Overview
Mountmellick is a small Irish town with a remarkable past: English Quakers settled in the 17th century and founded breweries, a distillery, woollen mills, cotton factories, tanneries and glassworks. These industries have all vanished, but a tradition of lace-making and embroidery continues.
History · Nature · Trekking
Before you go
Accommodation
Limited accommodation options: Barron View B&B (from €90 double) and Brielle House self-catering (€120/night). No camping nearby; nearest is Streamtown in Roscrea.
Activities
The main draw is hiking in Slieve Bloom Mountains with easy 4-km and 10-km trails. Glenbarrow Waterfall is a highlight along the River Barrow.
Connectivity
4G coverage is available from all Irish carriers. Eir and Three work through Rosenallis and Clonaslee, but Vodafone has no signal in those areas.
Transport
Bus Éireann 73 connects Mountmellick to Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow and Portlaoise with 2-3 services daily. Portlaoise has the nearest train station with hourly connections to Dublin.