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Sean's Bar & Athlone Private Transfer-Tour en route to Galway
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From €790 per person
Most people do the Dublin to Galway run as a straight drive and miss everything in between. This transfer turns that two-hour motorway journey into something worth doing, with a proper stop in Athlone: Sean’s Bar, officially recognised as Ireland’s oldest pub, and Athlone Castle, a striking riverside fortress on the Shannon with interactive exhibitions and views across the water.
Your professional chauffeur picks you up at your hotel reception and handles everything door to door. The vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz, the drivers are certified, and the price is fixed with no hidden costs. Airport transfers include 60 minutes of complimentary waiting time.
This is a private tour.
Sean’s Bar has been trading on the west bank of the Shannon since at least 900 AD. The Guinness Book of Records has confirmed it as the world’s oldest pub, and there’s archaeological evidence of its age in the walls. The current building incorporates parts of the original wattle and wicker structure. Have a pint; you’ve earned it just by getting there.
Athlone Castle entrance is not included in the transfer price, so budget a few euro for it separately. That said, it’s genuinely worth going in: the exhibitions inside cover the castle’s history from the Norman period through the Siege of Athlone in 1691, and the views from the top of the towers across the Shannon are good.
The town of Athlone has a nice energy to it. The streets around Sean’s Bar on the west bank are full of independent cafes and small restaurants. If you want lunch before or after the castle, the area around Church Street and the left bank is a better bet than the main shopping streets.
The drive west to Galway after Athlone is scenic. Once you’re past the town, the landscape opens up into the bog and grassland of the midlands before the Connemara hills start appearing in the distance. You won’t need to do anything except look out the window.
Confirm your pick-up time with the chauffeur company the day before. It’s standard practice for private transfers, and it means everyone’s on the same page about timing if you’ve adjusted your plans. The fixed price covers the full journey including the Athlone stop, with no surprises at the end.