Travel: An Offaly good time in Ireland’s midlands

Obeying the siren call of Ireland’s west coast, most tourists, both foreign and local, tend to bypass the midlands in favour of the big hitters like Kerry, Donegal and Connemara, but to do so is to miss more than a few treats.

Co Offaly is probably best known for the gently sloping Slieve Bloom Mountains and its expanses of bogland, but as we discovered on a recent family trip the area is scattered with attractive towns and villages, pastoral charms and more than a few hidden gems.

We were based in the handsome and bustling town of Birr, with its imposing Gothic castle, Georgian terraces and pretty Emmet Square.

I’d recommend setting aside an afternoon to wander around the huge and varied grounds of Birr Castle and immerse yourself in the scientific exploits of the talented Parsons family at the Historic Science Centre.

The third Earle of Rosse, William Parsons, devoted himself to astronomy and in 1845 built the huge Rosse Telescope, which remained the largest in the world until 1917. It was fully reconstructed in the 1990s and, along with a massive, elaborate housing of walls, tracks, pulleys and counterweights needed to manoeuvre it, can be seen in the garden.

The grounds are something else, dotted with beautiful trees (including the world’s tallest box hedge), meandering streams, wildflower meadows, a 19th century lake and the oldest wrought-iron suspension bridge in Ireland.

There’s a fantastic playpark for kids, boasting Ireland’s tallest treehouse, whilst the Courtyard Cafe offers delicious snacks and drinks.

A number of events are held at Birr Castle throughout the year, including the upcoming 50th Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championships, which begins on September 24.

Accommodation and dining

We stayed in the County Arms Hotel, a four-star Georgian House Hotel, just outside Birr, in one of the recently launched family suites, which overlooks the walled garden and playground area.

The suites can accommodate a family of five. My kids, Hugh, aged 10 and Maria, 14, were blown away by the room which has a raised loft-style bed and two single beds. Hugh, who would normally be oblivious to interior design, declared it “the nicest hotel room” he’d ever been in. Praise, indeed!

There’s thoughtful extras like goodie bags with art materials and kids’ toiletries - a cheeky cuddly monkey was also spotted making its way up the ladder into the top bed.

There’s a king-sized bed for parents, wall-mounted TV and a fantastic bathroom with showerhead the size of a dinner plate. And speaking of dinner plates, ours were taken good care of in the hotel’s Bar 62, where we dined on hearty seafood chowder, lovely goat’s cheese tartlets, beer battered cod with chunky chips and decadent deserts of apple and berry crumble and Oreo cheesecake.

Families will also love the leisure centre, which is bathed in natural light and has a clean modern gym, spa, swimming pool and changing facilities. My son was also particularly enamoured with the giant chess board in the hotel’s garden and our next door neighbours, a herd of friendly horses.

A five minute drive from the hotel in the quaintly named village of Crinkill, is a wonderful pub and restaurant called The Thatch, owned by the convivial Des.

As the name suggests, it is a 200-year white thatched cottage with an equally appealing interior of exposed brick and stone, vaulted ceilings and pine furniture.

The food on offer is fantastic and the helpings huge. Waitress Steph said they cater to a lot of hard-working farmers, hence the ample proportions. After our meal of pan-fried cod, vegan burger, seafood platter and more, we waddled out like stuffed geese.

Plenty to see and do

A must-see for any visit to this part of Ireland is Lough Boora Discovery Park (free entry). Admittedly, spending a day at a peat bog in the middle of Ireland may not seem that enticing, but this is no ordinary peat bog.

Lough Boora, owned by Bord Na Mona, once supplied over a million tonnes of peat every year, but now its the unusual setting for a sculpture park, with some 24 sculptures inspired by the area’s industrial heritage.

There are five themed routes round the park; a great way to see everything is by hiring a bike. There’s a lovely cafe, The Organic Kitchen, serving up tasty treats and overlooking the lake, where we watched some elegant swans and refuelled after our exertions. Set aside a day or at least an afternoon to explore this wondrous place.

Clonmacnois Monastic Site, the Midlands’ pre-eminent historical site, a prestigious complex of churches and ornate high crosses overlooking the River Shannon, is an idyllic spot.

The monastery flourished for 600 years as a centre of learning and religious instruction as well as providing much of Ireland’s finest Celtic art and illuminated manuscripts. It is a fascinating place.

If you feel like a taking a dip away from the comfort of the hotel pool, a trip to the village of Banagher, with Galway on one and Offaly on the other, is well worth a visit for its outdoor pool, which is located in the River Shannon.

It’s an old-fashioned concrete design, with clean (though, understandably cold water), but afterwards you can dry off on the riverside or learn about Cromwell’s Castle, which is located in the park grounds.

Best in glass

A highlight for us was a magical afternoon spent bubbling with creativity at Michelle O’Donnell’s fantastic Glasshammer Designs, just outside the village of Rhode.

Michelle, an internationally acclaimed glass artist, who counts Van Morrison among her many prestigious clients, offers glass fusing workshops in her spacious studio.

We were given some gloves, aprons, a large sheet of heavy glass, small pieces of leaf-shaped glass, special glass paint, and tasked with coming up with a design for our piece.

After some artistic rumination and gentle guidance from the lovely Michelle we settled on a colourful, circular design, which Michelle would then fire in her kiln and we could put on our wall at home as a reminder of the few happy, mindful hours we spent get crafty in Co Offaly.

Factfile

County Arms Hotel: Rates are from €249 which includes Bed & Breakfast for up to 2 adults and 3 children.

Birr Castle Demesne.

General Admission Adult €10 | Child 6 (4-17) | Family 2 + 2 €28 | under 3 free.

Glasshammer Designs, www.glasshammer.ie, tel: +353 (0) 469739290