27th May 2018. Train to Athlone (population 21,000) which is 126 kilometres from Dublin. Athlone is regarded as being in County Westmeath (in the province of Leinster) but is situated on the River Shannon so the western side is in County Roscommon (province of Connacht)
The Church of St Peter & St Paul.
Monument commemorating the Athlone Brigade of the Irish Republican Army.
John McCormack (1884-1945) the tenor was born in Athlone.
The River Shannon.
Athlone Castle dates from 1129 and as a stone structure from 1210.
Famously the Castle was besieged unsuccessfully in 1690 and successfully by Williamite forces in 1691. The bravery of the Jacobites who lost 1,000 men has passed into folklore. Sgt Custume (spellings differ) was killed in action on the Shannon Bridge and the Irish Army barracks in Athlone is named for him.
The Castle is now a heritage centre and museum.
Ireland: The Final Frontier 