The 17th century Palladian mansion designed by Richard Castle for the Powerscourts was gutted by fire in 1974 and only the shell remains. The grounds in which it stands , however , are outstanding. The formal gardens were begun in 1731 but a century later...
Built in the 15th century by the O’Flahertys , during the Cromwellian era this was one of the outposts guarding Galway and proved to be among the strongest fortresses in Ireland. The remains include a six storey tower which stands on a rock island. One...
Steeped in history , Drogheda was originally two walled municipalities on either side of the Boyne. It became an important English town in the middle Ages. The squat turret-shaped building on a hill is Mill Mount , the motte of a Norman castle built in...
Just West of Limerick City , this Shannon side village adjoins the demesne of Glin Castle , seat of the Fitzgeralds , who have lived in Glin for over 700 years. The present castle was built by the 24th Knight in 1785 as a Georgian...
Southeast of Galway City lies the lovely forest park , this was the former home of Lady Augusta Gregory and served as a favourite retreat for many of the leading writers of the 19th and 20th century literary and dramatic revival in Ireland , including...
The island lies low in the sea off the Galway coast surrounded by reefs and flanked by uninhabited Inishark. The cliffs on its Western end are wild and windswept but the Eastern end has sheltered beaches. Its turbulent history is recalled by the ruined castle which...
Ennis’s streets were described in the 19th century as ‘ill-defined and scattered’ , but today the narrow thoroughfares add to its character. Many of the old shop fronts remain on some of the best Irish crafts and knitwear outlets. The column in the town centre commemorates...
Baltimore is a small fishing port and a good sea-angling and sailing base , which serves as a port for ferries to Sherkin Island and Cape Clear. The remains of the castle , owned by the seafaring O’Driscoll clan , overlook the harbour. The village...
Just East of Cork City , the popular town is the popular town of Cobh , pronounced ‘cove’. This popular town is dominated by St. Colman’s Cathedral , designed by Pugin and Ashlin and built of blue Dalkey granite. The harbour’s deep-water anchorage was used as...
This little island where St. Caimin founded a monastery in the 7th century. Among the remains are five churches , a round tower , a hermit’s cell and the ‘Saint’s Graveyard’ , which contains inscribed slabs dating from the 8th to the 12th century. The...