Heritage Sites And Stately Home's

Belvedere House Gardens.

This house built in the 1740's for Robert Rochfort later to become first Earl of Belvedere, it was possibly designed by Richard Castle. The exterior is vaguely Palladium, not much of the original furniture remains, although the rococo plaster work on the ground floor ceilings has survived.

Athlone Castle & Museum.

(Luan's ford.)

The justicar John de Gray built the first castle built on this site in 1210. The three quarter round towers flanking the curtain wall were probably added in the late thirteenth century. When Sir Edward Fitton was president of Connacht he made alterations in the 1570's. The castle again underwent restoration between 1669 and 1685. The building was badly damaged during the Williamite siege of Athlone, substantial renovations ensued.

The castle now houses Athlone Museum and holds an interesting collection of items relating to the history and prehistory of the Athlone area. There are early Christian grave slabs, cannonballs from the 1691 siege, a penal cross dated 1792, various domestic and agricultural implements, and the recorded voice of the tenor John McCormack.

Mullingar Military Museum.

(Carr's mill.)

This museum houses an interesting collection of military artifacts, including cannonballs from the storming of Birr Castle by Patrick Sarsfield in 1790, there are bayonets and pike heads from the 1798 rebellion as well as a collection of eighteenth century swords. World war I rifles and pistols. Also artifacts made in Ballykinlon Internment Camp by IRA prisoners in 1921, and a large collection of posters and clippings relating to the 1919- 21 war of Independence.

There is also a collections of mementos from the United Nations operations in Zaire and Cyprus.

An Dun Museum.

(The Fort)

This museum probably houses the largest collection of transportation vehicles in private hands. There is also an extensive collection of farm, industrial, equipment of all types. There is a reconstructed garage, blacksmiths shop, bar and a dairy complete with a cow, and for the railway enthusiast a model railway.