| Boyle Abbey is an impressive 12th century Cistercian Monastery; King House in Boyle illustrates 500 years of Irish life through a range of exhibitions; Arigna Mining Experience gives a unique insight into coal mining in the Arigna Valley, from the 1700s until its closure in 1990; St. Georges Church & Heritage Centre; the Attic Memorial and Carrick-on-Shannon Workhouse introductory displays give the background into why workhouses became a feature of 19th century Ireland and a symbol of the Great Famine, the famine graveyard is located on this site.
Great Houses, Parks & Gardens
Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle has forested areas, open parkland and features such as a viewing tower, bog garden and tree-top walk, a children’s Play Kingdom, Boda Borg adventure house; Strokestown House, Gardens & Famine Museum is a restored 18th century mansion with four acres of walled gardens and a famine museum. Lisadell House and gardens.
Activities
Walking – way marked walks e.g. The Arigna Miners Way and Historical Trail, The Leitrim Way.
Angling/Fishing – Boyle River and Lough Key which adjoins Riverhaven Self-catering. Other locations the River Shannon, Drumharlow Lake, Lough Allen, numerous rivers and small lakes.
Golf – Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club which is one of the most scenic golf courses in Ireland. Other courses are located at Rosses Point, Strandhill, Casteldargan, Boyle, Strokestown and Roscommon.
Equestrian – Moorlands Equestrian Centre is located on the shores of lovely Lough Allen. Other riding centres are located in Leitrim and Sligo (30 mins drive). Watersports – the area is very popular with canoeists. Carrick-on-Shannon Rowing Club was established in 1827. The Lough Allen Adventure Centre, which islocated on the shores of Lough Allen, offers a variety of activities including canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing.
Boat Trips – Moon River Pleasure Cruiser, Carrick-on-Shannon caters for groups of up to 110 passengers. Music sessions are provided during selected cruises.
The Lough Key Experience which includes a tree canopy walk and Boda Borg Adventure House
Farmers markets in Boyle each Saturday and in Carrick-on-Shannon on Thursdays are popular as visitor attractions.
Battlebridge Paintball is located within ten minutes drive.
Entertainment/Theatres
- Traditional Irish Music in local pubs three nights weekly.
- The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon is theatre, craft centre and art gallery.
- The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton.
- Roscommon Arts Centre, Roscommon.
Festivals & Events
- Boyle Arts Festival.
- The O’Carolan Summer School, Harp and Traditional Music Festival, Keadue.
- An Tostal, Drumshanbo.
- The Joe Mooney Summer School, Drumshanbo.
- Carrick-on-Shannon Water Music Festival.
- The Rowing Regatta, Carrick-on-Shannon.
- Josie McDermott Memorial Festival, Ballyfarnon.
- Feile Frank McGann is a festival of Irish traditional music, song and dance, Strokestown.
- Dr Douglas Hyde Summer School of Traditional Irish Music, Roscommon.
The Lough Key Experience is an engaging audio trail through 19th Century tunnels, to the top of the Moylurg viewing tower and along the first Tree Canopy Walk in Ireland. Rising nine meters above the woodland floor and meandering through the treetops, giving a fascinating ‘birds-eye’ view of the woodland and panoramic vistas over the ancient, island-studded lake.
The innovative Boda Borg challenge is a unique concept from Sweden, containing challenges, quests and enjoyable tasks but without instructions. Once you enter the two-storey Boda Borg only teamwork, ingenuity, trial and error and skills will allow you to progress from challenge to challenge with the ultimate goal of successful questing.
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