La Provence Restaurant in Athlone

02/03/2026: Really nice shopping at in heart of athlone

01/02/2026: A shopping centre like any other in a smaller town in Ireland. The number of shops isn’t impressive, but there were a few stores I actually cared about, which is why I travelled all the way from Sligo to Athlone specifically for them. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. Back in 2025, H&M was closed for renovation, and today I was shocked by how poor it looked. The children’s section is literally just a handful of items, with the age range ending at around 10 years old. The women’s section is also a joke — there’s nothing to choose from. Everything is the same cut, the same style, only differing in size and fabric. I left empty-handed. The second shop, Zara, has completely removed the children’s section. The women’s section isn’t much different from H&M’s — are we all supposed to have the same style now and wear the same wide-leg trousers and identical cuts? There’s simply nothing to choose from. I walked out of this store empty-handed as well. I know now there’s no point in going back to Athlone. I wasted half a day and came back with nothing. It looks like online shopping is all we’re left with — unfortunately, because I really don’t like it.