The earliest known human settlement of Ireland occurred in the Mesolithic 8000BC, when tribes from Europe crossed to Ireland by boat from Scotland, or possibly across a land-bridge from Britain or the Isle of Man, to the east coast of Ireland. Hunter-gatherer habitation sites and...
West of Sligo, on the south side of the estuary, is the resort of Strandhill. On the shore to the north is the church of Killespugbrone (church of Bishop Bronus), named after a disciple of St. Patrick. A curious feature of this little ruin is...
The picturesque village of Edzell, with its broad main street and grandiose monumental arch, dates from the early 19th century when Lord Panmure decided that the original medieval village, a mile to the west, spoiled the view from Edzell Castle. The old village was razed...
Bective Abbey, on the left bank of the Boyne close to Bective Bridge is one of the more picturesque of the ruined abbeys of Meath. It was founded in 1147 for Cistercians by Murchad O’Melaghlin, King of Meath and soon rose to importance, its abbot...
A massive collection of stone, with a heavy cubist beauty, Hermitage Castle sits isolated beside a rushing stream surrounded by bleak, empty moorland. Dating from the 13th century, but substantially rebuilt in the 15th, it embodies the brutal history of the Borders; the stones themselves...
Valetina Island – also known as Valencia – with its dramatic cliffs at Bray Head, is separated from the mainland by a torturous sound with narrow entrances. It is 11km long and 3km broad, and was once famous for its slate. The original Altlantic cable...
Situated at the eastern end of North Street is the ruined western end of St Andrews Cathedral, once the largest and one of the most magnificent cathedrals in Britain; the striking ruins convey a sense of its immensity. Although it was founded in 1160, it...
Thurles is an ancient episcopal market town, where in 1174 Strongbow met his match at the hands of Donal O’Brien and Roderick O’Connor. The castle (12th century) guards the bridge over the Suir, and there is another smaller fort near the square. The handsome Cathedral of...
The country’s historical roots are deeply embedded in the sandy soils of Central Scotland. Significant ruins and castles that chronicle the region’s charismatic history pepper the landscape. Key battlegrounds shaped the country’s fortunes around Stirling, and Perth is the former capital where kings were crowned...
From Castlebaldwin, just northwest of the lough, a minor road leads west to Ballymote, famous for its strong castle, flanked by six corner towers. Built in 1300 by Richard de Burgh, the ‘Red Earl’ of Ulster it became a bone of contention in the Civil...