Cycleway audiobook puts focus on Abbey Graveyard
Athlone's Abbey Graveyard, an often forgotten and neglected historic area in the centre of the town, looks set to have a new prominence as it welcomes cycleway visitors on the newly opened greenway section from the White Gates (Ballymahon Road) to Athlone Marina.
To complement renewed interest in the church and graveyard on Abbey Road, a new cycleway audiobook entitled 'The Unsilent Stones' was launched by Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council Cllr Frankie Keena at Monday's official opening of the latest 1.1km extension of the greenway in the centre of Athlone.
Produced by Abarta Heritage in association with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Westmeath County Council, it features fictionalised stories of several interesting individuals who are interred in the Abbey Graveyard, including former Kings of Connaught.
They share their experiences in life and death through conversations with the guide, Anne Lyster, who died in 1948 and is the last person to be laid to rest in the ancient graveyard.
The Franciscan church, in ruins since the 19th century, is thought to have been built around 1690, according to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. It is set in extensive grounds with remains of a graveyard and grave markers dating from the late 17th century, but the majority date from the 19th century.
Launching the new audiobook initiative, Cllr Frankie Keena said everyone will agree that the greenway has opened up numerous points of interest from a heritage and tourism point of view, and evidence of this can be seen by the number of information boards along this extended cycleway route, showcasing information on the early 19th century Athlone workhouse, the White Bridge and indeed the old Abbey church and graveyard where cyclists and walkers pass.
He thanked Hazel Ryan, in particular, for her hard work recording all the inscriptions on the many graves in the graveyard, and looked forward to welcoming everyone back in the second quarter of 2023 when the new bridge over the Shannon is due to open and the cycleway moves from the marina to Athlone Castle and further west.
The audiobook is free to access on the Abarta Heritage website, with links also posted on the TII and the project websites.
Cyclists and pedestrians can access the audiobook on their phones and on all major podcast platforms.