town information ireland

Ballycotton is a sheltered village on the Atlantic coast and a famous sea angling area. There is a cliff walk with beautiful views rising 200ft above sea level. Bird watchers are encouraged to visit the wildlife sanctuary at ballycotton....

Today Ballinasloe is the main town is east Galway. A prosperous and expanding centre on the main Dublin/Galway road which serves as a commercial centre for the vital agricultural districts all around, and for those engaged in the breeding of bloodstock on the rick limestone land of the Central Plain.

Ballinasloe Horse Fair in October has achieved a world wide reputation, and the traditional event has now grown into an annual eight day carnival and festival. Ballinasloe is also the centre...

Established by St. Jarlath at the beginning of the 6th century, it is 32.19km north of Galway City and today is the major town in the north Galway-mid Connaught region. It is a thriving commercial and industrial centre with a well established agricultural hinterland.

The present layout of the town resulted from the Charter of James I of England in 1613 with all roads converging on the town square -which is in fact a diamond shape. This layout disregarded the much earlier Celtic settlemen...

Often regarded as Ireland's most picturesque village, Adare's Main Street is lined with thatched cottages. The village, which is set on the banks of the River Maigue, has changed little since the late 19th century. While several buildings are of considerable antiquity. Desmond Castle dates back to the 14th century. While parts of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity (catholic) date back to the 13th century. and parts of the parish Church of Ireland church were built in the 14th century. Adare's...

From an unpretentious crossing point on the Shannon, the ford of Luan, Athlone, grew to be the largest town in Westmeath.; The possession of the ford of Athlone has been disputed from earliest times. In 1001 Brian Boru marched there with a great army; in 1129 King Turlough O'Conor erected a wattle bridge there and in 1199 the Normans occupied the town and in 1257 built the town walls, part of which can still be seen. After their defeat at the Boyne in 1690, the Irish withdrew to Athlone and m...

This thriving market town is situated at the south-eastern corner of Co. Galway, beside the north shore of Lough Derg -the last of the great Shannon Lakes. Bordered on the east by the Shannon river, which offers access to the lake, Portumna is an important point of traffic across the Shannon between the West of Ireland, the Midlands and North Tipperary. It is a major cruise base for leisure traffic on the Shannon....

A picturesque village on the River Inny, between Lough Sheelin and Kinale. In the centre of the village there is a memorial to Myles "Slasher" O'Reilly, who defended the town bridge in 1646, during the Confederate wars. On the shore of lough Sheelin is Ross Castle where O'Reilly slept on the eve of the battle.

Sheelin is probably the best known brown trout lake in the midlands; it is a lake to be enjoyed by all the family, you can picnic, swim or just enjoy the scenery. If you...

Glenamaddy, in the east of the County, is a pleasant town....

Hook Head is a long, low rocky peninsula, ideal for seawatching in spring and autumn.
The Hook Head and Baginbun areas are top class diving sites in the south east. Visibility is excellent in the clear water here. At the nearby Naomh Seosamh Hotel in Fethard-on-Sea, it is possible to get a compressor. The hotel also has a drying room facility for divers.
Baginbun Head is associated with the first landings of the Normans in 1169.
The famous expression 'By Hook or...

Mountbellew is in the south-east of the County and is renowned for its success in Tidy Towns Competitions....