Things To Do

From Golf to Horse Riding, Theatre to Water-sports, a stay at Castlecor is the ideal base to explore Irelands Ancient East and Hidden Heartlands.

Gourmet Food Experience

The area is renowned for wonderful restaurants;

  • Ballymahon; Jolly Boys, Cooney’s, Skellys, Wilder & Gold and
    various Takeaway possibilities.
  • Numerous options in Athlone, Longford, and Mullingar. For further information about Longford visit longford.ie/en/visit/food-drink
  • Glasson Village, a 10 minute drive away has excellent choices; Grogans, The Villager, Wineport Lodge, The Chalets, and Glasson Lakehouse
  • Enjoy a hands-on farm & cookery experience with fionaegan.com
Places To Visit

Corlea Trackway this Iron Age Bog Trackway in Kenagh, is somewhat of an enigma. The interpretive centre is well worth a visit. A number of marked walking trails surround the attraction.

Athlone Castle Visit this 13th century castle and experience history brought alive. First built to defend the crossing point on the River Shannon and evolved into a bold defensive structure over the centuries. Follow up with a visit to

Sean’s Bar (reputed to be Europe’s oldest bar) located in the shadow of the Castle.

Belvedere House The house & gardens located just outside Mullingar are open to the public. Don’t miss the spectacular folly wall and a Victorian walled garden.

Strokestown Park House The National Famine Museum & Victo- rian walled garden, located 30mins away in Co. Roscommon, are open to the public.

St. Mel’s Cathedral Built in Longford, in 1840 & destroyed by fire on Christmas Day 2009, the Cathedral has been fully restored.

Check out the Harry Clarke stained glass windows.

Loughcrew Cairns The Loughcrew Complex is believed to have being constructed 3,500 B.C by our Neolithic ancestors as burial chambers. Hiking to the cairns affords spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. Why not combine with a visit to Fore Ab- bey (built by St Fechin in 630AD) near Lough Lene at Fore Village. This is one of the best yet lesser-known Christian monastery ruins in Ireland.

Clonmacnoise One of the most important historical sites in Ire- land, this Early Christian site founded by St. Ciarán in the mid-6th century on the eastern bank of the River Shannon. The site in- cludes the ruins of a cathedral, seven churches (10th -13th centu- ry), two round towers, three high crosses and the largest collection of Early Christian graveslabs in Western Europe.

Whiskey Visit Kilbeggan and/or Tullamore distilleries to learn about whiskey making.

Award-winning villages The nearby villages of Abbeyshrrule, Ardagh & Newtowncashel are all previous winners of “Ireland Tidi- est Village”. All are well worth a visit.

Uisneach The Hill of Uisneach, Loughnavalley, Co. Westmeath has played a part in just about every significant Irish event, be it political, cultural, religious, mythological and geographical. The centre of Ireland in many ways, the enigmatic hill is reputed to be the burial site of the Earth Goddess Ériu & the Sun God Lugh and is one of the most sacred and historic sanctuaries in Ireland.

Center Parcs, Longford Forest Woodland resort with Subtropical Swimming Para- dise with indoor and outdoor activities and a wide range of dining experiences. State of the Art Forest AquaSana Spa.

Exit Athlone Escape Rooms Presents a selection of unique, stimulating creativity - escape rooms. Games and themes are de- signed for different audiences and ages from mysterious and scary atmosphere to strategy games, exitathlone.com

For more information about visiting Longford and county attractions visit www.longford.ie/en/visit/

Theatre & Entertainment
Sporting Activities

Golf  Several fine courses are within easy reach: Glasson, Mount Temple, Athlone, Mullingar, Moate & Longford Golf clubs all offer green fees.

Horse Riding The surrounding area contains numerous stables, a number of which offer horse riding. Please enquire for details.

Horse Racing Roscommon & Kilbeggan race courses are both an easy commute. Evening & weekend meets occur throughout the summer.

Fishing With both the River Inny & Lough Ree close by, there are numerous options for coarse fishing.

Flying Enjoy a bird’s eye view of the area with a flight from Abbeyshrule Aerodrome.

Baysports Water Sports Centre Located on the shores of Lough Ree in Hodson Bay and is home of the World’s Tallest Floating Slide. This water adventure centre covers almost an acre of inter- linking walkways, slides, towers and obstacles. Baysports is a play- ground for children and adults alike.

Lough Key forest Park The Lough Key Experience will take you on an engaging audio journey of Lough Key Forest and Activity Park. 19th century underground tunnels, the refurbished Moylurg viewing tower and Tree Canopy Walk will introduce you to the history, flora and fauna of the estate.

Viking Tours The Viking Ship departs from the quayside at Athlone Castle. The Lough Ree Cruise is a return journey (approx 75 minutes) that goes upstream to the lake, calling en-route to Hodson Bay.

Walking Cycling & Hiking

Royal Canal Greenway Ireland’s longest greenway (from Dublin to the River Shannon) @228km passes within 1km of Castlecor House. Ideal for cycling, hiking, running or a leisurely stroll.

Newcastle Wood Planted with a mixture of coniferous and broadleaf trees, the wood extends to 400 acres and is managed as a commercial forest. The wood extends to both sides of the River Inny, which is a main tributary of the Shannon. It is called after the mythological Princess Eithne who drowned and was cre- mated downstream at the rapids at Tenelick. From the road there are 3 suggested routes in the wood, the Access for All walk, the River Inny Walk, the recently developed Newcastle woodland looped walk which brings you right around the forest property.

Day Trips

Sliabh Bawn Mountain Nearby in Lanesboro, Sliabh Bawn (Slíabh Bághna na Tuatha – the mountain district of Bághna) is located in Doughill Forest, also the home of the Sliabh Bawn Wind Farm. Throughout the forest are looped walks, a trim trail for fitness, an equestrian trail and a raised viewing platform. The walking trails range in distance from 2.7km to 6.5km and graded as either easy or moderate difficulty making them suitable for family groups to enjoy. Site maps are located throughout the forest, pinpointing historical areas of interest, the submit viewing point and picnic areas.

Portlick walk A wonderful walk exploring the wooded glades and farmlands of Portlick and the Whinning peninsula. Most of the walk is close to the lake shore. Return by Portlick Castle. Arguably the most enjoyable walk by Lough Ree.

Rindoon & St John’s Castle “Camelot on the Shannon” was built in 1227 by King Henry III of England and was populated by up to 1000 people in it’s heyday. With its town wall, castle, medieval hospital, church and mill, there is nothing that compares to it in either Ireland or the UK and it is one of the most important medie- val town sites. However, during the Gaelic resurgence of the late 13th and early 14th centuries the town was destroyed, ruined and forgotten.

The Shannonbridge Fortifications Loop A short tour of the Napoleonic Fort with some gorgeous panoramic views of the River Shannon.

Guest Reviews

Oisin Mac Sweeney
Oisin Mac Sweeney
November 16, 2021.
Spent a weekend with my family in Loretta and Brians stunning home, where we were welcomed with tea and coffee and an open fire on arrival and a beautiful breakfast the following morning. Loretta shared the history of the house with us and the story of the impressive renovation works they've carried out on this remarkable building. A weekend to remember in an exceptional historical building with the very best of hosts.
brian macsweeney
brian macsweeney
November 15, 2021.
Unique house and amazing all round guest experience. Had a wonderful stay here...beds really comfortable, shower fantastic, breakfast delicious but the main selling point is the genuine hospitality of the owners. Can't recommend highly enough.
Margaret Thompson
Margaret Thompson
September 12, 2021.
Attended a concert there recently...beautiful setting.
Miguel Costa
Miguel Costa
August 4, 2021.
Gorgeous place. When you imagine a weekend outside the busy day to day from the city side this is the perfect place to do so. The hosts make the experience even better, the stories, the local products, the house, the comfort, all spot on. This was definitely one of the best experiences I've had lately with a really good value for money.I can just say a big thank you to the hosts and hope to see you soon again 👍
Maria Power
Maria Power
July 27, 2021.
Had such a lovely stay in Castlecor House recently. Got a warm welcome from the hosts and a tour of the house. The room was fab, as was the bathroom, both were very spacious. Breakfast was excellent too. Would stay again for sure!
Marie o Connell
Marie o Connell
July 21, 2021.
My husband and I had a 3 night stay early July and I cannot recommend highly enough. Loretta and Briain are in the middle of restoring this house so we will return. Meanwhile our room was fabulous and breakfast each morning was great especially the fresh fruit, perfectly bolied egg 😉 and freshly baked scones. Ballymahon also an excellent location to explore the hidden heartlands and plenty of choice to eat in the town and also a great local taxi service for neighboring village of Glasson . Again a highly enjoyable stay. House excellently located and near canal fior early morning run/walk and both Loretta, Briain and their family were fabulous hosts.
Jason Kavanagh
Jason Kavanagh
June 29, 2021.
Lovely room, great place to relax, disconnect and recharge. Breakfast was delicious and shower was great. Amazing house, I look forward to seeing it in a few years as it gets restored. Thanks Loretta and family
Miriam Kavanagh
Miriam Kavanagh
June 27, 2021.
A really beautiful historical house, this family are lovingly renovating this property but the bedroom and bathroom we were in were only recently upgraded. The shower was amazing. Loretta is a perfect host, making sure we had everything we wanted and she served a delicious breakfast in the morning.
Claire
Claire
2021-10-28
9.0
Great accommodation with a bit of history ☹ Clean, comfortable accommodation; friendly host; great breakfast freshly made; cosy fore in the shared lounge, and a tour of some of the house which was fascinating.
Valérie
Valérie
2021-10-25
10
lovely place
Kevin
Kevin
2021-10-05
10
Very relaxing, the house has great history and character. ☺ Every aspect of our stay from the warm welcome, cosy bed, beautiful, breakfast was excellent.
Fredrick
Fredrick
2021-10-03
10
A spectactular house with a great host ☺ The house is absolutely spectacular and I have never stayed (or even really seen) anything like it before. Loretta was an incredibly gracious and caring host and gave us a fantastic tour of the house with details about the history and the project to return the older parts of the house to its former glory. We were really impressed at how much we were made to feel at home within the house and how much effort Loretta went to in order to make our stay the best that it could be. The rooms were a great size with huge beds and a very large shower and the breakfast was superb. We all came away delighted that we had decided to spend a night here and sad that we weren't able to stay longer.☹ Nothing. Our stay was perfect
Paul
Paul
2021-09-23
9.0
Superb
Ron
Ron
2021-09-21
10
Exceptional ☺ As an old man our house from the 1730s that is being refurbished by a young family it was an amazing property. To be a part of something good and to appreciate the historical there’s a lot of fun in addition to a delicious breakfast.☹ There was nothing we didn’t like about the property. We knew what we were giving into when we book the room. It was a great accommodation, historical lesson and wonderful chance to see behind the scenes how are young family restoring an old building
Fiona
Fiona
2021-08-26
10
Exceptional
Robertas
Robertas
2021-08-25
10
Exceptional
Cullen
Cullen
2021-08-22
8.0
Very good
Fx20
Fx20
2021-08-21
9.0
A true journey in an old irish house with high quality services ☺ A true irish experience in an exceptionnal place The quality of the services (bathrooms, bedrooms) A wonderful welcome A real history behind this house Breakfast A kind of travel in time when you seat and take time...☹ Nothing
Ben
Ben
2021-11-28
Lovely, unique stay in an incredible building. Breakfast was really nice and the bedroom was spacious and clean.
Christopher
Christopher
2021-10-27
If this place is available, BOOK IT. Among the top experiences I've ever had at an Airbnb, Loretta's place is full of an antique and frankly unique charm you could not find anywhere else.The room and bathroom were spotless and had been renovated stylishly but in keeping with the elegance of the house. The Great hall is spectacular, while the entrance hall and drawing room are a delight to anyone in love with the traditional country house.We were met with a roaring log fire and a drink, and had a wonderful tour of the house that Loretta and her husband are lovingly bringing back to its former glories.A perfect and luxurious stay in an authentic stately home at an unbeatable price with a fantastic host.
Elif
Elif
2021-10-18
Highly recommend staying in this gorgeous old mansion. It’s such a special place, history being brought back to life by the very skillful and lovely host Loretta & her family. If you’re lucky, the family will be around and you might even hear Loretta’s daughter play the piano like I did (which she does so so well!).As a solo female traveler, I felt really safe staying here. Though there were other guests, I had total privacy in my room and even in the shared sitting room area. I was appreciative that Loretta made time to chat with me, it made me feel at home.I need to stay here again and get to know the area. I had absolutely no desire to leave the comforts of this place and explore outside this time. I couldn’t tear myself away from soaking up the atmosphere of the place. In the evening, I enjoyed reading in the sitting room with a huge pot of tea and biscuits Loretta had generously prepared. In the morning, I struggled to get out of the super comfy bed. The delicious breakfast was worth getting up for though - wish I could upload photos!Thanks again, Loretta!
Joe
Joe
2021-09-12
Loretta was wonderful to deal with. Unfortunately, our stay was only one night on our way from the west coast back to Dublin. The home has an amazing history and I wish we could have spent more time.
William
William
2021-08-13
We especially enjoyed the shower and breakfast. A very lovely stay, we look forward to coming back
Alexis
Alexis
2021-08-11
Perfect stay at the Castle Core. Loretta and Brian have welcomed us on a short notice and everything went super smoothly. The room and the common room were really cute. You can feel authenticity and that the place has history. It sure is in good hand now. Best of luck with the work, hope to see you again one day!
Katie
Katie
2021-08-10
Fascinating country house. Fantastic host, amazing breakfast in splendid surroundings. Highly recommend.
Lisa
Lisa
2021-08-08
We had such a lovely trip to this stunning house where we were made feel so welcome and it truly felt like a home from home. The house is steeped in History and Loretta gave us such an interesting tour and background to the house. A wonderful family and enjoyable stay. I look forward to following their journey and what lies ahead for this wonderful house. A great meet-up point located in the middle of Ireland. Thank you Loretta and family, we can't wait to visit again.
Eva
Eva
2021-08-07
We stopped in Castlecor for the night while cycling the Royal Canal Way from Strokestown to Dublin. Castlecor was a luxurious, cosy and comfortable rest on route. Loretta lit a fire for us in the sitting room and we ordered in food for dinner. The room was just perfect, the rainfal shower was wonderful and the breakfast was a great spread. We also got a tour of the house which is just stunning! We will definitely be back!
Maren
Maren
2021-07-25
This was an absolute special and amazing experience. The house is such a gem and I think rare to find. Loretta and her family are fantastic hosts who provide interesting infos about the history of the house. The rooms are clean and you can see that someone put a lot of effort and love. Amazing bathroom and shower. And the breakfast was delicious and in a beautiful dining room with nice decoration. You can’t miss this when in Ireland! I hope I’ll be back soon.
(+353) 87-231-2420
Castlecor House, Ballymahon, Co. Longford, N39 A023
info@castlecorhouse.com

Request Callback

Enjoy Ireland's Hidden Heartlands with us