Luxury self-catering accommodation in County Westmeath

This landlocked county right in the centre of the Republic of Ireland is halfway between Galway and Dublin. Stopping in Westmeath at a self-catering cottage is a great way of breaking the journey while taking in some of the stunning inland scenery. Legends abound in these parts; this is where the fabled Children of Lir were turned into swans, before being condemned to 900 years of lonely wandering. Walkers now hike the pretty Lake at Derravaragh, where looped trails give up bird sightings to spotters with sharp eyes. 

Athlone, the largest county town, is a vital crossing point of the Shannon and home to Seán's Bar, Ireland's oldest pub. Ballymore was on the busy trade route between Athlone and other big towns; no wonder a fort once stood by the lake here. The romantically named Horseleap holds the story of a Norman baron who jumped the castle drawbridge on horseback. It's said that hoof imprints are still visible on the stone, and modern artistic stone samples can now be picked up in the well-stocked garden centre.