US podcast duo enjoy trip to Hidden Heartlands

Ronan Fagan

The Hidden Heartlands with all its tourist attributes will receive future visitor attention, as the midlands region was the recent focus of the Irish Stew podcast aimed at the promotion of Ireland to a global audience.

The “conversation for the global Irish nation” podcast co-hosts John Lee and Martin Nutty, who are based in New York, spent eight days here prior to Christmas. They stayed in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone during their “second road trip to Ireland”, and met a number of prominent locals in the town and further afield to gauge what makes the Hidden Heartlands a region to explore for visitors.

Martin, who left Ireland for the US at the age of 19, said: “I view Ireland as ‘doughnut focused’ in terms of tourism. The major cities are on the coast so tourists tend to visit those places, as opposed to travelling inland.”

He advised tourists take the time to “visit the drive through counties” which all have “history and a story to tell”.

“Some tourists might view the midlands as drive-through country as they travel west from Dublin to the Wild Atlantic Way, but we found just a fraction of what they are missing in the Hidden Heartlands,” the podcast pair said.

Co-host John Lee, whose grandmother Rose Kinahan was from Clara, said his “main takeaway” from visiting the Hidden Heartlands was the “sense of community” in the towns and villages they visited.

“From my perspective, the commitment to community was clearly evident. There are so many reasons to visit the Hidden Heartlands and we were both impressed by the ongoing revitalisation of the entire midlands region,” John said.

A “history buff”, Martin said it was “extraordinary” to “rub against the past” represented by Athlone Castle and Clonmacnoise.

“We also examined the roll eskers played in the midlands, while exploring the biodiversity the region has to offer. We just slowed down and immersed ourselves in the region during the course of our stay,” Martin said.

During their time in Athlone, they met with John Coffey, the proprietor of Michelin Bib Gourmand winning restaurant Thyme. Martin said the food Coffey produced for them was of “world class standard” and worthy of paying “close to $500” for in New York.

“I can genuinely say it was the best meal I ate in 2025,” Martin stated.

Reflecting on the “sense of community”, John Lee acknowledged that John Coffey’s connection to his regular produce suppliers enabled local businesses to remain open. “John has a sense of loyalty to his community. He provides a venue for businesses and creates such wonderful food from the produce delivered to him.”

At Sean’s Bar, where they “explored the legend and lore of the country’s oldest pub with official storyteller Timmy Donovan”.

“Timmy flipped the calendar back to 900 AD, when Luain Mac Luighdeach set up an inn on the banks of the Shannon, which would evolve over the centuries into the Sean’s Bar of today,” John said.

The podcast pair also enjoyed a walking tour of the town with Vincent Harney. “Vincent peeled back the layers of the Athlone story from atop the castle and while crossing the River Shannon, we trod the ancient streets back into the heart of Irish history. “Vincent revealed Athlone’s surprising connections to the Titanic disaster with the sad tale of the ill-fated passenger Margaret Rice, whose body could only be identified by the shoes she wore, purchased from Parsons of Athlone in the red brick building that still stands today at the corner of Custume Place and Northgate Street.

“Our guided tour host definitely made a compelling case for visiting Athlone reminding us that ‘the history of Ireland is here in Athlone’,” John added.

The pair also went to Banagher, “the River Shannon providing the backdrop for most of our travels”, where they met with historian and ‘That Beats Banagher’ author James Scully “in the local church” and savoured the hospitality of JJ Hough’s “singing pub” with Irish Racing Post journalist Mark Boylan.

Birr Castle Demesne was a reminder of “innovation” in the midlands thanks to the great telescope, a “significant astronomical instrument”.

“Built in the early 1840s, it was the largest telescope in the world at the time and remains a symbol of engineering and innovation,” Martin said.

Prior to their return to the US, Martin and John stopped in Tyrrellspass, where they explored Cloncrow Bog with Eugene Dunbar.

Over the eight-day tour, the podcasters spoke to “almost two dozen guests”.

“We captured stories about local history, organic farming, biodiversity, greenways, Shannon river cruising, farm-to-table dining, slow adventure travel, hospitality, archaeology, astronomy, entrepreneurship and civic pride, while also going into the landscape that shapes the midlands region,” Martin added.

Entitled ‘Off The Beaten Craic’, the series of Hidden Heartlands focused podcasts are now available on the Irish Stew Podcast website.