Over the past few years, I've had reason to spend a few nights/weekends in Athlone. And during that time I've visited a fair few of its pubs.
But nowhere near "every" and not even the "most of" I've done in another part (Tullamore) of the tripartite Midlands Gateway 'city' that we were promised in the 2000s
Athlone is bigger than Tullamore, and has a university campus, an army barracks, plus more and bigger hotels; so an increase in total licences would be expected. On top of that, Athlone effectively has "suburbs" of its own, which have their own pubs, all within the built up area of the town.
As far as I can tell, there are five hotels, a theatre, a bowling alley with a pub licence, and *THIRTY FIVE* pubs licenced in the Westmeath side of Athlone. Some of these are not trading, and may not have for a very long time (one is an empty shell of walls, but still licenced); but most are open.
There is also the Roscommon "suburbs" of Athlone, contiguous to the town but over the county line. I've visited none of these, but this adds, thankfully, only one pub (The Mill) and one hotel (Athlone Springs) to the number.
If you add in non contiguous but close villages, the total starts to clatter towards 50, so we shall not be doing that.
So, here's where I've been, sorted by licence number, as doing this chronologically would be complicated:
ATP011 Mary Mc's
I visited this when it was the Brazen Monkey, which was fine, and notably very cheap. I haven't been back since it's very quick rebrand in Summer 2026.
ATP012 Gertie Browns
A rambling pub (go on a quest to find the hidden smoking area, or even the gents for that matter) of many rooms and even two shopfronts - the Cellar Bistro around the corner being the same premises.
Claims to be a thousand years old, but like the more well known ancient pub claim (see below), this is of exceptionally questionable veracity.
ATP021 O'Briens
Small and eccentrically decorated, with charity shop records on the walls; andsawdust on the floor of the "country parlour" style rear bar (a range, loose tables and rustic greebling, other than the wall mounted motorbike).
Said motorbike has a sign with something along the lines of "O'Briens Bar 1968", which I believe is more likely to be the age of the owner than the age of the pub; as this is only open a few months as O'Briens.
Rental ads from early 2026 showing as the Mardyke Bar (with more mainstream decor), and prior to that it was Cartys.
ATP022 Careys
Small-ish bar, but with a suntrap outdoor area on the street. Also has a snug, not something you see that often outside Dublin these days
ATP026 Peddlar Macs
A large pub with lots of areas, which I initially felt was faux-old in design. However, an early licence number means it may not be quite so fake - but this is a fairly recent name, and the premises was previously marketed as a nightclub - so I'm probably on track with thinking its pastiche. Or the interior was once in another premises!
Showing GAA club football on the TVs when I went in, which is something I have very rarely seen before.
ATP041 Connaught Lounge
The absolute gem of the lot here, this pub has been run by Willie McGrath since 1971; and has not particularly changed since then. Opens late in the evening (8/8:30), is cash only and has a limited range of drinks.
ATP045 Walsh's
The rare in big towns thing of a bar-and-shop - there's only two in County Dublin - pops up here. What we get here is a modern Centra, and a rambling bar and lounge with a snug and piano.
Sensible rules in Walshs in Athlone
— Cian Duffy (@everypubindublin.ie) October 18, 2026 at 12:00 AM
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ATP047 McNeills
Large but fundamentally single room pub, a common format in the town. Oddly laid out, with a pool table inside the front door and the bar to the back. Still displaying 125th birthday signage from May this year, this is a pub that could/should have appeared on the VFI 100-year-in-the-family pubs list from 2002 that I recently wrote about, being 101 years in the family at that time.
Like their neighbour across the road having a "country pub" thing of a pub and shop; McNeills have a pub and funeral directors. We are very much in the built up area of the town here, but have two of the most common rural pub combos.
ATP055 Castle Inn
A large but traditional pub, a good escape from the tourists that may be mobbing its nearest neighbour.
ATP056 Seans Bar
Don't bother, unless it's quiet. It isn't worth being around that number of tourists being confused about how old stuff is.
Is it old? Yes, even by Irish standards. Is it the oldest pub in Ireland / the world as is claimed? Probably not. Is it as old as it claims? Probably not.
ATP064 Biddy O'Dowds
Another big-yet-one-room pub, which somehow reminds me of pubs in Donegal a lot. Decent enough.
ATP065 Nuts Corner
The name here is a little apt, but this was fairly fun when I dropped in for a pint.
ATP252 Val Beaumonts
As close in style as it is physically to the Connaught Lounge - they are a few doors apart - this is another gem of a traditional pub, but a bit more modern. There's a jukebox, a card machine, and the toilets are more 1970s Spanish hotel than 1940s primary school.
And there's a cat.
Still Athlone. Next pub has a seat blocker.
— Cian Duffy (@everypubindublin.ie) October 17, 2026 at 10:47 PM
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ATP304 Dead Centre Brewing
Every visit has also involved going here, Athlone's own brewpub. There's a core range of their own beers here, supplemented by a few guest draught and a lot of bottle/can beers; and decent food. The outdoor area is a deck overhanging the Shannon, and is a glorious place to be in good weather, which I've had on every visit somehow, even in October!
ATP305 The Dark Horse
Modern - well, 2000s - style bar. Advertises craft beer, sells two. Still, a comfortable enough modern bar with food and pool tables which seems to be popular with families and younger (20s) drinkers.
ATP310 Shamrock Lodge Hotel
Older hotel - a 1950s build on to an 1814 country house - but extended repeatedy with fairly modern rooms, and known for it's carvery. A lot of family events have been held here over the years, and I've stayed here at times.
ATP313 Sheraton Hotel
This is my regular place to stay, as it's central, and has free underground parking. The bar is... fine for a hotel bar. There's not really much reason to use the bar here when you have all the other pubs to chose from, such as Careys practically next door.
Sort-of analysis
Licence number nerds may notice gaps in the lower numbers here, which suggests that there may previously have been a lot more than the ~35 pubs that are currently licenced. Licences were numbered by area, when numbering was introduced; and while ATP001 and some other very low numbers are in Abbeyshrule; Athlone itself seems to have started at ATP008 and runs to ATP073; but may have had a few more on each end depending on whether they vanished before my archive (16 years currently).
This would suggest that the town probably had 65+ licenced premises in the not too distant past; more than half of which are gone due to how many of the remaining licences are new builds.
Also, oddly, not a single premises I visited has a post-2008 series licence number, but this is just because I didn't get everywhere - some exist.
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