County Mayo
An exposed hillside 8km northwest of Ballycastle is home to one of the world's most extensive Stone Age monuments. So far stone-walled fields, houses and…
Must-see attractions in Ireland
The Midlands
Clara Bog is one of the few great expanses of classic bogland in Western Europe to escape being stripped for fuel. Deceptively flat and seemingly lifeless…
Connemara
Photogenically perched on the shores of Pollacapall Lough, 4km east of Letterfrack, Kylemore is a crenellated 19th-century neo-Gothic fantasy. It was…
County Waterford
Although Lismore Castle itself is not open to the public, the 3 hectares of ornate and manicured gardens are well worth a visit. Thought to be the oldest…
County Wexford
On its southern tip, Hook Head is capped by the world's oldest working lighthouse, with a modern light flashing atop a 13th-century tower. Access is by…
Counties Wexford, Waterford, Carlow & Kilkenny
One of Ireland’s finest Cistercian ruins, Jerpoint Abbey was established in the 12th century, with the tower and cloister dating from the late 14th or…
Bray
A stunning mansion in the Elizabethan Revival style, Killruddery has been home to the Brabazon family (the earls of Meath) since 1618 and has one of the…
Dingle Peninsula
Gallarus Oratory is one of Ireland's most beautiful ancient buildings, its smoothly constructed dry-stone walls in the shape of an upturned boat. It has…
The Midlands
Much of County Offaly's once-extensive boglands were stripped of peat for electricity generation during the 20th century. Now Lough Boora, 17km north of…
County Donegal
The English painter Derrick Hill bought this 1828 mansion in 1953, providing him with a mainland base close to his beloved Tory Island. Sumptuously…
The Burren
Book ahead to watch chocolate being made in small batches using rare Trinitario cacao beans and raw sugar on a 45-minute tour of this heavenly smelling…
Counties Meath, Louth, Cavan & Monaghan
Just 3km south of Blacklion, within the Cuilcagh Mountain Park and traversed by the Cavan Way walking route, this other-worldly megalithic site was…
National Museum of Country Life
County Mayo
The extensive and engrossing displays of this riverside museum delve into Ireland's fascinating rural traditions and skills. It's set in a modern,…
County Meath
At Carnbane East, Cairn T is 35m in diameter, with numerous carved stones. One of its outlying kerbstones, the Hag’s Chair, is covered in gouged holes,…
County Mayo
St Mary's is one of Ireland's most transfixing holy wells. An apparition of the Virgin Mary has drawn pilgrims here for centuries, and today a tumbledown…
The Midlands
Ireland's first and last coal mine (1600s to 1990) is remembered at the Arigna Mining Experience, set in the hills above Lough Allen, 23km northeast of…
Tralee
A favourite weekend getaway for Tralee residents, Banna is one of the biggest and best Blue Flag beaches in Ireland, a 6km stretch of fine golden sand…
The Midlands
The neoclassical, copper-domed Emo Court was designed in 1790 by James Gandon, architect of Dublin's Custom House. Originally the country seat of the…
The Midlands
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…
County Wexford
Parading peacocks guard the splendid 19th-century Johnstown Castle, the former home of the once-mighty Fitzgerald and Esmonde families (the estate was…
Kilkenny City
Dating from the early 13th century, St Mary's Church has been converted into a fascinating modern museum that charts the history of Kilkenny in medieval…
Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula's most important Christian site, Kilmalkedar has a beautiful setting with sweeping views over Smerwick Harbour. Built in the 12th…
Burren Perfumery & Floral Centre
The Burren
The Burren's wildflowers are the inspiration for the subtle scents at this wonderful perfumery and floral centre, which creates scented items such as…
County Mayo
Tucked away at the far west of the island, Keem Bay is Achill's most remote Blue Flag beach. The crescent of golden sands sits at the foot of steep cliffs…
County Mayo
With towering walls engulfed in ivy and empty windows, Moore Hall is an astonishing and atmospheric ruin. Set beside Lough Carra, it was built in the…
Counties Wexford, Waterford, Carlow & Kilkenny
This important monastic site, founded in the 7th century by St Moling, was the burial place of the Kings of Leinster. Its remains include four church…
The Burren
One of Ireland's most famous prehistoric grave sites, Gleninsheen lies beside the R480 7km south of Ballyvaughan. It's thought to date from 4000 to 5000…
The Burren
Creamy St Tola goat's cheese is served at some of Ireland's finest restaurants, with award-winning lines including ash log, Greek-style feta and gouda…
County Sligo
Set around 6km southeast of Ballymote, these splendid limestone caves high in Keshcorran Hill make for a fun expedition. You can park near the bottom at…
County Mayo
Running 3km southeast from Keel, beautiful, Blue Flag, golden-sand Trawmore is among Achill's most photographed beaches. Be aware that there are dangerous…
County Meath
Built in a spiral design echoing Newgrange, this superb interpretive centre houses interactive exhibits on prehistoric Ireland and its passage tombs. It…
County Sligo
The Model houses an impressive collection of contemporary Irish art including works by Jack B Yeats (WB's brother and one of Ireland's most important…
Southwestern Donegal
You can walk out to this tiny island at low tide from the sandy tip of the Blue Flag beach at Narin. St Connell, a cousin of St Colmcille (Columba),…
Southwestern Donegal
This lovely sandy beach with brisk waves is in Doonalt, immediately west of the village; access is from the car park opposite the folk museum.
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green’s 27 acres is the most popular park in Dublin city centre. Come for a leisurely stroll in elegant landscaped gardens, stay for the…
Dublin
Merrion Sq is the most prestigious and, arguably, the most elegant of Dublin's Georgian squares. Its well-kept lawns and tended flower beds are flanked on…
North of the Liffey
Smithfield’s biggest draw is devoted to uisce beatha (ish-kuh ba-ha, ‘the water of life’); that's Irish for whiskey. To its more serious devotees, that is…
Dublin
This magnificently preserved scholars' library, virtually unchanged in three centuries, is one of Dublin's most beautiful open secrets and an absolute…
Galway City
The Spanish Arch is thought to be an extension of Galway's medieval city walls, designed to protect ships moored at the nearby quay while they unloaded…
Dublin
This museum is all about the history and importance of Gaelic sports in Ireland and the role of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) as the stout…
