Weekends on the move: Carlow Town
After fifteen years in Ireland, I finally visited Carlow this summer, and I must say that the town was a pleasant surprise.
Carlow never really appealed to me; we always pass through it by bus, and I’ve never felt, “Wow, I have to see that!” However, my friend I. and I were brainstorming places for a trip, and we ended up choosing Carlow. As always, before arriving, we made a list of places we wanted to visit, which included:
- The town center
- Both churches/cathedrals
- Carlow College
- The Delta Sensory Gardens
We both traveled by train, so we met at the station and headed straight to the city center. It was a Sunday, and since we met quite early (at ten in the morning), I decided I wanted some breakfast. After a quick Google search, I found Waterlilies Café—they had cronuts! My friend had never tried one, so she just had to. We were in luck, too, because that morning they had ones filled with lemon custard—fruit-flavored ones are always the best. We also had our very first interaction in Carlow right then and there. I got a bit flustered while paying and said we wanted them to go, but in the end, we decided to sit down and have our breakfast in the café. The lady brought us some plates with a smile. A little while later—since we were sitting near the entrance—I spotted a man with a beautiful dachshund and pointed him out to my friend. The man noticed and came over to introduce us to his dog. It was simply the best way to start the day and the trip!
Waterlilies Café is located in the center of Carlow, where the streets are wonderfully colorful. Almost every house is a different color, and even though it was overcast and raining occasionally that day, this part of town felt cheerful. Definitely one of my favorite areas in Carlow.
From there, we headed to the local castle ruins, located in the town center and very well maintained. In addition to paths that allow you to view the ruins from every angle, there are flowers and information boards. We then crossed the river into a local park, where the grass had been scorched by the July heatwave. On the positive side, there is a lovely walking path along the river. After visiting the park, we moved on to the churches. We started with St. Mary’s Church of Ireland, located near Hay Market—just a stone’s throw from the park. We took a few photos and continued on our way. I was more interested in the second one—the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—due to its appearance. While there, we also took a look at Carlow College; as we walked past, a church goer explained that the first church had served as the main one before this cathedral was built. He also mentioned that the college next door is set to close within the next two years, and no one knows what will become of the building. It was another pleasant interaction, which I really enjoyed.
We walked along College Street back to the courthouse, then continued toward the Delta Sensory Gardens. Just as we were trying to get our bearings at a rather confusing intersection, a local woman—accompanied by her family—stepped in to help and explained how to reach the gardens. The people in Carlow are truly lovely.
The walk took us about half an hour. On the way, we passed the County Carlow Military Museum; it didn’t particularly interest us, so we decided not to visit. On the other side of the road, however, a dilapidated building caught our eye. The Delta Sensory Gardens are located outside the town center in an industrial park—an unusual setting, to be sure, but it doesn’t detract from the gardens in the slightest. Admission is €6 for adults, payable at the entrance to the on-site café. I particularly liked the layout of the café; the tables were arranged in such a way that you could easily walk from the entrance toward the gardens without having to squeeze between tables.
The gardens themselves were lovely—plenty of greenery, art, benches, and a variety of flowers and plants. I even spotted some garden strawberries—the kind we’re used to back in the Czech Republic—which was a nice surprise after all this time. The only thing that bothered me was the children. It’s great that parents brought them out into nature or to experience some culture, but to me, places like this should be for relaxation. Naturally, all the kids were screaming.
Back in town, we decided to check out the local shopping centers. My friend was looking for things for her family, and I was hoping to find some souvenirs. Carlow has what you might call a “Bermuda Triangle” of shopping centers. We started at the Carlow Shopping Centre—which used to be a prison, and the interior still reflects that—but aside from a couple of shops, the space is largely unused. Across the way was the Fairgreen Shopping Centre; we hoped to grab lunch there, but nothing on the Irish menus really appealed to us. We briefly considered another shopping center nearby, but it didn’t have any food shops or restaurants. In the end, we decided to just wander around Carlow and see what was open. Within five minutes, we ended up at a local pub called Carpenters Bar Lounge and Restaurant. In Ireland, places like this usually have a food counter where you order what you want from the selection. They have a menu, but I think you can also mix and match items. It can be quite confusing at times, and honestly, I’m not a huge fan. Irish cuisine just isn’t my favorite. So I ended up with a ham and cheese sandwich, which at least contained decent-sized pieces of ham.
What I liked about Carlow
I found the town quite clean, and there are plenty of benches to sit on—something I always appreciate. Also, the people were a pleasant surprise.
What I didn’t like about Carlow
The train station. It’s very similar to the one in Kildare—a small building with absolutely nothing around. A friend of mine used the restrooms there and immediately regretted it. There is a small waiting room, but they kick you out between train arrivals. For instance, my friend was heading home about an hour before I was, and there were no trains passing through Carlow during that time. Even so, a staff member locked the waiting room, leaving me to freeze on a bench outside.
Another thing that surprised me was the souvenirs. To explain: in Ireland, there’s a chain of souvenir shops called Carrolls. Typically, you’ll only find them in Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Kilkenny. Other towns usually offer local souvenirs—for example, in Waterford, there’s a spot on the quay opposite the Tower Hotel. I expected something similar in Carlow, but even Google Maps couldn’t help me, and in the end, I couldn’t find any souvenirs anywhere. Not even a simple fridge magnet or a postcard. My friend and I even checked Easons (a bookstore), but they only had generic Irish items—nothing specific to Carlow. That was a disappointment.
