Locals have been quietly rebranding the midlands as Ireland’s Lakelands in what is probably a sensible move. W hereas the “midlands” implies a place you go through on the way to somewhere else, the Lakelands is a destination in itself. Whether based in Athlone, Mullingar or Tullamore, you will have the country’s highest concentration of lakes on the doorstep.
What to do?
Take a tour of the lakes, obviously. Lough Erne, Lough Allen, Lough Key, Lough Ree, Lough Derg – all have something unique to recommend them.
Take a ferry to Devenish Island, on Lower Lough Erne, for example, where you’ll find the ruins of an ancient monastic settlement, including a terrific round tower.
All the lakes are steeped in mythology, including Lough Derravaragh, in Co Westmeath – where the Children of Lir spent 300 years as swans and which is still home to swans today – Lough Ree, where Queen Maeve was killed, hit by a piece of cheese fired from the sling of an enemy while she was bathing.
Lough Allen is the uppermost lake on the river Shannon, with shores that include Co Leitrim and Co Roscommon. It's close to Arigna, where you can visit the fascinating Arigna Mining Experience (arignaminingexperience.ie).
Fishing is a huge draw in these parts, either from the shore or out on boats. A guided fishing trip with Midland Angling (midlandangling.com) will show you some good spots to cast off.
If fishing isn’t your thing, Lough Derg, in Co Tipperary, is one of the most popular centres for water sports in the country, offering everything from canoeing and sailing to wakeboarding.
At Killaloe, on its Clare shore, you will find remnants of a ring fort said to be the birthplace of Brian Boru. And staying on dry land, at Lough Key, in Co Roscommon, the main attraction is the forest park, where visitors can walk – and even cycle – through the tree tops, or zip along 900m of zip lines (zipit.ie).
Another big natural resource in this part of the country are its bogs, many of which have been turned into visitor centres with boardwalks to take you safely out into the heart of them, with only the skylark for company.
Clara Bog, in Co Offaly, managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (npws.ie), is one of the best examples of raised bog in western Europe.
At Lough Boora Parklands, in west Offaly, you’ll find natural and manmade lakes, wetlands, woodlands and 50km of walkways, as well as sculptures made from former bog machinery.
You can also hire bicycles to explore its 14km of scenic cycle paths.
It’s a great place for walking, too, and a highlight is St John’s Wood at Lecarrow, near the shores of Lough Ree, which is one of only a few native woodlands in Ireland. A wood has existed here for more than 7,000 years, featuring oak, holly, hazel, whitethorn and blackthorn.
Birr Castle (birrcastle.com) is home to what was for decades the biggest telescope in the world – still in working order, and "big houses" in the area include Belvedere House (belvedere-house.ie) on the shores of Lough Ennell. Its Jealous Wall was built in the garden in 1760 to block the view of a larger house nearby.
You can also explore the area on horseback, with a trek from Birr Equestrian Centre (birrequestrian.ie) to the scenic Slieve Bloom mountains or a trot around the gardens at Emo Court, a Gandon-designed mansion in Co Laois (heritageireland.ie), or the Gothic Tullynally Castle (tullynallycastle.com), in Co Westmeath.
WHERE TO STAY Wineport Lodge in Glasson, near Athlone, provides lakeside relaxation. Special offers include "blissful breaks by the lake" (two nights with dinner, bed and breakfast) in April from €386; wineport.ie. The Bridgehouse Hotel, in Tullamore, has weekend packages from €159pps, including dinner, with up to two children sharing free. Not available on bank holidays, but there's nothing to stop you making a long weekend of your own; bridgehousehoteltullamore.ie. Bloomfield House Hotel, in Mullingar, has a pool, spa and free wifi and is handy for visiting Belvedere House and Lough Ennell. Bed and breakfast from €89 for a double, based on two sharing; bloomfieldhousehotel.ie
WHERE TO EAT The Fatted Calf, in Glasson, is the property of Feargal O'Donnell, a former executive chef at Wineport Lodge. Grogan's, also of Glasson, is also worth a visit, as is Thyme at Custume Place, Athlone.
WHERE TO DRINK Sean's Bar in Athlone. Mia Farrow has been tweeting that this is not just the oldest bar in Ireland, but in Europe, so it's doing something right.
DON'T MISS Leap Castle, in Co Offaly, reputed to be Ireland's "most haunted" and open by appointment only.
DON'T SAY "Is this the quickest road to Galway?"
