Attymon sits 8 kilometres south of Athenry on the R348, deep in east Galway farming country. It is small — about 300 people — and it is agricultural. The kind of place where your neighbours are cattle and fields.
What matters here is the railway station. Attymon is on the Dublin–Galway line via Athlone. The trains still stop. The station still works. There is no hotel, no restaurant, no tourist infrastructure. But if you want to understand how rural Ireland is still connected to the rest of Ireland, or if you want to leave your car and take the train, this is where you do it.
Three kilometres west is Monivea, where the ruins of Monivea Castle and the Ffrench family estate sit. The village itself is quiet. There is work to do here, and people do it. Come for the railway, or come because you meant to and got off at the wrong station. Either way, you will find a real place.
The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.
Attymon is 8 km south of Athenry on the R348. From Galway city, take the M6 to Athenry (25 min), then R348 south (15 min). Small village, limited parking.
Limited direct service. Athenry has better connections; then local taxi or walk.
Irish Rail: Dublin to Galway via Athlone stops at Attymon. Check the schedule; not all trains stop here.