Things to do in Lismore
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Gardens
From the Cappoquin road there are stunning glimpses of the riverside Lismore Castle, which is closed to day-trippers but available for groups to hire. You can visit the 3 hectares of gardens, thought to be the oldest in Ireland, divided into the walled Jacobean upper garden and less formal lower garden. There are brilliant herbaceous borders, magnolias and camellias, and a splendid yew walk where Edmund Spenser is said to have written The Faerie Queen. There are contemporary sculptures dotting the gardens.
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Summerhouse
If you want to create that ‘heritage’ look in your own home (with a stylised, contemporary twist), check out the unusual glassware, fabrics, ceramics and ironwork at this gallery-style shop. It also sells handmade jewellery, and has an aromatic cafe and bakery onsite (dishes €4.75 to €11).
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Foley's
This inviting trad pub serves good steaks, fish and burgers in its interior replete with peacock wallpaper, leather-backed benches and an open fire, or in a beer garden out back.
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Saffron
Low lighting and plum-coloured walls give this impressive Indian restaurant an intimate, classy ambience. The spicy chickpea chana massala is highly recommended.
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O'Brien Chophouse
Up here in Waterford's hills the sea seems distant which makes the menu of steaks and chops all the more appropriate at this bastion of traditional cooking. But there's modern flair in the kitchen and always a surprise or two on the specials board. The Victorian decor of this old pub has been beautifully restored.
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St Carthage's Cathedral
'One of the neatest and prettiest edifices I have seen', commented William Thackeray in 1842 about the striking 1679 cathedral. And that was before the addition of the Edward Burne-Jones stained-glass window, which features all the Pre-Raphaelite hallmarks: an effeminate knight and a pensive maiden against a sensuous background of deep-blue velvet and intertwining flowers. Justice, with sword and scales, and Humility, holding a lamb, honour Francis Currey, who helped to relieve the suffering of the poor during the Famine. Among the cathedral's oddities and wonders are some noteworthy tombs, including the elaborately carved MacGrath family crypt dating from 1557 and fossil…
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Lismore Heritage Centre
Features a 30-minute audiovisual presentation taking you from the arrival of St Carthage in AD 636 to the present day via the discovery of the Book of Lismore behind a wall in the castle in 1814 and John F Kennedy's visit in 1947.
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Lismore Farmers Market
The upscale surrounds attract a fab collection of vendors including Dungarvan's Naked Lunch, whose tasty sandwiches you can enjoy in the park or at tables set up on the gravel path.
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Lismore Castle
From the Cappoquin road there are stunning glimpses of the riverside 'castle', which has lots of windows that would undercut any efforts at defence. While you can't get inside the four impressive walls of the main, crenulated building (unless you're looking to rent it for a group event), you can visit the 3 hectares of ornate and manicured gardens. Thought to be the oldest in Ireland, they are divided into the walled Jacobean upper garden and less formal lower garden. There are brilliant herbaceous borders, magnolias and camellias, and a splendid yew walk where Edmund Spenser is said to have written The Faerie Queen. There are contemporary sculptures in the gardens and a …
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