[Read previous blog on O’Brien Express Day 1: ]
Two plus hours later, we headed to Atteagh Mills, where my dad was born, near Kiltoom, which is near Athlone – … you know how that works …
Atteagh Mills is mainly a dairy farm, but some other efforts, including a mushroom farm, some sheep along the Shannonside. The Shannon is the mighty river that so many great Irish ballads reference.
Philip O’Brien is the 11th generation of O’Brien’s to run Atteagh Mills. He is the son of the oldest son, Hubert O’Brien, and has a wealth of information on our family history, Irish history, farming in Ireland today and … why the O’Brien’s moved there 200+ years ago.
After a his very memorable and insightful tour, he treated us to a few refreshments and we got to spend a little bit of time with his kids, my 2nd cousins. We were all so blessed.
Derryglad Folk and Heritage Museum
Next was Derryglad Folk & Heritage Museum in Curraghboy, near Athlone. It was a Sunday, but owner Charlie Finneran opened for us at Philip’s call. A great treasure trove of machinery, tools, and everyday life objects from the kitchen to the farm to the sports fields, lovingly researched and restored by Charlie himself.
For the first two nights, we stayed at the beautiful Athlone Springs Hotel, which had live music every night and a large breakfast buffet of all that you could desire in a breakfast.
TIP: In my tours, I strive to book wonderful down-to-earth hotels, for at least two nights each, that include breakfast. I have learned that starts you out right, at a nice pace, instead of rushing to pack, haul your bag(s) down, get on the bus by departure time each day, etc. I cannot emphasize enough – keeping to the departure time is vital to a great tour for your group. I will share more tips as we go along, recapping the OB Express Tour 25.
The Tour of John O’Brien cousin Phillip’s Dairy Farm was for me one of the highlights of the tour. It was special to interact with a local dairy farmer. Phillip was a wealth of history knowledge and very kind with his time and generosity. Thank you John for welcoming us into your family and Irish ancestry. Highly recommend John O’Brien small and personal tour where you get this kind of personal tour
Thanks very much Brian. You were a blast to tour with and I am so happy you had a great time. Slainté
Congratulations John on a uniquely curated ‘roll through Ireland’. Rolling through local and national areas of great interest and outstanding beauty, with nuggets of insight into Ireland’s; history, culture, and folklore, creates an unforgettable and unmissable blog. Thorougly enjoyable. I hope it is the first of many excursions you lead from Cleveland to Ireland. Wishing you every success, now and in the future.
Go n-éirí leat.
Thanks very much Siobhan. We had such a great time – so looking forward to Juneish 2026 for the next one.