Moate – Norman motte on the Galway Greenway

Overview

The mound that gives Moate its name – An Móta, from the Norman motte-and-bailey earthwork – still rises behind the shops on the main street. That’s the town in miniature: a quiet Westmeath market town, population just over 3,000, that works better as a stop than a destination. If you have an afternoon here, it’s the Dublin–Galway Greenway and the Dún na Sí park on the edge of town that earn it, not the main street itself. Handy, too, as a break between Dublin and Galway on the M6.

History & heritage

The motte was thrown up in the 12th century and the grassy mound behind the main street is what’s left of it. By the 17th century Moate had grown into a busy market town and a Quaker settlement, and several plain, well-proportioned Quaker houses still stand along the street, a nod to the group’s austere style. The town’s population has grown quickly of late, near enough doubling from about 1,520 in 2002 to just over 3,000 in 2022.

Its trading past is caught in “The Bargain,” a bronze near the town centre showing two figures shaking on a deal – Moate was once one of Ireland’s largest cattle-fair towns. The market cross and old stone walls are the other quiet reminders of centuries of livestock trading.

Dún na Sí Amenity & Heritage Park

Just outside the town centre, the 27-acre Dún na Sí park is the main draw for families and walkers, mixing leisure space with local history along paved and natural trails.

The park is built around a reconstructed ring fort, a traditional thatched farmhouse and nature trails dotted with folklore exhibits. Other features:

• Heritage Trail & Scéal Exhibition – A self-guided loop past a vintage museum and the Comhaltas Teach Ceoil, home to the Scéal exhibition on local history and music.
• Sensory Garden & Playground – Tactile planting beds and play equipment for younger visitors.
• Pet Farm & Turlough – A small livestock area beside a seasonal turlough, a lake that fills in the wet months and dries out in summer, shifting the habitat for wading birds and amphibians.
• Genealogy Centre – A research space for Westmeath family roots, with parish records and census data.

Entry to the park is free and it’s open daily, dawn to dusk. Note the car park charges €2, though – it’s the park itself that’s free, not the parking. The Bastion Kitchen café runs seasonally, doing coffee, sandwiches and cakes over the lawns. Full details on the Dún na Sí Amenity & Heritage Park page.

Cycling the Dublin–Galway Greenway

Moate sits directly on the 43-km Dublin–Galway Greenway, the Old Rail Trail, which follows a closed railway line and is fully traffic-free. The Mullingar-to-Garrycastle section through Moate was opened in October 2015 by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, here in the town.

From Moate you can head east toward Mullingar or west toward Athlone, crossing restored stone arches and passing bogland and woodland. The path links the town centre, the Dún na Sí park and the golf club. Bring a bike or hire one locally; the surface is compacted gravel and tarmac, fine for hybrids and mountain bikes. It’s open year-round, though winter mornings run damp and misty.

Museums & arts

Worth a look if you plan ahead: the Moate Museum, in the old courthouse and gaol, holds over a thousand artefacts, from Stone Age finds to 20th-century farm equipment, with a recreated farm kitchen, a blacksmith’s forge and an archive of local photographs. It opens by appointment only, so book ahead through the historical society.

For live performances, the Tuar Ard Arts Centre runs a rotating calendar of theatre, traditional music and workshops. The 173-seat auditorium and adjoining gallery open for events, with a café serving light meals. Check the centre’s website for what’s on.

There’s a bit of screen history here, too: Moate’s railway station stood in as a location for the 1979 film The First Great Train Robbery, with Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland.

Practical information

Getting there

Moate is on the R446 between Kinnegad and Athlone, with the M6 motorway bypassing the town – roughly 80 km from Dublin and 90 km from Galway. Bus Éireann and Irish Citylink services on the Dublin–Galway corridor stop in the town, so you can reach it without a car.

Parking

There’s free parking in the town centre. The Dún na Sí car park charges €2 per vehicle; spaces there and in town fill quickly on summer weekends and event days, so aim to arrive before midday.

Opening hours & admission

Food & accommodation

The Grand Hotel Moate has en-suite rooms with breakfast and a restaurant doing traditional and modern Irish dishes. For something quicker, the Bastion Kitchen in the park and the Par 3 at the golf club do coffee and light meals. Town-centre cafés and the hotel have free Wi-Fi.

Nearby attractions

Moate’s central spot makes it a useful staging post for wider Westmeath:

• Belvedere House – A Georgian estate with formal gardens, a folly and the Jealous Wall, roughly 15 minutes south.
• Hill of Uisneach – The mythic centre of Ireland, with panoramic views and ancient monuments, about 20 minutes west.
• Athlone – Historic castle, riverside promenade and a good dining scene, about 15 km north.

Arrive before midday to get a space in the Dún na Sí car park (the €2 machine takes coins and card), and give the heritage trail time – the park’s layout rewards a slow loop rather than a quick lap.