Heading west - Kilbeggan and Athlone

Time to leave Dublin now and explore more of Ireland. For the next few days I was on a bus tour which afforded me the opportunity to see some of the sights without having to worry about driving!!

 Kilbeggan, County Westmeath

Heading west - and the first stop is Kilbeggan...famous for its whiskey.  Kilbeggan Distillery is the oldest licensed distillery in Ireland - a small pot still distillery with a licence to distill that dates back to 1757.   Had a tour of the distillery - and at the end I participated in a whiskey tasting ‘challenge’ and after successfully identifying five different whiskeys based on their taste I am now a “Qualified Irish Whiskey Taster”.

That’s my “Qualified Irish Whiskey Taster” certificate

Continuing onto Athlone which is near the geographical centre of Ireland.  It is located on the River Shannon and is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region. Athlone Castle dates from the 12th century.

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is a very impressive structure on the banks of the river and is notable for its stained glass windows.