Things to Do Near Belvedere House

Half-Day Options

Lough Ennell Lakeshore Walks

The Belvedere estate sits on Lough Ennell. Beyond the paid estate paths, the Lilliput lakeshore and amenity area offers public lakeshore walks, boat hire, and simple picnic spots. Free to visit, about 15 minutes from Belvedere. The lake is a destination in its own right for walkers, anglers and birdwatchers — see our full Lough Ennell guide.

Mullingar Town

Mullingar is a proper market town with a cathedral (St. Paul's), the Mullingar Greenway cycling route, decent restaurants and pubs. Good for a lunch stop after Belvedere. The Mullingar Greenway connects to the national Royal Canal Greenway — rent bikes in town for a level, traffic-free cycle.

Full-Day Pairings

Kilbeggan Distillery

The most natural pairing with Belvedere — Kilbeggan Distillery, Ireland's oldest licensed whiskey distillery (licence dating to 1757), is just 20 minutes south on the R392. A morning at Belvedere and an afternoon distillery tour make a complete day with almost no backtracking. We've mapped it out hour by hour in our Belvedere & Kilbeggan day trip itinerary.

Tullynally Castle & Gardens

About 40 minutes north of Belvedere near Castlepollard. Romantic-revival castle, still in the Pakenham family, with 12 acres of walled gardens and ornamental woodlands. The castle is open only for guided tours on selected days; the gardens are open more regularly. Pairs well with Belvedere for a "two historic houses in one day" itinerary.

Fore Abbey & the Seven Wonders

A ruined Benedictine monastery near Castlepollard dating to the 7th century. Famous for the "Seven Wonders of Fore" — a set of local legends tied to specific physical features (the mill without a race, the water that flows uphill, etc.). Free to visit, short walks, excellent photography. 45 minutes from Belvedere.

Athlone & Clonmacnoise

Athlone is 40 minutes west of Mullingar — historic town on the Shannon with a Norman castle, good restaurants, and Sean's Bar (certified by Guinness World Records as the oldest pub in Ireland, c. 900 AD). Pair Athlone with Clonmacnoise, the 6th-century monastic site on the Shannon — probably Ireland's most evocative early Christian ruin.

Weekend Itinerary (2 days)

When	What
Day 1, morning	Arrive Mullingar, check in, lunch in town
Day 1, afternoon	Belvedere House, Gardens & Park — 3–4 hours
Day 1, evening	Dinner in Mullingar, overnight
Day 2, morning	Tullynally Castle Gardens OR Fore Abbey
Day 2, afternoon	Athlone (castle + Sean's Bar) OR Clonmacnoise, then home

3-Day Hidden Heartlands Itinerary

For a longer break, use Mullingar as base on nights 1 and 2, and move to Athlone or Longford on night 3:

• Day 1: Belvedere House + Lough Ennell walk + Mullingar town
• Day 2: Fore Abbey + Tullynally Castle + Lough Derravaragh
• Day 3: Clonmacnoise + Athlone (castle, Sean's Bar, Shannon boat trip if seasonal)

Day Trip from Dublin

Belvedere House is 1 hour 15 minutes from Dublin by car via the M4. You can do it as a day trip — leave Dublin 9am, arrive Belvedere 10:30am, spend 3 hours on the estate, lunch in Mullingar, home by 5pm. Tight but doable. If you have kids, pad by 90 minutes.

Seasonal Events

Belvedere runs seasonal events — plant fairs, summer concerts, Christmas experiences, wedding showcases — which pair nicely with a stay. The estate is also available for exclusive private hire; see our Belvedere wedding venue guide. Check the official belvedere-house.ie events calendar.