# Ballymahon

Ballymahon is a village in County Longford in the midlands of Ireland. In Irish it's Baile Uí Mhatháin, the town of Mahon, and in 2022 it had a population of about 1700. The main reason to visit is Center Parcs 3 km east.

## Get in

Bus 65 runs once M-Sa from Athlone to Ballymahon, Keenagh (for Corlea Trackway), Longford, Granard, Cavan Town, Clones and Monaghan.
Bus 466 runs from Athlone to Ballymahon, Keenagh and Longford, with two M-Sa and one on Sunday.
Healey's Bus 842 runs from Dublin city centre and airport to Mullingar, Edgeworthstown, Ballymahon and Center Parcs, with 2 to 4 per day.

## Get around

You need a car to get around the county.

## See

* 53.564-7.7651 Village centre is the single long broad Main Street. It's lined with colourful 19th-century low-rise, pleasant enough in the sunshine. The library was built in 1819 as the courthouse and market house. St Catherine's Church (Church of Ireland) was built in 1800, and St Matthew's (Roman Catholic) further north was built in 1906.
* Stately mansions: Castlecor House and Newcastle House have been converted into hotels, see Sleep. Ledwithstown House 5 km northwest has been closed for restoration for years.
* 53.612-7.8452 Corlea Trackway is in Keenagh 10 km northwest of Ballymahon, see Longford.
* 53.58-7.6583 Abbeyshrule has the dilapidated stump of a Cistercian abbey. The Royal Canal crosses the River Inny here by an aqueduct. The village has an airfield for light aviation and training.

## Do

* Center Parcs activities may be available to non-residents on a pay-as-you-go basis, see Sleep.
* The Royal Canal passes north of Ballymahon: Chaigneau Bridge 2 km northeast of town is a good access point. It stretches 146 km from the Liffey in Dublin to the Shannon at Termonbarry near Longford and is navigable throughout, though the spur to Longford is disused.
* Oliver Goldsmith Literary Festival celebrates yer man (1728-74), who was probably born in Pallas near Ballymahon, or then again it might have been Elphin, County Roscommon. The festival is held over the June holiday weekend.
* Still Voices is a short-film festival in August.

## Buy

* Smyth's SuperValu on Main St is open M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 9AM-7PM. There's also a Centra by the filling station south edge of town.
* There's an ATM outside the Bank of Ireland on Main St.

## Eat

* Cooney's Hotel on Main St N39 C3X4 has decent food and also has rooms.
* There's a Chinese, pizzeria and fish & chips place around the junction of Main St and Mostrim Rd.

## Drink

* Skelly's Bar on Main St may also have rooms.
* Wide Street Brewing in Ballymahon use unusual yeasts and brewing methods to produce distinctly dry beers. No tours.

## Sleep

* The village has a couple of B&Bs but they didn't open in 2020. There isn't a campsite or caravan park nearby.
* 53.555-7.711 Center Parcs Longford Forest, Newcastle Rd, Ballymahon N39 RH95 (3 km east of town on R392), ☏ +353 1890 995 588. All inclusive resort-chain village with self catering lodges (some dog-friendly), indoor and outdoor activities, food, drink and shops. Stays must start and end M or F, so a three-night weekend is the minimum stay. Double (room only) from €100 / night. (updated Feb 2021)
* 53.562-7.7222 Newcastle House is a Georgian mansion which is being refurbished and may re-open in 2021.
* 53.564-7.7943 Castlecor House was built 1740-64 and may have self-catering lets.

## Connect

As of Feb 2021, Ballymahon has 4G with all Irish carriers. 5G has not reached this area.

## Go next

* Athlone for its castle and fine city architecture.
* Mullingar for the cathedral and Belvedere House
* Roscommon is surrounded by prehistoric, Norman and Georgian sites.