Clackmannanshire Inviting Clackmannanshire has some great attractions that are worth a detour if you’re in the Stirling region. The tiny district is a top spot for day trips from the city of Stirling. Dollar About 11 miles east of Stirling, in the lower Ochil Hills, is the charming...
Island Of Saints And Scholars The coming of Christianity to Ireland in early 5th century was unlike its arrival any other country. Throughout much of the Roman Empire the religion was spread by and edict, imposed upon a conquered people by the occupying Roman administration. But...
Kilkenny, County Kilkenny Before the Normans came in the 12th century, Kilkenny’s houses clung to the 6th century monastery of St Canice and the settlement was the capital of Ossory, a sub-Kingdom of Leinster. But the strategic possibilities of the hilltop site where quickly grasped by...
The Lower Shannon As the mighty River Shannon tumbles down from Lough Derg, the last and largest of its lakes, to its deep estuary on the Atlantic coast, it provides a natural border for the three countries that surround its lower reaches – Limerick, Tipperary and...
Between Coachford and Macroom and ancient bridge spans one of the loveliest reaches of the River Lee, and on a rock in the river stand the ruins of Carrigadrohid, once a stronghold of the MacCarthy clan. The name translates as ‘the rock of the bridge’. A...
Looking north across the Boyne, Slane is a pretty sight. The main road sweeps down beside a ruined church to a long, narrow bridge, and beyond that, on a hillside, rises the well-planned 18th-century village. The octagonal focal point where the roads meet at its...
Rebels on their way back from the Battle of Carlow were ambushed in Hacketstown, and the bloody lighting between rebels and yeomanry continued until 250 rebels lay dead. Today, Hacketstown is a more peaceful place as a centre for walking in the Wicklow Mountains. The...
Sited on a rock Island in the River Suir , this predominantly 15th century defensive castle is the largest of its period in Ireland. It is built on the site of a 3rd century fort , and King Brian Boru had a residence here during...