Ireland's Ancient East
Come to Ireland’s Ancient East, and you’ll find 5000 years of history, in lush green landscapes, with stories told by the best storytellers in the world. Mullingar is the perfect base from which to explore this unique heritage…north, south, east & west of this very special corner of the world.
Located just to the west of Mullingar is the Hill of Uisneach, which is the centre of Ireland – not just geographically, but also effectively with the highways of early Ireland converging near its centre. Mullingar truly is in the heart & soul of Ireland’s Ancient East.
It was also the ancient seat of the Kings of the Kingdom of Meath. Its importance as a crossroads of ancient highways meant that it became a meeting place where important rituals and assemblies were celebrated, and in later times its importance was cemented in the minds of the Celts with its associations with St. Patrick and St. Brigid.
The surrounding areas of Mullingar display some incredible built heritage, and the area owes a great deal to the Georgians and their Golden Age of engineering. The gloom of the medieval grey stone was swept aside to make room for an architectural age of elegance where neo-classical grand houses looked out into the well-groomed sweeping landscapes.
Belvedere House, Gardens and Park just outside Mullingar provides visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the experience of ‘The Big House’ as well as the beauty created by visionary garden designers, both when they mimic nature with sweeping meadows and woodlands and when they control it with formal walled gardens.
For more information on Mullingar and Ireland’s Ancient East, visit the Discover Ireland Centre with tourism information and a gallery located in the Market House in the very centre of Mullingar. Information leaflets on Mullingar Short Walks around the town and along the Royal Canal are available there.
