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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Ballymahon
Baile Uí Mhatháin
One night only, and mainly as a bed for Center Parcs or the Royal Canal: without a car or a resort booking, skip it.
Ballymahon is a midlands village of about 1,700 people on the N55 between Athlone and Cavan, with one long main street, a handful of pubs and Center Parcs Longford Forest 3 km east. It is a base, not a destination: come for the resort, the Royal Canal or the Corlea Trackway, and give it one night.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Baile Uí Mhatháin
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, dark, little open)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €85–140 excl. bed · High €140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112 · Police, fire, ambulance (alternative) 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a village café | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €14–20 |
| Pint of stout | €5–6 |
| Taxi, village to Center Parcs | €10–15 |
| Bus Éireann 466 single, Athlone–Ballymahon | €5–7 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €15–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- Bus or car to Longford or Athlone, then Bus Éireann 466; about 2.5–3 h door to door
- NOC · Ireland West Airport Knock
- Car via the N5 and N55, about 1.5 h
Typical fares
- Bus Éireann 466, Athlone → Ballymahon
- about €5–7, 20 min
- Taxi, Ballymahon → Center Parcs
- €10–15
- Taxi, Longford → Ballymahon
- €25–35
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need wheels. The village is walkable end to end in about 10 minutes, but Center Parcs, Corlea Trackway and Abbeyshrule are 3–10 km (1.9–6.2 mi) out with no useful local bus. Bus Éireann 466 links Athlone, Keenagh, Longford and Cavan every couple of hours; Local Link LR24 runs twice a day Monday–Friday from Longford via Keenagh.You need wheels. The village is walkable end to end in about 10 minutes, but Center Parcs, Corlea Trackway and Abbeyshrule are 1.9–6.2 mi (3–10 km) out with no useful local bus. Bus Éireann 466 links Athlone, Keenagh, Longford and Cavan every couple of hours; Local Link LR24 runs twice a day Monday–Friday from Longford via Keenagh.
See and do
Known for
- Center Parcs Longford Forest
- Royal Canal and Chaigneau Bridge
- Oliver Goldsmith Literary Festival
- Corlea Trackway at Keenagh
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Corlea Trackway, Keenagh | Car or bike on the N55 northwest, about 10 km (6.2 mi)Car or bike on the N55 northwest, about 6.2 mi (10 km) | About 20 min by car |
| Abbeyshrule and the Royal Canal | Car or bike east, about 4 km (2.5 mi)Car or bike east, about 2.5 mi (4 km) | About 10 min by car |
| Longford town | Bus Éireann 466 or Local Link LR24, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Athlone | Bus Éireann 466, about 20 min | About 35 min |
| Center Parcs Longford Forest | Car or taxi, 3 km (1.9 mi) east on the Newcastle RoadCar or taxi, 1.9 mi (3 km) east on the Newcastle Road | About 10 min |
Sleep
- Village centre (Main Street)
- Cooney's Hotel and Skelly's Bar; walk to pubs and shops, 5 min to everything.
- Newcastle Road, east edge
- Newcastle House and the Center Parcs entrance; car needed for the village.
- Abbeyshrule
- About 4 km (2.5 mi) east; farm guesthouse and canal aqueduct, quiet.About 2.5 mi (4 km) east; farm guesthouse and canal aqueduct, quiet.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will un leh-rass |
| Can I pay by card? | An féidir liom íoc le cárta?un fay-der lum eek leh kar-ta |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- No train station: the nearest rail is Longford or Athlone, then bus or taxi.
- Center Parcs stays must start and end on a Monday or Friday, so a three-night weekend is the minimum booking.
- Ledwithstown House has been closed for restoration for years: do not drive out expecting a visit.
- Village pubs and kitchens close early outside summer; eat before 9PM or drive to Longford.
Very low crime; the real risks are narrow, unlit roads with no footpath, farm traffic on the N55 and long waits for a taxi after closing time.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ballymahon yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Center Parcs Longford Forest
- Royal Canal and Chaigneau Bridge
- Oliver Goldsmith Literary Festival
- Corlea Trackway at Keenagh
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Ireland — County Longford: www.discoverireland.ie/longford
- Bus Éireann route 466: www.buseireann.ie/routes-and-timetables/
- Waterways Ireland — Royal Canal: www.waterwaysireland.org/places-to-go/royal-canal
- Center Parcs Longford Forest: www.centerparcs.ie/discover-center-parcs/holiday-locations/longford-forest.html
- Wikivoyage: Ballymahon, revision 5324476 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324476
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BallymahonBaile Uí Mhatháin
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Ballymahon; the US Embassy is in Dublin, and most other countries keep embassies in Dublin.
English is spoken everywhere; Irish is a courtesy, not a necessity.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ballymahon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.