The Midlands
Perennially popular, Oscar's is the place to go for upmarket comfort food (steaks, stir fries, barbecued rubs, smoky chicken wings, burgers et al) and a lively atmosphere in a cavernous dining room with exposed stone walls and timber-beamed ceilings. Its Sunday roasts are a local event.
Kids' mains cost €7.
29.88 MILES
Gloriously placed overlooking the River Shannon, 7km northeast of Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise is one of Ireland’s most important ancient monastic cities…
21.54 MILES
Don't miss the extraordinary Corlea Trackway, an Iron Age bog road built in 148 BC. An 18m stretch of the pavement-like oak track has been preserved in a…
11.81 MILES
Near the shores of Lough Lene, the emerald-green Fore Valley, 5km east of Castlepollard, is a superb place to explore by bicycle or on foot. In AD 630 St…
22.87 MILES
Proof of Trim's medieval importance, this remarkably preserved edifice was Ireland's largest Anglo-Norman fortification. Hugh de Lacy founded Trim Castle…
3.56 MILES
Magnificent Belvedere House, 7.5km south of Mullingar, is an unmissable sight. This immense 1740-built hunting and fishing lodge is set in 65 hectares of…
25.74 MILES
Inside this low, hulking 13th-century riverside castle, modern displays bring to life the tumultuous history of the town and detail life here through the…
18.37 MILES
Clara Bog is one of the few great expanses of classic bogland in Western Europe to escape being stripped for fuel. Deceptively flat and seemingly lifeless…
26.29 MILES
Much of County Offaly's once-extensive boglands were stripped of peat for electricity generation during the 20th century. Now Lough Boora, 17km north of…
1. Cathedral of Christ the King
0.17 MILES
Mullingar's most distinctive landmark is this colossal twin-towered cathedral, commenced in 1933 and consecrated on the eve of WWII. Its large mosaics of…
3.56 MILES
Magnificent Belvedere House, 7.5km south of Mullingar, is an unmissable sight. This immense 1740-built hunting and fishing lodge is set in 65 hectares of…
9.36 MILES
Between Mullingar (16km northeast) and Althone (31km southeast) on the R390 is Uisneach, the centre of Ireland during neolithic times when sea levels were…
10.94 MILES
The imposing Gothic-revival Tullynally Castle is the seat of the Pakenham family and, although closed to visitors, its 12 hectares of gardens and parkland…
11.81 MILES
Near the shores of Lough Lene, the emerald-green Fore Valley, 5km east of Castlepollard, is a superb place to explore by bicycle or on foot. In AD 630 St…
6. Kilbeggan Distillery Experience
12.64 MILES
Established in 1757, Kilbeggan is Ireland's oldest licensed distillery – after stopping production in 1957, it has been producing whiskey again since 2007…
16.67 MILES
Loughcrew Gardens incorporates 2.5 hectares of lawns, terraces and herbaceous borders along with a lime avenue, yew walk, canal and 'grotesque grotto'…
17 MILES
Sharing space with the local library in the village of Clara, this small, modern visitor centre gives an engaging overview of the life and ecosystem of…