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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Longford
An Longfort
Give Longford one night as a rail or bus stop between Dublin and Sligo, or a half-day for Corlea Trackway; two nights only if you have a car.
Longford is the county town of County Longford, a quiet midlands market town of about 11,000 people on the Dublin–Sligo rail line. It has a rebuilt cathedral and a compact centre, but its real draw is the Corlea Trackway, an Iron Age bog road 15 km south. Most travellers use it as a stop, not a base.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- An Longfort
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, short days)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €85–140 excl. bed · High €140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire 112 or 999 · Nevin's Taxis +353 86 259 5690
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €14–20 |
| Indian or Asian restaurant main | €13–18 |
| Pint of stout | €5–6.50 |
| Taxi, 5 km (3.1 mi) in townTaxi, 3.1 mi (5 km) in town | €10–15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- Expressway bus 22/23 from the airport to Longford, about 2 h 30 min
- NOC · Ireland West Airport Knock
- N5 road from the west via Strokestown; no direct bus, check
Typical fares
- Bus Dublin Airport → Longford
- about €20, 2 h 30 min (check)
- Train Dublin Connolly → Longford
- about €25, 1 h 50 min (check)
- Taxi Longford station → town centre
- €6–10 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable in 10–15 minutes. Outlying sites (Corlea, Aughnacliffe, the golf club) need a car, bike or taxi; Nevin's is the local firm. Trains and buses stop at the station 200 m south of the centre.
See and do
Known for
- St Mel's Cathedral
- Corlea Trackway
- Longford Canal and Royal Canal trails
- GAA at Pearse Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Corlea Trackway, Keenagh | Car or taxi on R397, 15 km (9.3 mi) south; no direct busCar or taxi on R397, 9.3 mi (15 km) south; no direct bus | About 30 min each way |
| Aughnacliffe dolmen and ringforts | Car on R394, 25 km (16 mi) northCar on R394, 16 mi (25 km) north | About 40 min each way |
| Ballymahon | Bus Éireann 466 or Local Link LR24, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Carrick-on-Shannon | Train towards Sligo, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Roscommon | Local Link 466, about 35 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (Main St and Market Square)
- Walk to the cathedral, shops, bars and the railway station; best for one night without a car.
- Ballymahon St and Dublin St
- Hotel and guesthouse cluster a few minutes from Main St; some street noise.
- Shannon bank at Termonbarry
- 5 km (3.1 mi) west; riverside hotel with a bistro, needs a car or taxi.3.1 mi (5 km) west; riverside hotel with a bistro, needs a car or taxi.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will an leh-rass |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- Outlying sites are 15–25 km away with no bus: without a car, plan a taxi or skip them.
- The Longford Canal spur is disused and reedy; the walking trails are fine but there is no boating.
- Corlea Trackway visitor centre opens Apr–Oct only; closed in winter.
- Book Sligo and Dublin trains ahead on busy weekends; the service is only every couple of hours.
A quiet, low-crime town; the real risks are wet, unlit rural roads at night and long waits between trains and buses. Keep to lit streets around closing time and pre-book a taxi if you are outside the centre.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Longford yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- St Mel's Cathedral
- Corlea Trackway
- Longford Canal and Royal Canal trails
- GAA at Pearse Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Longford County Council / tourism: www.longford.ie/en/
- Bus Éireann: www.buseireann.ie/routes-and-timetables/
- Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre (Heritage Ireland): heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/corlea-trackway-visitor-centre/
- Wikivoyage: Longford (town), revision 5324458 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324458
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
LongfordAn Longfort
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance, fire112 or 999
- Nevin's Taxis+353 86 259 5690
No embassies in Longford; the US embassy and most others are in Dublin (check).
English is spoken everywhere; Irish is used on signs and in schools.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/longford-town). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.