Old Rail Trail Greenway

Athlone Mullingar

Distance

43.4km

Elevation

120m

Time

Cycling: 2h 54m

Walking: 8h 41m

Difficulty

Leisure

Surface Finish

Asphalt

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Overview

The Old Rail Trail Greenway runs 43km across the midlands, linking the River Shannon in Athlone to the Royal Canal in Mullingar. Built on the trackbed of the former Midland Great Western Railway, it is a traffic-free, fully surfaced route that provides an accessible corridor for walkers, cyclists and families. With its gentle gradients, wide path and numerous access points, the trail is suitable for all levels of fitness and ability. The Greenway traverses a rural landscape of farmland, hedgerows and cut-stone bridges, offering both tranquillity and heritage interest.

Along the way, visitors encounter restored station houses, viaducts and platforms that recall the railway age. Key attractions include the Dún na Sí Amenity and Heritage Park near Moate, which combines playgrounds, trails and cultural exhibits, and connections to local towns for cafés and services. Mullingar at the eastern end offers a link to the Royal Canal Greenway, enabling longer journeys west to Longford or east towards Dublin. Athlone, at the western end, provides access to the Shannon, Athlone Castle and the Luan Gallery. The Old Rail Trail demonstrates how a disused railway can be reimagined into a valuable recreational and tourism asset, connecting people with history, heritage and landscape.

Athlone – Moate

15.5 km

Beginning near Athlone Castle and the River Shannon, the trail leaves the bustle of the town and enters open countryside. Highlights include the Whitegates Bridge and Crosswood Bog, before reaching Moate, where the restored railway station is now a heritage stop. Dún na Sí Park offers a welcome detour for families.

Moate – Castletown Geoghegan

Castletown Geoghegan – Mullingar

Need to Know

There is access to the Royal Canal Greenway at Bellmount and Kilpatrick which link to Abbeyshrule and Ballymahon. There is also access to Maynooth via the Royal Canal Greenway at Mullingar. A bike sharing scheme is available in Athlone and Mullingar (operated by Moby Bikes) that can be used on the Old Rail Trail or the Royal Canal Greenway. More details can be found via the Moby Bike app.

Amenities

picnic-area
Café
Toilets
Restaurant
Parking
Train Station
bike-repair
Food & Drink
bus-stop
Water Fountain
Bike Parking
Playground
EV Charging

Route connects with…

Royal Canal Greenway

Maynooth Longford

Active

Distance: 151.6km

Cycling: 10h 6m

Walking: 30h 19m

The Royal Canal Greenway is Ireland’s longest off-road walking and cycling route, stretching 130km from Maynooth in County Kildare through Enfield and Mullingar to Cloondara in County Longford, where the canal meets the River Shannon. Running along the original towpaths of the late-18th-century Royal Canal, the trail is a living heritage corridor that combines tranquillity...

The Old Rail Trail Greenway passes through a midlands landscape characterised by hedgerows, grasslands and wetlands. Hedgerows dominated by hawthorn, ash and ivy support small mammals such as hedgehog and stoat, as well as nesting birds including blackbird, chaffinch and robin. In summer, the verges bloom with wildflowers like knapweed, clover and cow parsley, attracting bees and butterflies. Amphibians, including the common frog and smooth newt, are found in drains and ditches that parallel the route.

Crosswood Bog near Athlone represents a remnant raised bog habitat, home to sphagnum mosses, dragonflies and wading birds such as curlew and snipe. The Greenway functions as a corridor for bats, particularly common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle, which forage along tree lines and over wetlands at dusk. Birds of prey, including kestrel and buzzard, can often be seen hunting over the open fields. The ecological value of the trail lies in its continuity—hedgerows and grass margins act as wildlife corridors that link fragmented habitats across the agricultural landscape. Biodiversity-sensitive management of verges helps to enhance these features, ensuring the Greenway is both a recreational route and an ecological network. Users are asked to respect wildlife and avoid disturbance of sensitive sites along the corridor.

Code of Conduct

To keep our greenways welcoming and safe for all users—walkers, cyclists, families, and wildlife alike—please review our Code of Conduct before you go.

Read Code of Conduct

Getting There

Whether you’re travelling by train, bus, or car, use these tools  to plan your route.

FAQs

Can I get to the route by rail?

Yes. Both Mullingar and Athlone, the trail’s termination points, are served by Irish Rail services

Can I access the route by bus?

Yes. The towns of Mullingar, Moate, and Athlone are all well served by regular bus services, making it easy to reach the trail by public transport. See more infomation regarding timetable on www.transportforireland.ie

Are there any EV charging points among the routes?

Yes. The Streamstown Trailhead is equipped with an Electric Vehicle Charging Point for use by visitors.

News and Updates

View All

Offaly County Council Opens Ballycommon Trailhead Linking Grand Canal Greenway and Lough Boora

Offaly County Council proudly marked a significant achievement in its sustainable mobility and tourism strategy with the official opening of the new Ballycommon Trailhead as...

Cork County Council Opens Extensions to Clonakilty and Bandon Active Travel Routes

Route Updates

02 Oct 2025

Cork County Council Opens Extensions to Clonakilty and Bandon Active Travel Routes

Cork County Council has officially opened extensions to two segregated pedestrian and cycle routes in West Cork. The ribbons were cut on the walkways in...

Louth County Council Completes Carlingford Lough Greenway Connecting Newry and Carlingford

Louth County Council, in partnership with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and East Border Region, is proud to announce the completion of the Carlingford...