Boyle Arts Festival Accommodation

Doonshore House runs from the main Boyle/Ballyfarnon road to the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe, Lough Key.

Boyle, (population approx 2,000), 3km from Doonshore House, is strategically located at the foot of the Curlieu Mountains, on the main Dublin/Sligo N4 route. The town's many historical buildings and archaeological sites are of national importance.
Nearby are the scenic lakes Lough Key, Lough Arrow and Lough Gara, which attract fishermen from all over Europe, making the region one of the most popular angling destinations in the country. The natural beauty of the countryside, the many facilities in the area and the friendliness of the people contribute to making Boyle a highly desirable place in which to live and work.

MUSIC AND CULTURE

Boyle has always maintained a tradition for music. Performers in many different styles live within the region, and perform in town venues throughout the year. The town has its own colourful and dedicated junior Marching Band.

Boyle Arts Festival is a prestigious and internationally recognised event incorporating display and performance of the very best national and international music and art.

Boyle Musical Society and Senior Drama Groups delight with performances every year.

Boyle Arts Festival is held every year during the week leading into the August Bank Holiday Weekend. Boyle Arts Festival is highly regarded for its group exhibition of contemporary Irish art, which every year features up to 50 of Ireland's leading artists and sculptors. The festival features a programme of classical music with concerts by both young and established soloists, ensembles and choirs. The festival also includes additional art exhibitions, jazz, traditional and world music, drama, literature, storytelling and singers nights, comedy, workshops and children's programmes.

SPORT

Sporting interests are well catered for. In Boyle you may follow your interests and partake in Gaelic and Soccer football clubs, Golf, Tennis, Badminton, Squash, Fishing, Cycling, and Junior Athletics, Walking etc.

Angling is a very popular activity locally, and also provides an opportunity to relax and enjoy the scenery of the area. The rivers, lakes and streams carry an abundance of coarse fish including pike, rudd, roach, bream and eel.

Lough Key Boat Tours, based at Rockingham Harbour, Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle. Enjoy the beauty, tranquility and history of beautiful Lough Key during this one hour cruise aboard the Trinity 50 seater luxury tour Boat. Commentary includes information on the legend of Una Bhan and the colourful legacy of Trinity, Church and Castle Islands. Lough Key Boat Tours also hire rowing boats and engine boats for fishing or pleasure plus special guided tours on a 10-seater Glastron Power Boat.

Boyle Golf Club
A nine-hole course situated quarter of a mile from Boyle. Full licensed bar, food and club facilities. Open competitions each Friday evenings during the summer.

Boyle Curlew Walkers
The club is a very active one, and there are organised walks every second Sunday, usually around the Roscommon / Sligo / Leitrim area.

VISITOR ATTRACTIONS

Doonshore House is an ideal base from which to tour the region and explore the many attraction to be explored and enjoyed in the surrounding area.

Boyle Abbey: Still regarded as the finest of the Cistercian churches to survive in Ireland with the majesty of the south arcade unparalleled elsewhere in the country. The Cistercian Abbey was founded in 1161 by Maurice O'Duffy, it is the sister house to the first Cistercian monastery in Mellifont.

Clonalis House, Castlerea, is the ancestral home of the O'Conors of Connaught, descendants of last High King of Ireland and traditional Kings of Connaught. Built in 1878, Clonalis House contains a priceless collection of archival material relating to the O'Conor family. The Coronation Stone and the 18th Century Harp of Turlough O'Carolan, last of the Gaelic bards are also to be seen.

Cruachan Ai Cruachan Aí Visitor Centre, in the village of Tulsk, close to Cruachan, one of the most important and best preserved Celtic Royal Sites in Europe. An amazing array of archaeological remains are located within a four mile radius of the centre, dating from the Stone Age to the historic period, and these are interpreted in our bright, modern exhibition rooms.

Elphin Windmill: Built in the early 1700's to grind oats and wheat into meal, for the local population, the mill worked for approximately one hundred years and was then abandoned. Wind permitting, regular demonstrations are given. Features are the thatched revolving roof and sails that are turned into the wind using cartwheels on a circular track and is now the only working windmill in the West.

Hell's Kitchen Museum & Bar: This museum is a treasure-trove for enthusiasts and anyone interested in by-gone days. On display is the largest private collection in the country; bells, lamps, shunting poles, signal equipment, staffs, station boards, etc. We also have a T.V monitor for viewing archival material. Once you have visited the museum a visit to the bar is a must!

Dr. Douglas Hyde Interpretative Centre: Dr. Douglas Hyde held office as the first President of Ireland for seven years and when his presidential period ended, he lived in retirement at the Phoenix Park, Dublin. On 12^th July, 1949 at the age of 89, he died. He was given a state funeral to Portahard where he is buried.

Keadue: Keadue (Ceideadh - which means low lying hill) is set on the Arigna mountains scenic drive in a landscape adorned by lakes and mountains. The village presents a delightful picture with traditional houses, stone walls, gardens, and window boxes. In 1993 and again in 2003 Keadue won the National Award in the Tidy Towns Competition, as Ireland's tidiest town and best kept village.

King House, Boyle, was home to the Earls of Kingston until 1788, and a military barracks for the Connaught Rangers Regiment, and later for the Irish Army. King House has a series of exciting interactive exhibitions focusing on Gaelic Ireland, the King Family and their time as landlords, the construction of the house and its military history.

Una Bhan Rural Tourism: provide all-in arrangements - covering accommodation and activities throughout Roscommon county. Visitors are offered the chance to experience the art of cheese making, sheep shearing, brown bread making and visits to the local sites. Una Bhan caters for a wide range of activities, so if its a Golfing, Angling, Boating, Cycling, Walking or Equestrian holiday, the Una Bhan region is a must. Their adventure breaks offer a range of activities including: horse riding, hill walking, wind surfing, shooting & much more...

Strokestown Park House: Strokestown Park House is an 18th century mansion which has been faithully restored. It is unique in that it retains its original furnishings and professionally guided tours allow visitors to browse freely through the stately surroundings. The Famine Museum uses a combination of original documents and images from the Strokestown Park collection to explain the circumstances of the Great Irish Famine of the 1840's. This collection boasts an extensive range of papers including actual letters written by the tenants on the Strokestown Estate at the time of the famine.