrance, about five metres from the ground. Smaller carvings decorate a second storey window. No one knows why the monks at Timahoe carved such a beautiful doorway. They may have used it to display a sacred relic to pilgrims, or the elegant decoration could reflect the monastery buildings that have disappeared from this site.
From Timahoe travel to Stradbally:
The Stradbally Steam Museum celebrates the steam engines that once ruled Ireland's railways, built its roads and worked its farms. Inside the museum, visitors can see a variety of steam-driven engines. The collection includes the Mann Steam Cart, built in 1918. This small steam traction engine cleared and ploughed land. The Fowler, another steam traction engine, built in 1936, was used in roadworks and to power stone crushers.
From Stradbally take the N80 towards Portlaoise to the Rock Of Dunamase:
Stunning views of the surrounding countryside make the towering Rock of Dunamase a strategic place to build a fortress. Through the centuries, warriors have fought to control this limestone outcrop. The first known settlement on the rock was Dun Masc, an early Christian settlement that was pillaged in 842 by the Vikings. Today the ruins on the Rock of Dunamase are managed by the State. Archaeological excavation and conservation work by the Office of Public Works have ensured that the Rock of Dunamase will survive for further generations to explore.
From the Rock Of Dunamase continue on the N80 followed by the N7 to Emo:
Emo Court is a country villa designed by architect James Gandon (1743-1823), best known for his great public buildings, including the Custom House and the Four Courts in Dublin. The house is a magnificent example of the neo-Classical style, reflecting the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland which were first laid out in the 18th century and contain formal lawns, a lake and woodland walks with many very fine trees and shrubs.
From Emo travel initially on the R422 towards Mountmellick, turning onto the R419 to Portarlington:
In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Portarlington was the Paris of the Midlands, a place where French, rather than Irish or English, was spoken on the streets. French Huguenots, escaping persecution in their native land, shaped the culture and the architecture of this bustling Midlands town. Today visitors can view houses built in the Huguenot style on French Street and Patrick Street.
From Portarlington take the R423 to Mountmellick:
Once known as the Manchester of Ireland, Mountmellick is a town of fine buildings and the home of a uniquely Irish textile art, Mountmellick Work. The foundation of the town was laid by members of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. In 1659, William Edmundson settled in Mountmellick and started a tannery. Other Quakers set up malting, brewing, spinning and weaving enterprises. Weaving became one of the town's major industries. By the mid-1700s, Mountmellick was a leading centre of textile production in Ireland. Today, a fine community-run museum displays examples of Mountmellick Work.
From Mountmellick travel to Mountrath taking the N80 initially followed by the R423. In Mountrath take the R440 towards Camross:
Poet's cottage is a replica thatched cottage which gives visitors a sense of what daily life must have been like for most people in rural Ireland in the 1800s. Ireland's cottages evolved over centuries. While each community had its own variations, most cottages were one storey high and one room wide. The windows and doors were located on the side walls, with a chimney stack along the roof. The walls of the cottage were built of local stone or mud; the roof was thatched with reeds or straw.
County Longford 1 Day Tour:
This tour starts from Ballinamuck in Co. Longford on the R198:
Ballinamuck is a small picturesque village in County Longford close to the Cavan and Leitrim borders. It boasts the unique way of country life that is so often sought. The landscape with its gently rolling hills and valleys was formed by the retreating ice of the last glaciations. Bog lands and forests mingle with pastures to carpet this region in hues of brown and green. With its multitude of lakes and situated only 13 km from the River Shannon, Ballinamuck is a haven for fishermen. Ballinamuck Visitors Centre is located in the historic former R.I.C. Barracks there is a lively exhibition which gives details of the Year of the French and the Battle of Ballinamuck in 1798.
From Ballinamuck travel on the R198 to Drumlish:
The village of Drumlish is west of a ridge of low hills running north-eastwards from Newtownforbes to Arva in County Cavan. A famous episode of the Land War took place in Drumlish which is documented in the book "The Land War in Drumlish". The village is the starting point for the climb of Cairn Hill, it is a pleasant climb and there are extensive views from the summit, which is crowned by a cairn.
From Drumlish travel to Longford Town:
The county town on the south bank of the River Camlin and on the main Dublin-Sligo road is a progressive town and the county administrative centre. The town is spaciously laid out with wide streets and pleasant buildings, and recent impressive urban development. The dome of the nineteenth century St Mel's Cathedral, a Renaissance-style building of grey limestone with a lofty tower, may be seen from quite a long way outside the town. There is an ecclesiastical museum situated at the rear of this cathedral. The courthouse is the oldest building in the town and was erected in 1792.
From Longford Town travel on the N63 on to Lanesborough:
Lanesborough is situated on the River Shannon at the northern end of Lough Ree. The town derives its name from the Lane family. George Lane took part in the Battle of Kinsale, 1601 and was rewarded with large amounts of land in the area. Lanesborough is linked by bridge to its sister village, Ballyleague in County Roscommon. The first bridge of wattles was replaced by a stone bridge in 1706, a new bridge was built in 1847 and was updated 1970. Activities in the area include fishing, boating and water sports, walking and pitch and putt. Places of interest include St John's Church and Rathcline Castle. There are various environmental schools held here in the summer and winter.
From Lanesborough travel towards Ballymahon, visiting Keenagh Village en route:
While in Keenagh, visit the Corlea Visitors Trackway. The centre interprets an Iron Age bog road which was built in the year 148 BC across the bog lands close to the River Shannon. The oak road is the largest of its kind to have been uncovered in Europe. Inside the buildings, an eighteen metre stretch of preserved road is on permanent display in a specially designed hall. Conservation works have taken place on the surrounding bog to ensure that the buried road is preserved.
From Keenagh travel to Ballymahon:
Ballymahon is picturesquely situated on the River Inny and has many associations with Oliver Goldsmith. The Ballymahon area is said to have had a seminal influence on Goldsmith and formed the inspiration for his future works. Places of architectural interest include New Castle House, Castlecor House, with its octagonal roof and Ledwithstown House built by Cassels in 1728.
From Ballymahon take the N55 to Ardagh:
The village of Ardagh lies to the south east of Longford town and has given its name to the diocese: Ardagh & Clomacnoise in which the greater part of the county Longford is situated. It is said that St Patrick founded a church here in the fifth century and installed St Mel as bishop. The ancient ruins of St Mel's Cathedral are near the present Church of Ireland and St Mel himself is said to be buried within the walls. Ardagh is a very attractive estate village and its distinctive architecture as a planned estate has led to its designation as a Heritage Village.
From Ardagh take the N55 to Edgeworthstown:
Edgeworthstown is a successful centre located on the N4. The town has a long association with the celebrated family of Edgeworth, who first settled here in 1583. The Edgeworth family vault, in which Richard Lovell Edgeworth and his daughter Maria, the well-known novelist are interred, is in the churchyard of St John's.
From Edgeworthstown travel on the N55 to Granard:
Granard in County Longford was the home of Kitty Kiernan. She was a girlfriend of Michael Collins. It is a typical Irish market town with a market house and butter markets. Its most distinguishing feature is its Motte, reputed to be the highest Motte in Ireland. On the summit of the Motte stands a large statue of Saint Patrick. A charter was granted to Granard in 1678, along with the privilege of returning two members to the Irish Parliament. During the War of Independence, Granard was the scene of many engagements.
From Granard travel to Abbeylara:
Beside the village of Abbeylara and near the shore of Lough Kinale are the remains of a thirteenth century Cistercian Abbey founded by an Anglo Norman, Richard Tuite. A semicircular earthwork north of the village is regarded locally as the site of the original church founded here by St Patrick about 460. From the shore of Lough Kinale, north-east of Abbeylara, parts of the ancient defensive earthwork known as the Black Pigs Dyke extends north-westwards towards the shore of Lough Gowna. In the parish of Abbeylara there are two well preserved remains of a stone circle.
County Offaly 1 Day Tour
The starting point of this tour is Tullamore, which is on the N80 & N52 routes:
Tullamore is the county town and is situated in the centre of the county. It is a vibrant, progressive town and is recognised as a major shopping centre for the midlands. It is the home of Irish Mist Liquor and Tullamore Dew, a fine whiskey. The Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre charts the growth and development of the town, tracing the part the whiskey industry played in that development. The Grand Canal is a valuable and attractive amenity to the town. The canal reached Tullamore in 1798. The Heritage Centre exhibition traces the development of the canal and its impact on the growth of Tullamore in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. About a mile to the south of the town is Charleville Forest. Charleville Castle is the finest and most spectacular early nineteenth century, gothic-revival building in Ireland. A majestic oak-tree in the grounds is the oldest in the country.
From Tullamore travel the N80 to Clara:
Clara town has a long industrial tradition; however it is also a place abounding with nature. The Gageborough River joins the Brosna a mile downstream of Clara, County Offaly. The trout stocks and fishing conditions are much the same as on the Tullamore Silver River. The best of the trout fishing is in the three miles upstream of the confluence. Clara also has one of the few large raised midland bogs remaining substantially intact. It has a wide range of vegetation types and habitats and classic hummock and hallow surface. It is one of the only raised bogs in Ireland with a well developed natural drainage system or 'soak'. The bog lies 2 km south of Clara town along the L113. The bog is under the care and ownership of the wildlife service. It was declared a National Reserve in 1987 it bears a profuse bogland flora and is an important wildlife habitat. Access is from the Clara Rahan road, from where short tracks lead onto the bog.
From Clara travel the R436 to Ballycumber & on to Ferbane:
Situated on the River Brosna, Ferbane is a town, which has prospered through peat development and electricity generation by State agencies. Other industries include engineering, printing and vehicle bodybuilding. However Ferbane is rich in heritage and was once occupied by the McCoghlans, who were chieftains. They built many castles in the Ferbane area and were known in that era as the MacCoghlans of the Fair Castles. Today both tower houses of Coole and Clononey are the best preserved and steeped as they are in history. About a half mile from Ferbane is the old meeting point, tulach tionóil, where the Chieftains had their inauguration ceremony, at Ard na gCros. The Gallen Cross, an unusual cross from the Christian period, can be viewed in the grounds of Gallen Priory, as well as a collection of Early Christian grave slabs. The Priory was once a landlord's place of residence and later a novitiate of the St Joseph of Cluny Order; it is now a nursing home.
From Ferbane travel the N62 to Ballinahown & the R444 to Clonmacnoise:
An early Christian site founded by St Ciaran in the sixth century on the banks of the River Shannon. The site includes the ruins of a Cathedral, eight Churches (tenth - thirteenth century), two Round Towers, three High Crosses and a large collection of early Christian graves. The original High Crosses and grave slabs are on display in the visitor centre. There is an audio-visual show as well as a number of exhibitions.
From Clonmacnoise travel to Shannonbridge on the R444:
This area is renowned for bream, rudd and hybrids and has outstanding potential for the coarse angler. The village is well-known for its bars and music. While in Shannonbridge go for a tour on the Clonmacnnoise and West Offaly Railway.
County Westmeath
Westmeath TourismPresentation Hse, Harbour St, Mullingar
Co. Westmeath
Web: www.westmeathtourism.com
Email: info@westmeathtourism.com
Tel: +353 (0)44 9348571
Outlined in this section are two driving trails, the Belvedere Trail and Fore Trail. The Lough Ree Trail is another driving tour which incorporates the counties of Westmeath, Longford and Roscommon. It starts in Athlone and travels around Lough Ree through the villages of Ballykeeran and Glasson in County Westmeath towards County Longford where the trail passes through Ballymahon, Newtowncashel, Keenagh, Lanesborough and on to Longford town. From Longford the trail take you back to the Shannon at Clondra and Tarmonbarry and into County Roscommon to the towns of Strokestown and Roscommon. From Roscommon town the trail returns to Athlone passing through the villages of Knockcroghery and Lecarrow.
For futher information on the above mentioned driving trails, use the above contact details.