Historic Building sights in Ireland
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Kylemore Abbey
A few kilometres east of Letterfrack stands Kylemore Abbey. Magnificently situated on the shores of a lake, this crenulated 19th-century neo-Gothic fantasy was built for a wealthy English businessman, Mitchell Henry, who spent his honeymoon in Connemara. His wife died tragically young.
Admission also covers the abbey's Victorian walled gardens. You can stroll around the lake and surrounding woods for free.
Kylemore's tranquillity is shattered in high summer with the arrival of dozens of tour coaches per day, each one followed through the gates by an average of 50 cars (yes, over 2500 cars a day).
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Kilkenny Castle
Rising above the Nore, Kilkenny Castle is one of Ireland's most visited heritage sites. The first structure on this strategic site was a wooden tower built in 1172 by Richard de Clare, the Anglo-Norman conqueror of Ireland better known as Strongbow. In 1192, Strongbow's son-in-law, William Marshall, erected a stone castle with four towers, three of which survive. The castle was bought by the powerful Butler family in 1391, and their descendants continued to live there until 1935. Maintaining such a structure became a big financial strain and most of the furnishings were sold at auction. The castle was handed over to the city in 1967 for the princely sum of £50.
One glance…
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Spanish Arch & Medieval Walls
Framing the river east of Wolfe Tone Bridge, the Spanish Arch is thought to be an extension of Galway's medieval walls. The arch appears to have been designed as a passageway through which ships entered the city to unload goods, such as wine and brandy from Spain.
Today it reverberates to the beat of bongo drums, and the lawns and riverside form a gathering place for locals and visitors on any sunny day. Many watch kayakers manoeuvre over the minor rapids of the River Corrib.
Although a 1651 drawing of Galway clearly shows its extensive fortifications, depredation by Cromwell and William of Orange and subsequent centuries of neglect saw the walls almost completely disappea…
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City Hall
The Industrial Revolution transformed Belfast in the 19th century, and its rapid rise to muck-and-brass prosperity is manifested in the extravagance of City Hall. Built in classical Renaissance style in fine, white Portland stone, it was completed in 1906 and paid for from the profits of the gas supply company.
The hall is fronted by a statue of a rather dour 'we are not amused' Queen Victoria. The bronze figures on either side of her symbolise the textile and shipbuilding industries, while the child at the back represents education. At the northeastern corner of the grounds is a statue of Sir Edward Harland, the Yorkshire-born marine engineer who founded the Harland & Wol…
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Castle Coole
When King George IV visited Ireland in 1821, the second Earl of Belmore had a state bedroom specially prepared at Castle Coole in anticipation of the monarch's visit. The king, however, was more interested in dallying with his mistress at Slane Castle and never turned up. The bedroom, draped in red silk and decorated with paintings depicting The Rake's Progress (the earl's sniffy riposte to the king's extramarital shenanigans), is one of the highlights of the one-hour guided tour.
Designed by James Wyatt, this Palladian mansion was built between 1789 and 1795 for Armar Lowry-Corry, the first Earl of Belmore, and is probably the purest expression of late-18th-century neocla…
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Round Towers
Overlooking the River Shannon is the 20m-high O'Rourke's Tower. Lightning blasted the top off the tower in 1135, but the remaining structure was used for another 400 years.
Temple Finghin and its round tower are on the northern boundary of the site, also overlooking the Shannon. The building dates from around 1160 and has some fine Romanesque carvings. The herringbone-patterned tower roof is the only one in Ireland that has never been altered. Most round towers became shelters when the monasteries were attacked, but this one was probably just used as a bell tower since the doorway is at ground level.
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Duckett's Grove
Adjoining a foreboding ruined Gothic mansion, the original high brick garden walls of this estate frame two sprawling, interconnected formal gardens. Filled with the scents of lavender and fruit blossom in spring and summer, they border a shaded woodland area, covering some 4.5 hectares. Check with Carlow's tourist office for the gardens' program of events. There's no public transport; the gardens are 12.5km northeast of Carlow off the R726.
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Swiss Cottage
A pleasant river side path from behind the town car park meanders 2km south to Cahir Park and the thatched Swiss Cottage, surrounded by roses, lavender and honeysuckle. Built in 1810 as a retreat for Richard Butler, 12th Baron Caher, and his wife, it was designed by London architect John Nash, creator of the Royal Pavilion at Brighton and London's Regent's Park. The cottage-orné style emerged during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in England in response to the prevailing taste for the picturesque. Thatched roofs, natural wood and carved weatherboarding were characteristics and most examples were built as ornamental features on estates.
A lavish example of Regency P…
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Donegal Castle
Guarding a picturesque bend of the River Eske, Donegal Castle remains an imperious monument to both Irish and English might. Built by the O'Donnells in 1474, it served as the seat of their formidable power until 1607, when the English decided to be rid of pesky Irish chieftains once and for all. Rory O'Donnell was no pushover, though, torching his own castle before fleeing to France in the infamous Flight of the Earls. Their defeat paved the way for the Plantation of Ulster by thousands of newly arrived Scots and English Protestants, creating the divisions that still afflict the island to this day.
The castle was rebuilt in 1623 by Sir Basil Brooke, along with the adjacen…
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Harbour Commissioner's Office
Near the ferry terminal on Donegall Quay is the Italianate Harbour Commissioner's Office (1854). The striking marble and stained-glass interior features art and sculpture inspired by Belfast's maritime history. The captain's table that was built for the Titanic survives here – completed behind schedule, it never made it on board. Guided tours of the office are available during the Belfast Maritime Festival in early June. It's also open on European Heritage Open Days, which take place over a weekend in September or October (see the Events section on www.doeni.gov.uk).
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Carlow Castle
Built by William de Marshall on the site of an earlier Norman motte-and-bailey fort, this soaring 13-century castle survived Cromwell's attentions. It later succumbed to the grand plans of a certain Dr Middleton, who decided to convert it into a lunatic asylum. Proving the cliché about the lunatics running the asylum, he blew up much of the castle in 1814 in order to 'remodel' it. The evocative portion that survives is a part of the keep flanked by two towers.
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Parke's Castle
The tranquil surrounds of Parke's Castle, with swans drifting by on Lough Gill and neat grass cloaking the old moat, belie the fact that its early Plantation architecture was created out of an unwelcome English landlord's insecurity and fear.
The thoroughly restored, three-storey castle forms part of one of the five sides of the bawn, which also has three rounded turrets at its corners. Join one of the entertaining guided tours after viewing the 20-minute video. Last admission is at 5.15pm.
You can take a 1½-hour cruise on Lough Gill from the castle. Trips aboard the Rose of Innisfreeoffer live recitals of Yeats' poetry accompanying music. The company runs a bus from Sligo…
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Wellbrook Beetling Mill
Beetling, the final stage of linen making, involves pounding the cloth with wooden hammers, or beetles, to give it a smooth sheen. Restored to working order by the National Trust, the 18th-century Wellbrook Beetling Mill still has its original machinery, and stages demonstrations of the linen-making process led by guides in period costume. The mill is on a pretty stretch of the River Ballinderry, 7km west of Cookstown, just off the A505 Omagh road.
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Áras an Uachtaráin
The residence of the Irish president is a Palladian lodge that was built in 1751 and enlarged a couple of times since, most recently in 1816. It was home to the British viceroys from 1782 to 1922, and then to the governors general until Ireland cut ties with the British Crown and created the office of president in 1937. Queen Victoria stayed here during her visit in 1849, when she appeared not to even notice the Famine. The candle burning in the window is an old Irish tradition, to guide 'the Irish diaspora' home.
Tickets for the free one-hour tours (hourly 10am to 4pm Saturday) can be collected from the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, the converted former stables of the pap…
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Grand Opera House
One of Belfast's great Victorian landmarks is the Grand Opera House. Opened in 1895, and completely refurbished in the 1970s, it suffered grievously at the hands of the IRA, having sustained severe bomb damage in 1991 and 1993. It was said that as the Europa Hotel next door was home to the media during the Troubles, the IRA brought the bombs to them so they wouldn't have to leave the bar.
The interior has been restored to its original, over-the-top Victorian pomp, with swirling wood and plasterwork, fancy gilt-work in abundance and carved elephant heads framing the private boxes in the auditorium.
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Charleville Castle
Spires, turrets, clinging ivy and creaking trees combine to give this hulking structure a haunted feel. Charleville Castle was the family seat of the Burys, who commissioned the design in 1798 from Francis Johnston, one of Ireland's most famous architects. The interior is spectacular, with stunning ceilings, one of the most striking Gothic-revival galleries in Ireland and a kitchen block built to resemble a country church.
Admission is by 35-minute tour only. If you'd like to help restore this pile, you can join groups of international volunteers; contact the castle for details. The entrance is off the N52, south of Tullamore. Frustration ensues if you go too far and reach…
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Dunguaire Castle
The chess-piece-style Dunguaire Castle was erected around 1520 by the O'Hynes clan and is in excellent condition following extensive restoration. It is widely believed that the castle occupies the former site of the 6th-century royal palace of Guaire Aidhne, the king of Connaught. Dunguaire's owners have included Oliver St John Gogarty (1878–1957) – poet, writer, surgeon and Irish Free State senator.
The least authentic way to visit the castle is to attend a medieval banquet. Yuck-filled stage shows and shtick provide diversions while you plough through a big group meal.
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O'Brien's Castle
A 100m climb to the island's highest point yields dramatic views over clover-covered fields to the beach and harbour. This 15th-century church (Caisleán Uí Bhriain) was built within the remains of a ring fort called Dún Formna, dating from as early as the 1st century AD. You can freely explore the ruins inside and out. Nearby is an 18th-century signal tower.
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Thoor Ballyle
This 16th-century Norman tower was the summer home of Yeats from 1922 to 1929 and was the inspiration for one of his best-known works, The Tower. In a truly inspired setting by a stream, the tower contains the poet's furnishings. Yeats once wrote 'The sand is running from the upper glass, And when the last grain's through, I shall be lost', a quote which you may well relate to after your last grain falls through while you try to find this place. From Gort take the Loughrea road (N66) for about 3km northeast and look for signs – but these are often misaligned – or just missing. Be prepared to ask.
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Franciscan Friary
In 1649 Cromwell's forces made a bonfire of the original 13th-century Franciscan Friary, so most of the present building is from the 19th century. Only two original walls remain. The friary houses a relic and wax effigy of St Adjutor, a boy martyr slain by his own father in ancient Rome.
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Marsh's Library
One of the city's most beautiful open secrets is Marsh's Library, a barely visited antique library with a look and atmosphere that has hardly changed since it opened its doors to awkward scholars in 1707. It's just around the corner from St Patrick's Cathedral.
Crammed into its elaborately carved oak bookcases are over 25,000 books dating from the 16th to early 18th centuries, as well as maps, numerous manuscripts and a collection of incunabula (books printed before 1500). One of the oldest and finest tomes in the collection is a volume of Cicero's Letters to His Friends printed in Milan in 1472.
The building was commissioned by Archbishop Narcissus March (1638–1713) and de…
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Dungarvan Castle
Renovation is restoring this stone fortress to its former Norman glory. Once inhabited by King John's constable Thomas Fitz Anthony, the oldest part of the castle is the unusual 12th-century shell keep, built to defend the mouth of the river. The 18th-century British army barracks house a visitor centre with various exhibits. Admission is by guided tour only.
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Lynch's Castle
Considered the finest town castle in Ireland, the old stone town house Lynch's Castle was built in the 14th century, though much of what you see today dates from around 1600. The Lynch family was the most powerful of the 14 ruling Galway 'tribes', and its members held the position of mayor no fewer than 80 times between 1480 and 1650.
Stonework on the castle's facade includes ghoulish gargoyles and the coats of arms of Henry VII, the Lynches and the Fitzgeralds of Kildare. The castle is now part of AIB Bank and modern-day bankers may wish to shelter behind the thick walls from populist rage.
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Malone House
Malone House is a late-Georgian mansion in the grounds of Barnett Demesne. Built in the 1820s for local merchant William Legge, the house is now used mainly for social functions and conferences, with art exhibitions staged in the Higgin Gallery. The surrounding gardens are planted with azaleas and rhododendrons, with paths leading down to the Lagan Towpath.
The house is about 5km south of the centre; take bus 8A or 8B to Dub Lane, Upper Malone Rd.
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Nora Barnacle House
James Joyce's future wife Nora Barnacle (1884–1951) lived here until shortly before they met in Dublin in 1904. It's now a privately owned museum displaying the couple's letters and photographs among period furniture. Looking all of its 100 years and not helped by a grim grey paint job, the house didn't have running water until the 1940s; instead the Barnacle family used a communal pump across the street. Joyce met his future mother-in-law here in 1909; for his part, Joyce's father said after learning Nora's surname: 'She'll stick with him'.
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