[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.
