Tourist bus connects Mullingar town with key heritage sites

For the month of August, visitors and locals alike have the opportunity to explore Belvedere House, Gardens and Park, Tullynally Castle and Gardens and Fore Abbey by bus from Mullingar.

Fáilte Ireland and Westmeath County Council, in collaboration with TFI Local Link Longford Westmeath Roscommon (LWR) are providing the bus link, which commenced during the week of the Fleadh Cheoil.

The service will be in place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday throughout August, including Heritage Week.

The bus departs from Mullingar Train Station, adjacent to the Royal Canal Greenway and stops in the town centre, close to hotels, shops, and restaurants, along with the Park and Bloomfield Hotels before reaching Belvedere.

From there, the route continues to scenic North Westmeath, to Tullynally Castle with its beautifully restored gardens, to Castlepollard and on to the historic Fore Abbey.

‘’Fáilte Ireland is delighted to support the new TFI Local Link initiative in collaboration with Westmeath County Council,’’ said Fiona Dunne of Fáilte Ireland.

Westmeath has a wealth of historic stories and natural beauty.

The local link service helps broaden access to Westmeath’s tourism offering for visitors to the region and raises the profile of our tourism product.

TFI Local Link designed the route and timetable for the Mullingar Tour Bus following on from the pilot service developed last Halloween linking the town and Belvedere.

Damien O’Neill, manager of TFI Local Link LWR said: “Two services will leave the town, the first at 9am and again at 11:10am and there are two services returning from North Westmeath at 2pm and just after 4pm.

“With a bit of planning a visitor could visit all three locations using the bus.

“TFI Local Link LWR are delighted to work with Fáilte Ireland and Westmeath County Council to connect these wonderful locations by bus.

“The timetable throughout August can be found on our website. Fares start at €2 for an adult single ticket to Belvedere and €7 to North Westmeath.

“Free travel passes are accepted and under 5s travel for free. There is also a family rate of €20 return.”

Tourism Officer Úna Doris said: “This is a great opportunity for us to work together to improve visitor access to some of our most valued heritage sites.

“By providing this crucial bus link we aim to support the growth of a more sustainable form of tourism and increase visitor dwell time in our County without an over-reliance on car transport.”

This project is a pilot scheme aimed at potentially securing a more permanent bus link between Mullingar and rural tourist sites in the longer term if the need is identified and funding can be secured.

Further information on the bus service can be found on https: //locallinklwr.ie/