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Wicklow and Kildare may be neighbours and have a boundary with Dublin in common, but that's where the similarities end.
Immediately south of the capital is wild, scenic Wicklow. Its most dramatic natural feature is a gorse-and-bracken mountain spine that is the east coast’s most stunning landscape, complete with deep glacial valleys, isolated mountain passes and, dotted throughout, some important historical treasures, including one of Ireland’s most important early-Christian sites and a couple of 18th-century Palladian mansions.
To the west is flat, fertile Kildare, which also has a handful of elegant Palladian piles but is best known as horse country – of the thoroughbred kind. Some of the world’s most lucrative stud farms are here, many with links to the horse-breeding centre of Kentucky in the USA. Kildare is also home to some of the best golf courses in Ireland and the country’s largest outlet mall.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Counties Wicklow & Kildare.
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Wicklow's most visited attraction is this magnificent 64-sq-km estate, whose main entrance is 500m south of Enniskerry. At the heart of it is an elegant Palladian mansion, but the real draws are the formal gardens and the stunning views that accompany them. Most of the house is not open to the public, but there's a fine cafe and several gift and homewares shops, while the grounds are home to two golf courses and the best hotel in Wicklow.
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Nestled between two lakes, haunting Glendalough (Gleann dá Loch, meaning 'Valley of the Two Lakes') is one of the most significant monastic sites in Ireland and one of the loveliest spots in the country, centred on a 1000-year-old Round Tower, a ruined cathedral and a tiny church known as St Kevin's Kitchen. It was founded in the late 5th century by St Kevin, a bishop who established a monastery on the Upper Lake's southern shore and about whom there is much folklore.
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Magnificent Castletown House is Ireland’s single-most imposing Georgian estate, and a testament to the vast wealth enjoyed by the Anglo-Irish gentry during the 18th century. Hour-long guided tours beginning at noon and 3pm provide an insight into how the 1% lived in the 18th century; otherwise you can wander at will. Don't miss a stroll down to the river for grand views back to the house. Castletown is signposted from junction 6 on the M4.
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The Irish National Stud, 1.5km south of town, is the big attraction in Kildare – visitors have included Queen Elizabeth II. Owned and managed by the Irish government, the immaculately kept centre breeds high-quality stallions to mate with mares from all over the world. You can wander the paddocks and go eye-to-eye with famous stallions, or take a 45-minute guided tour (four daily; included in admission). Around 3pm in the spring, you'll see the foals being walked back to their stables.
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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 oldest gardens in Ireland, with a magnificent orangery built in 1852 and chock-full of statuary and plant life. Compulsory 45-minute guided tours lead you through the impressive house, designed by architects Richard Morrisson and his son William in 1820. It's 2km south of Bray just off the R768.
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Engaging hour-long tours at this craft brewery guide you through the brewing process, from milling local grains to mashing, whirlpooling, fermenting, maturing and, finally, kegging. Beers are preservative-free and use the brewery's own well water. St Kevins Red Ale and the spicy Gingerknut IPA are standouts. Tours include five tastings (often featuring experimental brews). On weekends you can stop by the brewery's beer hall for a pint; live-music concerts regularly take place amid the kettles and tanks.
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Housed within the ruins of a 13th-century abbey, the unusually tall and slender Moone High Cross – Ireland's second-highest, at 5.3m – is a masterpiece dating from the 8th or 9th century. It displays carved biblical scenes with the confidence and exuberance of a comic strip, among them Daniel in the lions' den and the flight into Egypt. The cross is situated on a minor road 1km west of Moone village, accessed via an inconspicuous wooden door in a stone wall.
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Magnificent Russborough House is one of Ireland's finest stately homes, a Palladian palace built for Joseph Leeson (1705–83), later the first Earl of Milltown and, later still, Lord Russborough. Since 1952 the house has been owned by the Beit family, who founded the De Beers diamond-mining company and stocked the mansion with a remarkable art collection, including masterpieces by Velázquez, Vermeer, Goya, Rubens and others. Admission includes a 45-minute guided tour of the house. It's 5km southwest of Blessington.
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This fine Palladian mansion was the birthplace and Irish headquarters of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–91), the 'uncrowned king of Ireland' and one of the key figures in the Irish independence movement. Avondale House was designed by James Wyatt in 1779. Its highlights include a stunning vermilion-hued library and the American Room, dedicated to Parnell's eponymous grandfather, admiral of the USS Constitution during the War of 1812. The house is closed for renovations until 2020 but the gardens remain open dawn to dusk year-round.