Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Ireland

PortumnaPort Omna

Give Portumna one night, two if you want a boat on Lough Derg: castle and gardens in the morning, workhouse after lunch, Lorrha by car.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (sights closed or short hours, wet and dark early)
Airports
SNN · DUB · NOC
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • Ireland ↗Ireland is in the EU but not in the Schengen area; it sets its own entry rules and a Schengen visa is not valid for Ireland. Check Irish immigration for your passport.
  • Ireland ↗Ireland and the UK form the Common Travel Area, with no routine checks on the land border. Visitors who are not Irish or British must still meet UK rules (including the UK ETA where it applies) to enter Northern Ireland.
  • Ireland ↗Driving is on the left; rural roads are narrow with hedges and few passing places.

Portumna is a small County Galway town at the north end of Lough Derg, where the Shannon leaves the lake. Its draw is a compact set of sights — a 1610s castle with formal gardens, a Famine-era workhouse museum, a ruined abbey — plus boat hire and a forest park. You need a car or a bike to reach the good bits outside town, and most visitors pass through on the way between Galway and the midlands rather than making it a base.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Portumna, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café€3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealPub lunch, main course€14–20 (≈ US$17–25)
  • BeerPint of stout or lagercheck; prices vary by pub€5.50–6.50 (≈ US$7–8)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)
  • Museum or sight ticketPortumna Castle entryAdult €5 (≈ US$6), conc €4 (≈ US$5), child €3 (≈ US$4)
  • Budget bedHostel or shared room, a night, per person€30 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedB&B double room, a night, per room€110 (≈ US$130)
  • High-end bedB&B double room, a night, per room€150 (≈ US$180)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €100 (≈ US$120) · High €160 (≈ US$190)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Portumna Castle and its formal gardensIrish Workhouse CentreLough Derg boating and the ShannonPortumna Forest Park
Airports
SNN Shannon Airport (About 1 h 30 min by car via N65 and N52; no direct bus, check connections through Limerick or Galway.) · DUB Dublin Airport (About 2 h 30 min by car via M6 and Ballinasloe; Kearns Bus 845 runs once each morning to Dublin city centre, about 3 h.) · NOC Ireland West Airport Knock (About 1 h 45 min by car; check whether a hire car is available at your arrival time.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Portumna: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

8°C

3°C

18 rd

Feb

9°C

3°C

15 rd

Mar

11°C

4°C

16 rd

Apr

13°C

5°C

14 rd

May

16°C

7°C

14 rd

Jun

18°C

10°C

13 rd

Jul

20°C

12°C

14 rd

Aug

20°C

12°C

15 rd

Sep

18°C

10°C

15 rd

Oct

14°C

8°C

17 rd

Nov

11°C

5°C

17 rd

Dec

9°C

3°C

18 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need wheels. The village is walkable in 10 minutes end to end, but the castle, workhouse and forest park are spread out and Lorrha, Terryglass and Redwood Castle are 5–15 km away with no useful local bus. A bike covers Lorrha and Terryglass comfortably; a car is better in rain. Local Link Bus 547 links Ballinasloe (rail and X20 bus) to Portumna, about 50 min, five times Monday–Saturday and three times Sunday.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Lorrha

go

Door to door: About 20 min by car, 40 min by bike

Car or bike west across the swing bridge on N65, then minor roads

St Ruadhán's church and graveyard with two broken 8th-century high crosses, plus a 13th-century Dominican friary 200 m west. Free, outdoors, no fixed hours.

Terryglass

go

Door to door: About 15 min by car

Car or bike south along the lake shore

Small lakeside village with a 13th-century tower house and two holy wells; the abbey survives only as a pub wall. Good stop for lunch.

Redwood (Egan) Castle

caution

Door to door: About 25 min by car

Car north-east via R489 and minor roads

13th-century tower house restored in 1972, private residence, selected dates May–Aug, adult €15. Confirm dates before driving out.

Clonmacnoise

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Car via Banagher and the Shannon crossing, then north on N62

Ireland's best-preserved monastic complex; a half-day. Pair it with Banagher rather than doing it as a rushed return.

Birr

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Car east via N65 and R489

Georgian town with a castle and the 19th-century telescope site; a comfortable half-day.

Galway

overnight

Door to door: About 1 h by car

Car west via N65 and M6; Bus 844 runs twice Friday–Sunday

Too far and too big for a day return from Portumna; sleep there if Galway is the point of the trip.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Town centre (St Brendan's St and Dominic St)

B&Bs, pubs and the glamping pods within a 5-minute walk of the castle gate; best if you have no car.

Lough Derg shore and forest park side

Quieter, needs a car; a few kilometres west along R352 toward the golf club and trails.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€90–140 (≈ US$110–170) excl. bed
High
€140 (≈ US$170)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B double room1 × 1 night × €110€110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €100€200
Portumna Castle entry, adult2 × €5 · Apr–Oct only€10
Irish Workhouse Centre entry, adult2 × €12 · Mar–Oct only€24
Car hire, one day, small car1 × €45 · check; fuel extra€45
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€42
Trip total≈ €231 per person per day, bed included€461≈ US$550

2026 estimate in euro; ferry or flight and car hire excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a café€3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Pub lunch, main course€14–20 (≈ US$17–25)
Dinner main course in a restaurant€18–28 (≈ US$25–35)
Pint of stout or lagercheck; prices vary by pub€5.50–6.50 (≈ US$7–8)
Portumna Castle entryAdult €5 (≈ US$6), conc €4 (≈ US$5), child €3 (≈ US$4)
Irish Workhouse Centre entryAdult €12 (≈ US$14), conc €8 (≈ US$10), child €6 (≈ US$7)
Boat hire, day rate on Lough DergDeposit and a short briefing are usually required.check with the operator
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe. The real risks are rural roads — narrow, hedged, no lighting — plus open water on Lough Derg and cold, fast-changing weather. Lock your car and take the usual care on a night out.
  • Portumna Castle is open Apr–Oct only, daily 10:00–17:00; outside those months the gardens may still be walkable but the interior is not.
  • The Irish Workhouse Centre runs Mar–Oct, daily 09:30–17:30; it is a museum with guided elements, so check the last admission time before a late arrival.
  • Redwood (Egan) Castle is a private residence open on selected dates May–Aug only, adult €15 (≈ US$18); no booking, no visit.
  • Lackeen Castle and Lackeen House are on private land and cannot be visited — view from the road only.
  • The N65 swing bridge over the Shannon opens for river traffic; boats with more than about 4 ft air draft must wait for one of six daily openings Apr–Oct, three Nov–Mar. Expect short road delays.
  • Rural roads here are narrow, hedged and used by tractors; drive on the left and expect oncoming traffic on blind bends.

Emergency numbers

All services (Gardaí, ambulance, fire, coast guard, mountain rescue)
112 or 999

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

PortumnaPort Omna

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoilTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All services112 or 999

Embassy

No embassies in Portumna; the US Embassy and most others are in Dublin. The nearest consulates are in Galway and Limerick — check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Local Link 547, Ballinasloe → Portumna: about 50 min, five times Mon–Sat, three times Sun (check the fare and timetable)
  • Kearns 845, Portumna → Dublin city centre: about 3 h, one morning departure, return about 18:00 (check)
  • Taxi, village centre → Portumna Castle: short hop; walking is faster in most cases

Say or show

  • Dia dhuit — Hello (jeea ghwitch)
  • Go raibh maith agat — Thank you (guh rev mah agut)
  • Le do thoil — Please (leh duh hull)
  • Sláinte — Cheers (slawn-cha)
  • Cá bhfuil an leithreas? — Where is the toilet? (kaw will un leh-russ)
  • An féidir liom íoc le cárta? — Can I pay by card? (un fay-der lum eek leh kar-ta)

Sights close out of season: Portumna Castle Apr–Oct, the workhouse Mar–Oct. Confirm opening dates before a winter trip.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Portumna. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (sights closed or short hours, wet and dark early) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for SNN and DUB: last Kearns 845 departure, Local Link 547 connection at Ballinasloe, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: village centre, castle and gardens, workhouse, forest park and shore.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Portumna Castle, Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna Abbey, Redwood Castle) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Boat-hire fixture: operator bases, licence and deposit rules, and what a day on Lough Derg actually costs.

Meanwhile

Back to Ireland

Sources