In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Longford
An Longfort
Give Longford one night as a rail or bus stop between Dublin and Sligo, or a half-day for Corlea Trackway; two nights only if you have a car.
Longford is the county town of County Longford, a quiet midlands market town of about 11,000 people on the Dublin–Sligo rail line. It has a rebuilt cathedral and a compact centre, but its real draw is the Corlea Trackway, an Iron Age bog road 15 km south. Most travellers use it as a stop, not a base.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- An Longfort
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, short days)
- 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, ambulance, fire 112 or 999 · Nevin's Taxis +353 86 259 5690
- 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 | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €14–20 |
| Indian or Asian restaurant main | €13–18 |
| Pint of stout | €5–6.50 |
| Taxi, 5 km in townTaxi, 3.1 mi in town | €10–15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- Expressway bus 22/23 from the airport to Longford, about 2 h 30 min
- NOC · Ireland West Airport Knock
- N5 road from the west via Strokestown; no direct bus, check
Typical fares
- Bus Dublin Airport → Longford
- about €20, 2 h 30 min (check)
- Train Dublin Connolly → Longford
- about €25, 1 h 50 min (check)
- Taxi Longford station → town centre
- €6–10 (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable in 10–15 minutes. Outlying sites (Corlea, Aughnacliffe, the golf club) need a car, bike or taxi; Nevin's is the local firm. Trains and buses stop at the station 200 m south of the centre.
See and do
Known for
- St Mel's Cathedral
- Corlea Trackway
- Longford Canal and Royal Canal trails
- GAA at Pearse Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Corlea Trackway, Keenagh | Car or taxi on R397, 15 km south; no direct busCar or taxi on R397, 9.3 mi south; no direct bus | About 30 min each way |
| Aughnacliffe dolmen and ringforts | Car on R394, 25 km northCar on R394, 16 mi north | About 40 min each way |
| Ballymahon | Bus Éireann 466 or Local Link LR24, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Carrick-on-Shannon | Train towards Sligo, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Roscommon | Local Link 466, about 35 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (Main St and Market Square)
- Walk to the cathedral, shops, bars and the railway station; best for one night without a car.
- Ballymahon St and Dublin St
- Hotel and guesthouse cluster a few minutes from Main St; some street noise.
- Shannon bank at Termonbarry
- 5 km west; riverside hotel with a bistro, needs a car or taxi.3.1 mi west; riverside hotel with a bistro, needs a car or taxi.
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 an leh-rass |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
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
- Outlying sites are 15–25 km away with no bus: without a car, plan a taxi or skip them.
- The Longford Canal spur is disused and reedy; the walking trails are fine but there is no boating.
- Corlea Trackway visitor centre opens Apr–Oct only; closed in winter.
- Book Sligo and Dublin trains ahead on busy weekends; the service is only every couple of hours.
A quiet, low-crime town; the real risks are wet, unlit rural roads at night and long waits between trains and buses. Keep to lit streets around closing time and pre-book a taxi if you are outside the centre.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Longford yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- St Mel's Cathedral
- Corlea Trackway
- Longford Canal and Royal Canal trails
- GAA at Pearse Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Longford County Council / tourism: www.longford.ie/en/
- Bus Éireann: www.buseireann.ie/routes-and-timetables/
- Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre (Heritage Ireland): heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/corlea-trackway-visitor-centre/
- Wikivoyage: Longford (town), revision 5324458 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324458
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
LongfordAn Longfort
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance, fire112 or 999
- Nevin's Taxis+353 86 259 5690
No embassies in Longford; the US embassy and most others are in Dublin (check).
English is spoken everywhere; Irish is used on signs and in schools.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/longford-town). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.