WestmeathNear the station
Town centre and the Left Bank
Apartments and older terraced houses close to the river, the castle, the shops and the train station. Good if you want to walk everywhere.
Area guide · Athlone
Living in Athlone
Athlone, Monksland and the villages around it. Commuting, schools, what’s being built, and what houses cost.
22,869People in Athlone (Census 2022)
~HourlyTrains to Dublin, about 1h20–1h35
1,300+People employed by Ericsson in Athlone
€285kMedian asking price, Co. Westmeath
01Overview
The biggest town in the Midlands, right on the Shannon
Athlone sits on the M6, halfway between Dublin and Galway, with a train to Heuston roughly every hour. Add TUS and employers like Ericsson and Novo Nordisk, and you can see why demand here stays strong.
The town spans two counties. The east side (Coosan, Cornamaddy, Garrycastle) is in Westmeath. Monksland and Bealnamulla, on the west side, are in Roscommon, but they count as Athlone in the Census.
A lot of money is going into the town right now: €7.5m for the riverside, a €750m long-term plan for TUS, a new research building for Ericsson and a €432m expansion at Novo Nordisk.
02In pictures
Athlone in pictures
The river, the castle, TUS and the places nearby. Swipe or use the arrows.
03Areas
Where to look
Athlone itself and the areas around it that buyers ask us about most.
WestmeathEast side
Coosan, Cornamaddy and Garrycastle
Established estates on the east and north-east of town, close to Coosan NS and Cornamaddy Community National School, with Lough Ree a short drive away.
Co. RoscommonTown buses A1/A2
Monksland and Bealnamulla
The west side of Athlone, in Co. Roscommon. Newer estates, a retail and business park, and Cloonakilla and Summerhill schools nearby. Buses run into town every 15 minutes.
About 3,000 peopleOld Rail Trail
Moate
About 15 minutes east, with Moate Community School, Dún na Sí Heritage Park and the greenway to Athlone.
Lough ReeN55
Glasson
A small village about ten minutes north on the N55, close to the lake.
Co. RoscommonLough Ree
Kiltoom and the Roscommon side
Rural and lakeside homes north-west of town towards Roscommon, with Ballybay Central NS and St Brigid’s GAA club.
04Getting around
How long it actually takes
Typical times from Athlone. Allow longer at rush hour.
| To | By car | By train |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin city | About 1 hr 20 (M6/M4) | About 1h20–1h35 to Heuston, roughly hourly |
| Dublin Airport | About 1 hr 20–1 hr 30 | – |
| Galway | About 1 hr (M6) | About 1 hr |
| Roscommon | About 30 min (N61) | About 27 min |
| Mullingar | About 40 min | – |
| Shannon Airport | About 2 hrs | – |
Athlone station has a 96-space paid car park with EV chargers. Town buses A1 and A2 link Monksland and Creggan every 15 minutes, Monday to Saturday. Citylink and Aircoach run to Dublin and Galway.
05Schools
Schools in and around Athlone
Primary schools on both sides of the river, plus the secondary schools and TUS.
Primary, east side (Westmeath)
- Dean Kelly Memorial NS
- Scoil Naomh Peadar
- St Paul’s
- Athlone NS
- Coosan NS
- Cornamaddy Community National School
- Scoil na gCeithre MáistríGaelscoil
Primary, west side and Kiltoom
- St Joseph’s PS, Summerhill
- Cloonakilla NS, Bealnamulla
- Scoil Mgr McCarthy, Cornafulla
- Scoil Árd Chianáin, Drum
- Scoil Bhríde, Clonown
- Ballybay Central NS, Kiltoom
Secondary and third level
- Athlone Community College
- Our Lady’s Bower
- Marist College
- Coláiste Chiaráin, Summerhill
- Moate Community School
- TUS AthloneTechnological University of the Shannon
06Infrastructure
What’s been built, and what’s coming
The projects that matter most if you live here, or are thinking of moving.
Done
Greenway bridge over the Shannon
The Mary O’Rourke Bridge opened in 2023 and carries the Dublin–Galway Greenway across the river.
Done
Athlone Main Drainage
A €114m Uisce Éireann scheme, including a tunnel under the Shannon and new pumping stations at Golden Island and Coosan.
Under way
Riverside regeneration
€7.5m awarded in September 2026 for a Shannon boardwalk, an outdoor river swimming pool and a new exhibition at Athlone Castle.
Under way
Athlone Castle
A €3.2m redevelopment of the castle visitor centre, due to reopen in late 2026.
Under way
Novo Nordisk
A €432m expansion at the former Alkermes plant to make tablet medicines, finishing in phases from late 2027.
Under way
New homes
Plovers Wood (576 homes, Alanna Homes with Westmeath County Council) is under construction, and 75 homes off Lissywollen Avenue were approved in August 2026.
Planned
TUS campus plan
A €750m plan to 2040: nursing and health facilities, an extension to the International Arena, a Midlands Technology Centre and a digital hub on the old RTC site on Northgate Street.
Planned
Ericsson’s new R&D building
Announced in October 2026: a purpose-built headquarters on the IDA campus for its 1,300-plus Athlone staff.
Planned
Athlone–Shannonbridge greenway
About €10m approved in principle for a 27 km route south along the Shannon. It still needs planning permission.
07Everyday life
What’s on your doorstep
Shopping
Athlone Town Centre, Golden Island and Arcadia Retail Park on the east side, plus the retail park in Monksland on the west.
Healthcare
Portiuncula University Hospital in Ballinasloe and the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar are both within easy reach, and the Injury Unit at Roscommon University Hospital is about 30 minutes away.
Sport
Athlone Regional Sports Centre (25 m pool, gym, all-weather pitch), Garrycastle and Athlone GAA, Buccaneers RFC and Athlone Town FC.
On the water
Boat cruises leave from the castle March to October, Hodson Bay is about ten minutes away and Lough Ree is on the doorstep.
Going out
Sean’s Bar, the Luan Gallery and the 460-seat Dean Crowe Theatre, home of the All-Ireland Drama Festival every May.
Walking and cycling
The Old Rail Trail to Mullingar and the Dublin–Galway Greenway across the Shannon, both flat and traffic-free.
08House prices
What houses cost
Each source measures something different, so here are three of them.
€285,000Median asking price, Co. WestmeathMyHome.ie, Q2 2026
€342,000Average price, Co. WestmeathDaft.ie, Q1 2026, up 16.6%
+8.8%House price growth in the MidlandsCSO, year to August 2026
Monksland and Bealnamulla come under Co. Roscommon figures, where prices are lower on average. Within Athlone, location makes a big difference: a house near the station or TUS is a different market to one out the country.
For a proper figure on your own home, book a free valuation with our Athlone office.
09FAQ
Questions we get asked
About 1 hour 20 minutes by car on the M6 and M4. By train it’s 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 35 to Heuston, with trains roughly every hour.
Both, in a way. Monksland and Bealnamulla are in Co. Roscommon, but they form the western side of Athlone and are counted in Athlone’s Census population.
Ericsson (over 1,300 people), Novo Nordisk, Thermo Fisher, TUS, Custume Barracks and several government offices.
Yes. Plovers Wood, a 576-home development by Alanna Homes with Westmeath County Council, is under construction, and 75 homes off Lissywollen Avenue were approved in August 2026.
Sean’s Bar, the Luan Gallery, the Dean Crowe Theatre, boat cruises on Lough Ree, Hodson Bay, the Old Rail Trail greenway and Clonmacnoise just down the road.
Sources: CSO Census 2022 and Residential Property Price Index (August 2026); MyHome.ie via Westmeath Examiner (July 2026); Daft.ie via Midlands 103 (March 2026); Westmeath Independent and Westmeath Examiner (2026); Uisce Éireann; Irish Rail; Heritage Ireland; TUS; Discover Ireland. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each image. Checked October 2026.
Buying or selling in Athlone?
Call into our office on Northgate Street, ring us, or book a free valuation online.
The Manse, Northgate Street, Athlone · 090 647 7500