Portumna

Ireland

Portumna sits where the Shannon opens into Lough Derg, making it a proper gateway to Ireland's third-largest lake. The town connects handily to Galway city via the R489 and M6, about 65 kilometers north, while Dublin's a 150-kilometer run west through Athlone. The R489 also takes you over to Birr in Offaly, just 25 kilometers across the Shannon. You'll find decent EV charging around town, with about 9 fast chargers serving the area. The real draw here is Portumna Castle's restored 17th-century gardens, where they've recreated the original 1620s geometric design right down to the period plants and precise hedgerows.