The American Interns’ Experience of Longford Town
Most people seem to regard Longford Town as just a “small midland town” in Ireland. However, we, two American interns from small villages in the US, see a lot of potential waiting to be unlocked in this beautiful town. Our US definition of a small town is one main street with a single restaurant, barber, post office, a school, and a modest looking church, that stretches only a few blocks with a gas station at the end. Longford Town is so much more than this!
We travelled to Longford Town from Dublin for a day trip in early July. The train was very pleasant (much better than the US national rail trains). Once we arrived at the station it was a quick walk into the town’s center. For a “small midland town” St. Mel’s Cathedral is breathtaking. The decorative pastel colors paired with the massive columns is amazing. The cathedral itself is a work of art and is a beautiful staple of Longford.
Coming from our small Midwestern and Northeastern towns, it is amazing to see colorful buildings and doors, so just roaming the streets and seeing pink buildings and bright teal doors was fascinating! One hidden gem we found was a beautiful mural of an owl located in a back alleyway, painted by James P Quinn. There are also several nice boutiques and shopping stores worth stopping in, such as ‘Freckles’, a clothing boutique. Things like these are difficult to find back home, so they made the trip to Longford feel worthwhile. The food we discovered in Longford was delectable; we went to the Red Rose Cafe and had wonderful bowl of vegetable soup with soda bread.
Although Longford does not have any coined “tourist attractions” other than St. Mel’s, we would most definitely visit again!
The project we are working on with Space Engagers, called Longford Nua, is due to be launched in Longford at the end of July. It is an interactive mapping project where the people of Longford can use an app to gather information on the past, present and possible (future) of their town. Watch out for more information on Longford Nua on social media!
