Athlone Again, Naturally

Time to head out of Dublin and cut across the center of Ireland, with our eyes set on the West Coast, and ultimately, Galway.

But in the meantime, as so often happens as you traverse the highways of Ireland, you need to make an occasional detour to check out some of the smaller villages, towns, and of course, castles, that  rise up out of the landscape with little to no warning.

This particular pitstop brought us to Athlone Castle.

A little bit of history on this particular castle, built around 1210.  Between 1689 and 1691, Ireland was a significant battleground in a major European conflicts, and armed forces would come face to face on the battlefields, marking one of the the most destructive periods in Irish military history.

William of Orange had proclaimed himself King and his supporters called themselves the ‘Williamites’. Having lost control of his kingdoms, James II would look to France for military help. A multi-national army was organized, and James’ military supporters soon became known as the ‘Jacobites’.  Following a decisive win over James for the Williamites, James’ army moved west and would hold the line at Athlone. This was a Jacobite stronghold on an important river crossing.

And yes, those are the same Jacobites from Outlander, and also, quite possibly leaves on the Scottish ancestral trees of both Jackie and Scott.

William was spurned at his first attempt to besiege the town, his initial attack quelled by the might of the Jacobite army and the Governor of Athlone, Colonel Richard Grace. Forced to retreat, King William’s forces under the command of Lieutenant-General James Douglas planned a much greater assault on Athlone for the following summer.

And in June 1691, the Great Siege of Athlone took place. 

In 10 days the Williamites fired off 12,000 cannonballs and 600 bombs during the heaviest bombardment in Irish history. The Williamites made a final effort with a well-organized, surprise attack launched across the old ford. The Jacobite defenders, taken unawares, offered only feeble resistance, and were soon overwhelmed.  No Jacobite counterattack was possible. Athlone had fallen. 

Athlone was the scene of a veritable bloodbath as up to 500 Jacobites fell during the final Williamite assault. Over the ten-day bombardment of Athlone and its stronghold, 1,500 men lost their lives in battle. Following the Williamite victory at Athlone, they would go on claim victory in one of the bloodiest battles in Irish history at Aughrim in Co. Galway. Following the Siege of Limerick weeks later, a truce was finally declared and the Treaty of Limerick signed in October 1691 ended the war in Ireland.

Sounds worthy of hoisting a pint for this piece of history, no?

And where better to do that than literally, IRELAND'S OLDEST BAR?!?!

SLAINTE!

Where's that you ask?
Well it's literally right next door to the Athlone Castle, a little pub called Sean's Bar.

This is a statue of Sean.  And yes, he does bear an uncanny resemblance to our fellow E Streeter Sean Kenny.

Coincidence you say?  Not likely.  We've seen our Sean strike the same pose.

Sean’s Bar, with its woodchip-covered floor and walls made of wattle and wicker interwoven with horse hair and clay, has been in business since the Dark Ages. Located near the ruins of the aforementioned 12th-Century Norman Castle, it is the oldest pub in Ireland, a claim officially certified by Guinness World Records 20 years ago.  But many countrymen, including the current owners and a plethora of Athlone regulars and respected Irish historians, also believe it to be the oldest in the world.  Who am I to question that claim?

According to archaeological research conducted and verified by the National Museum of Ireland, Sean’s Bar dates as far back as around 900 AD! This predates the defeat and decline of the Vikings in Ireland, the Anglo-Norman conquest of Ireland and the creation of whiskey and black beer themselves, with which the Emerald Isle’s pubs have become synonymous. Now that's a legacy!

Athlone - absolutely a worthy destination to add to anyone's Ireland itinerary.

Galway, here we come!