Luan Gallery

This was built for England's King John in 1210, replacing a wooden fort, and extended circa 1276. It was probably built with a moat. Its heaviest engagements were the two 17th-century sieges of Athlone. In 1690 Athlone city and castle were held by the Jacobites, who destroyed the Shannon bridge to thwart the advance of the Williamites. Fresh from victory at the Battle of the Boyne, the Williamites bombarded the city for a week but retreated when Jacobite reinforcements approached. They attacked again in 1691, attempting to storm the river crossing, and bombarding the Jacobites on the west bank for ten days. Then, with the river running unusually low, the Williamites found another fording point downstream, got across and captured the castle. Two weeks later, advancing west, they met the main Jacobite army at Aughrim, crushed them, and thereby annihilated Jacobite resistance in Ireland. The smashed-up castle was rebuilt during the Napoleonic wars but never put to the test, so much of what you see now is from the early 19th century. The tourist information centre is also here.

This twin towered Roman Catholic church was built in the 1930s to replace an older, smaller church on the site. It has impressive stained glass windows by the Harry Clarke workshop. It's simply the parish church but is emblematic of the city of Athlone.