Tour the Gothic Castles in the Midlands and East Coast Region

The gothic castles of the Midlands and East Coast offer a varied and interesting basis for your tour of Ireland. The East Coast north and south of Dublin is well-known, but many tourists ignore the Midlands or just drive quickly through from one coast to another.

Birr-Castle© Patricia McKinney-Lins


If you take the time to explore the Midlands, you will be surprised by the beauty of the area. The rivers and other waterways, the early monastic sites, and the castles and fortified dwellings are more than enough to provide a full vacation.

Rindoon-sheep-lake© Patricia McKinney-Lins

The Midlands and East Coast of Ireland includes the counties of Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Longford, Offaly, Laois, Kildare and Wicklow.

The lifestyle of the Midlands is calm and settled. The principal occupation of the local people is farming. The pleasant small towns are surrounded by fishing and cruising opportunities. The scenic rolling countryside will provide the perfect setting for exploring castles.

© Patricia McKinney-Lins

The East Coast north and south of Dublin are gorgeous areas to visit. You can take the DART, the public train system, for day trips filled with hiking, picnics and castle tours. Bray Ireland and Wicklow to the south and Howth to the north are perfect day trip locations.

© Patricia McKinney-Lins

The gothic castles in the Midlands and East Coast give you a great variety and even include a few reportedly haunted structures! Your tour will include the following:

Kilkea Castle Hotel,
Kinnitty Castle Hotel
,
Maynooth Castle,
Trim Castle,
Athlone Castle,
Birr Castle,
Charleville Castle,
Delvin Castle,
Portlick Castle estate,
Darver Castle rental,
Leap Castle ,
Slane Castle ,
Killeen Castle and
Whites Castle.

When you are visiting the Midlands and East Coast Region, you may want to:

Tour Newgrange ancient Burial Site,

Hike the Wicklow Way and take a swim,

Take the DART north to Howth and hike along the coast,

Photograph Powerscourt Waterfall, House and Gardens,

Powerscourt-house-gardens

Hike from Bray to Greystones, and

© Patricia McKinney-Lins

Visit the monastic site of Clonmacnoise.

Clonmacnoise

There are a variety of lodging options in the Midlands and East Coast Region. Your choices include:

BrookLodge & Wells Spa in Macreddin Village, County Wicklow,

Glasson Golf Hotel in County Westmeath,

The Prince of Wales Hotel in Athlone,and

The Bastion B&B in Athlone.


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