Every corner of Ireland has its own unique charm, but some features stand out as magnets that draw multitudes of visitors year after year. Below you will find details of some Irish tourist attractions that you really should not miss.
Mount Stewart House and Gardens
Newtownards, Down
Mount Stewart is one of the most complete gardens in the care of the National Trust. The garden, designed by Edith, Lady of Londonderry from 1921, incorporates a wide range of gardening styles and supports an incomparable plant collection.
The glamorous Frances and Charles, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, collected works of art and furniture on their extensive travels and brought them back to Mount Stewart. Among their more spectacular aquisitions were the 22 chairs used at the Congress of Vienna.
When King Edward and Queen Alexandra visited the house in 1903, their hostess, the 6th Marchioness, employed 274 servants to take care of the royal guests. As a bride, the 7th Marchioness considered Mount Stewart the ‘dampest, darkest’ place and embarked on a comprehensive refurbishment of the house and gardens.
Cruit Island
Donegal, Donegal
Cruit Island is accessible just off the R259, via a small bridge. The island has a nine-hole golf course, but you don’t need to play golf to enjoy the island’s charms.
The wild bog and reed beds are a haven for wildlife and the views of the bay are unforgettable.
Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
Carrowmore, Sligo
Extending across many acres and into adjoining townlands, Carrowmore represents the largest grouping of megalithic monuments in Ireland. The immense Neolithic burial ground may once have hald more than 100 tombs. Casual exploration in the last century and contemporary gravel quarrying in the vicinity have devalued the archaeological potential of the site, but it remains a rewarding place to visit, steeped in atmosphere and evoking a sense of the past.
The megalithic character of the surviving truncated passage tombs derives from the huge ice-transported erratics used in the construction of the chambers. The equally massive kerbs of vanished cairns are sometimes mistaken for ritual stone circles, which they resemble. Recent controversial dating by a team of Swedish archaeologists suggests that several of the tombs may predate 400 BC.
The cairn-crowned hill of Knocknarea (1,014 feet), traditionally held to be the burial place of Queen Maeve of Connacht, lies to the north-west of the Carrowmore group.
Reginalds Tower Museum
The Quay, Waterford, Waterford
Located at the junction of the Quays and Mall, Reginald’s Tower is Waterford’s best known landmark. Erected by Reginald Maclvor, Danish Governor of Waterford, in 1003 A.D, the building has been described as the oldest tower of mortared stone in Europe.
It has been used as a fortress, a prison, a military stores depot, a mint, and an air raid shelter. Today, it houses the City’s Civic and Maritime Museum. Exhibits include the colourful regalia of the Corporation and the remarkable collection of 19 Royal Charters bestowed on the city by 11 English Monarchs.
Trinity College
College Street, Dublin 2, Dublin
Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, Trinity College is the oldest in the country and is situated in an enviable position in the very heart of Ireland’s capital. The college has produced such famous graduates as Edmund Burke, Oliver Goldsmith (whose statue stands outside), Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, and Bram Stoker.
The College distinguished itself by admitting female students to degrees as early as 1903. With its wide squares and gracious buildings, Trinity is an oasis of quiet encircled by busy streets. Its oldest surviving block, the Rubrics, dates from Queen Anne’s time. Today the college population exceeds 12,000 students and 1,200 staff.
Clonmacnoise, Shannonbridge, Offaly
Ireland’s premier monastic site is set in tranquil and inspiring surroundings on the banks of the River Shannon. The site includes the ruins of a cathedral, two round towers, eight churches, three high crosses, as well as a large collection of early Christian grave slabs.
Features include a visitor centre and museum display, a multi-lingual audio-visual presentation, a coffee shop, and a tourist information office.
Craggaunowen - The Living Past
Quin, Clare
During the Bronze Age, people protected themselves against marauding invaders by building their homes on lakes. These lake dwellings, known as “crannog,” have been recreated at Craggaunowen Castle. The Castle itself was restored by art historian John Hunt and now contains a part of his collection of medieval art.
The project also includes a ring fort, a reproduction of a farmer’s house dating from the 4th or 5th century, an Iron-Age roadway, and an outdoor cooking site or “Fulacht Fiadh”.
A key feature is the Brendan, the hide boat in which Tim Severin re-enacted the voyage of Saint Brendan from Ireland to America.
Rothe House
Parliament Street, Kilkenny, Kilkenny
Built by the prosperous merchant John Rothe in 1594, Rothe House was soon enlarged to accommodate his family of 12 children. Second and third houses were built around cobbled courtyards and a well dating to 1604. The second generation of Rothes and their families shared facilities including the well and the brewhouse. The house would have been very comfortably furnished by the standards of the day.
The Kilkenny Archaeological Society bought Rothe Houseand it has been lovingly restored. Within the house are various exhibitions from folk to costume and accessories.
The Society Library and the County Genealogical Research Service for Kilkenny are now located at Rothe House.
Newgrange & Brú na Bóinne
Donore, Meath
One of the great wonders of the ancient world, Newgrange is older than Stonehenge, Mycenae, or even the pyramids in Egypt. Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre is the starting point for a tour of Newgrange.
Bunratty Castle And Folk Park
Bunratty, Bunratty, Clare
Ireland’s most popular attraction, Bunratty Castle is also the most complete and authentic medieval castle in Ireland.
