Mullingar
Mullingar town centre is only a few minutes away from Bloomfield House Hotel and boasts a selection of superb Boutiques and a series of shopping centres and markets.
Mullingar's shopping includes the Dunnes Stores shopping centre at Harbour Place. This is also home to Esquires Coffee, O'Hehirs Bakery, Harbour Jewelers, Holland & Barrett, Rapture, VILA, Paul Byron's, Euro Giant, The Art & Hobby Shop, Claire’s Accessories, Vodafone, Waterlilly Florist, Cards & Things, Boots, Carphone Warehouse, Paco, Peter Mark & Cards & Things. The Fair Green Shopping Centre, anchored by Penny's, includes Dorothy Perkins, Elvery Sports, DV8 and New Look. There is also a smaller shopping centre nearby featuring a large Tesco supermarket. Lakepoint Business Park on the Delvin road provides shoppers with a mix of national retailers to choose from including Woodies DIY, Elvery’s Sports, Harry Corry and IMC Multiplex Cinema. Fresh produce is sold at the Farmers market every Sunday morning in Penney's Carpark. It includes fish, meat, free range eggs, homemade bread and cakes, organic cheese, yogurt, fruit, Vegetables and more.
Take a moment to watch this magnifienct short video showcasing the many wonderful highlights of Mullingar and hidden gems easily accesible from Bloomfield House Hotel, leisure Club & Spa.
Mullingar - ‘Music, Myths & Legends’
The traditional market town of Mullingar (An Muileann gCearr) translates as “the left-handed mill” and is located in the Heart of the Lakelands, where history and heritage combine to create a mythical and magical landscape. Mullingar is famous for the neighbouring lakes, Lough Owel, Lough Ennell and Lough Derravaragh, and the Royal Canal that meanders through the town.
The surrounding areas of Mullingar display some incredible built heritage including Belvedere House and Gardens overlooking Lough Ennell. with its enchanting story of the Jealous Wall and 160 acres of parkland. Lough Ennell is also linked to Mullingar via Lacy’s Canal and the River Brosna while Lough Derravaragh is known for its connection with the Irish legend of the Children of Lir. Located west of Mullingar is the Hill of Uisneach, which is the centre of Ireland not just geographically but also effectively with the highways of early Ireland converging near its centre. North Westmeath presents picturesque country scenes with sparkling lakes and the beautiful Mullaghmeen forest, in addition to unique attractions such as Tullynally Castle and the historic site of Fore Abbey and it’s Seven Wonders offering a distinctive visitor experience.
The hinterland of Mullingar is also home to Locke’s Distillery in Kilbeggan as well as sporting venues such as the Kilbeggan Races and the Mullingar Greyhound Stadium. Not forgetting Mullingar’s links to the music industry, the town is known for its links to singer Joe Dolan, ‘Bressie’ and Niall Horan of international ‘One Direction’ boyband fame.
Mullingar offers a central location midway between Dublin and the West with ease of access (less than an hour from Dublin airport), with a selection of hotels, restaurants pubs and sporting and recreational venues such as the Kilbeggan Racecourse and the Mullingar Greyhound Stadium, as well as a central access point to the National Cycle Network.
Mullingar, the county town of Westmeath - a thriving, bustling town and historically a busy market centre has grown into a leading hub of enterprise, industry and commercial development. Confident Capital of the Lakes, County Town of Westmeath, Mullingar is a thriving business, administrative and industrial centre. Famous for Beefsteak, Bachelors and international singing stars including the great Joe Dolan, Bressie and of course One Direction superstar Niall Horan. Mullingar is a market town with a rich heritage dating back to Norman times. Its beautiful Renaissance style Cathedral looks over this bustling town which is encircled by the Royal Canal.
Mullingar is located on the N4 between Dublin and Sligo and not far from the intersection with the main road to Galway (N6). An ideal location, less than an hour west of the greater Dublin area on the M4, has meant that Mullingar has become a very popular choice as a place to visit and do business. Mullingar is also only 50 minutes from the M50, Dublin's "Ring Road" from which Dublin Airport, Dublin Port, Dun Laoighre, and generally any part of the capital are easily accessed.
Set amidst stunning lakes and inland waterways, the town can offer peaceful living combined with a busy commercial life. Nearby lakes provide peaceful amenity areas and wonderful lakeviews. Mullingar is located in one of the most scenic and beautiful areas close to all of the major lakes in the midlands and provides a wonderful lifestyle on your back door. In addition, all sporting activities including horse riding, golf and watersports are within only a short distance and provide excellent opportunities for rest and relaxation.
In Mullingar you will find a wide range of top class accommodation including Bloomfield House Hotel, fine restaurants and lively pubs as well as great shopping! Mullingar has attracted leading retailers such as Tesco, Penneys, Boots and Dunnes Stores. Mullingar's sporting facilities, shops, pubs, restaurants and nightlife are second to none. The town recently achieved a Purple Flag status, the “gold standard” for safe night time destinations.
Mullingar is now linked with the adjoining towns of Athlone and Tullamore to form one of the most important gateway networks in the country. This gateway network, comprising of a combined population of 130,000, will receive increased funding from national resources to further develop infrastructure, enterprise and industrial activity in this region. The town has a significant agricultural hinterland and an existing strong industrial and technical base. Mullingar is the administrative centre for Co Westmeath, the County Council Offices, a large Garda headquarters, a general hospital and two other hospitals as well as headquarters for Teagasc and Coillte (Forestry Regional Offices).
Key attractions include:
- Accessible location – 80km fromDublinon M4 motorway
- Easy access to key airports and port services
- Excellent road and rail links with major centres
Westmeath – The Lake County
Dotted with sparkling lakes amid rolling hills, Westmeath is truly in the Heart of the Lakelands Country. The tranquil Royal Canal meanders around Mullingar on it's way to the majestic River Shannon.
County Westmeathis rich in natural resources with many lakes, rivers and waterways, particularly the River Shannon and the Royal Canal. The county’s major lakes include Lough Ennell, Owel, Derravaragh, Lene, and Sheelin which have been traditionally popular for Angling. Golf, Angling and Equestrian activities have traditionally been important pursuits for the visitor to the county and will continue to be important activities in the future as the county has a good product base in these categories. In recent years, Westmeath has benefitted from the emerging development of national off-road Greenways that currently traverse the county. Developments such as the Royal Canal Greenway and Old Rail Trail cater for the increasingly popular walking and cycling markets.
Westmeath is steeped in heritage and history and hosts significant visitor attractions in Belvedere House, Athlone Castle and Kilbeggan Distillery. It also contains important heritage sites such as Fore Abbey in the North of the county and Uisneach, one of the royal sites which has great historical significance and is often considered the centre of celticIreland.
Known as the ‘County of the lakes and legends’, Westmeath boasts a ring of breathtaking scenery, rolling hills, unspoiled countryside and wild bogland. It offers remarkable beauty and diversity. Naturally there’s water here too.
Abounding in rivers, lakes and streams, it is a terrain of possibilities for every visitor.
Located in the Heart of Ireland, Westmeath has an area of 710 square miles and stretches from Lough Ree in the west to the shores of Lough Sheelin in the north east and southwards to Kinnegad and the RoyalCanal. Lakes are its greatest asset with fishing, cruising, water sport activities and shore amenities. There is a wealth of trout and coarse angling on the Westmeath Lakes, Ennell, Owel, Derravaragh, Sheelin, Lene, Lough Ree, the River Shannon and the Royal Canal. Derravaragh is the source of the infamous legend of the Children of Lir who are said to have spent three hundred years in isolation on its waters. Visitors wishing to cruise or to fish, to recall mythology from childhood, to tour the scenic routes, traverse Goldsmith country or the Fore Trail, will find much, much more in Westmeath.
Westmeath is a paradise for angling, golf, equestrian pursuits, tourist trails, genealogy, and heritage holidays.
The towns of Mullingar and Athlone are the two main commercial centres in the county providing Westmeath's 70,000 inhabitants with a range of fine boutiques and modern shopping centres. An important junction in the county is Kinnegad where the N4 (Dublin/Sligo road) and the N6 (Dublin/Galway road) meet.
Athlone
It's beautiful riverside location opening on to Lough Ree is the cornerstone of its attraction and the source of its outstanding natural beauty and enchanting atmosphere.
Present day Athlone is a busy and prosperous town with an abundance of interesting tourist attractions and excellent restaurants each with its own distinctive character catering for all the family. Dominating the town is Athlone Castle Visitors Centre - a Norman Castle with panoramic views of the Shannon. Features include exhibitions on the siege of Athlone, John McCormack, Shannon wildlife, folklore and military museums.
Athlone is proud to be the centre of Shannon Cruising and its hire boat companies delight in guiding tourists on the Shannon. River trips are available on the MV Ross and the Viking Longboat. The River Shannon is an important route for migratory birds in spring and autumn while the Shannon callows is one of the last remaining Corncrake habitats in Europe. No trip to Athlone is complete without a visit to the famous ruins of Clonmacnoise - a monastic settlement on the banks of the Shannon.
For more information on Athlone visit www.athlone.ie.
Glasson
Glasson, known as the Village of the Roses, is situated in the Heart of Goldsmith Country, approx. 10km north of Athlone. Originally built as an estate (Waterstown) village, Glasson still retains its olde world charm, beauty and tranquility. There are many historic buildings and monuments in the area including the old schoolhouse built in 1844. Glasson has something for everyone - award winning restaurants, traditional pubs serving food, entertainment and barbecues throughout the season. Glasson is surrounded by beautiful countryside on the shores of Lough Ree where you can enjoy Lakeshore & Forest Walks and of course the now famous Glasson Golf & Country Club.
Goldsmith Country gets its name from one of Ireland's world renowned 18th century poets, Oliver Goldsmith. Goldsmith's writings include the epic poem "The Deserted Village", and the play "She Stoops to Conquer". He was reared at Lissoy Parsonage, 5kms from Glasson. It was his native Lissoy (Sweet Auburn) he recalled when writing "The Deserted Village".
