Royal Canal Greenway: a Midlands cycle fit for a royal

The Royal Canal Greenway is an ideal journey into our hidden heartlands, writes Marie Toft

Cycling along the Royal Canal Greenway

A heron swooped out of the rushes nestling the Royal Canal Greenway as we cycled along on a balmy August afternoon and I decided it was official — after years of insisting on family holidays beside the coast, I was falling for the many attractions of Ireland’s lush, peaceful heartlands.

It’s hard to take the Cork out of this woman and in the dark months of coronavirus lockdowns, we truly discovered how fortunate we are to live right beside the Atlantic Ocean.

But in the summer of staycations, we definitely needed a change of scenery so we swapped the sea for the rolling beauty of south Longford, Meath, and Westmeath and took off on a two-day cycling holiday along the Royal Canal Greenway.

After decades of restoration and a cost of €12m, this wonderful walking and cycling amenity launched last March, just as we were all starting to contemplate being able to move beyond our small patch of ground.

At 130km, it’s now Ireland’s longest greenway, stretching alongside the historic 225-year-old Royal Canal. So it’s now possible to boat, paddle, walk, or cycle all the way from Maynooth, Co Kildare, through Meath and Westmeath until you finish at the Shannon in Clondra, Co Longford.

This feat of engineering, which boasts 19 bridges, 33 locks, 17 harbours, and four aqueducts took nearly 30 years to build and was a powerhouse of barges and activity until it was overtaken by the railways and roads and officially closed in 1960.

Now it’s been restored and reimagined as a tranquil holiday destination which you can explore all at once (we weren’t fit enough, I’m afraid!) or choose the shorter designated routes — ranging from 6km to 15km between the 14 connecting access points and towns.

Ballymahon, Co Longford, was the starting point for our trip and after a three-hour drive from Cork, we were glad to stop for lunch at Wilder & Gold cafe. It had been over six years since I had last visited Longford; I discovered a transformed county.

Wilder & Gold owner Marie O’Dowd credits Center Parcs — the high-end holiday village which opened in Longford Forest in 2019 — with this metamorphosis. Originally from Lanesborough, she moved back from Dublin to set up her stylish cafe/shop and ensure the influx of visitors, along with Longford locals, could enjoy excellent coffee, tasty salads, and fabulous carrot cake.

Then it was time to get down to this cycling business so we headed straight to the newly opened Ballymahon Cycles to meet owner John Fitzgerald and his 10-year-old son Tadhg — who encouraged us to try out their ebikes. So after a quick cycle round their shop to get our ebike cycle legs, we decided to go for it. We had a ball — it’s genuinely like someone is at your back giving you a gentle push.

Longford Bridge, in Ballymahon

We swept along the Royal Greenway, spotting so much wildlife alongside gentle horses ambling the banks of the canal. After about 30 minutes, we arrived at the Corlea Trackway visitor centre, to discover an inspiring relic of pre-history. Built in 148BC, this heavy oak road is the largest of its kind to have been uncovered in Europe.

That night we stayed at the remarkable Castlecor House, a Georgian residence stepped in heritage and history. Loretta and Brian Grogan, who live here with their three children, have been lovingly restoring this 41-room mansion for the last 10 years. They only recently threw their doors open to guests and we stayed in gracious, high ceilinged bedrooms which boasted beautiful bed-linen.

It’s regularly said Ireland would be a great country if you could only put a roof on it. The owner of Cooney’s Hotel in Ballymahon, Michael Cooney, has decided to give it a go, if only in his hotel’s courtyard! Seeing the success of outdoor dining, he’s installing a remote-controlled retractable roof for the way we live now. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Cooney’s and couldn’t resist their famous chicken wings and blue cheese dip.

The following morning and Mullingar was our next stop for an extremely healthy brunch at Wholesome Kitchen. This innovative, family-run food company is on a mission to make healthy food delicious and fast. It uses primarily plant-based ingredients and we loved the fresh acai bowls with banana, mixed berries, and granola.

Then it was back on our bikes, which we picked up at Mullingar Bike Hire to enjoy more of the peaceful Royal Greenway. We cycled over 25km and worked up a sufficient appetite to justify a tasty lunch of mussels and duck spring rolls at the four-star Hamlet Court Hotel in neighbouring Meath’s Johnstown Bridge.

We spent our second night at Bloomfield House Hotel in Mullingar — our 13-year-old daughter was thrilled to have a dip in its large pool while we relaxed in their leisure club and spa. Idyllically situated overlooking Lough Ennell and nestled in acres of rich parkland and lofty trees, the service at Bloomfield was excellent and it was fantastic to see the hotel full of families making the most of their summer holidays.

I’m very glad I woke up to the serene and peaceful landscape of our hidden heartlands and, considering how sheltered the Royal Canal Greenway is, it would make a great destination for exhilarating autumn and winter activity holidays, no matter what your fitness level.

• Bloomfield House Hotel, Leisure Club & Spa is currently offering a two-night lakeside escape with full Irish breakfast each morning, chocolates and prosecco, complimentary passes to Belvedere Gardens, lunch on one afternoon, and a €10 spa voucher, priced from €198 for two guests. bloomfieldhousehotel.ie