One of the 4 Fassaroe Crosses The Rathmichael Cross is one of 4 distinct-looking crosses that are collectively known as the Fassaroe Crosses. They are generally wheel-shaped with a depiction of the crucifixion [...]
One of Ireland's finest historical houses Florence Court was the former home of 'The Earls of Enniskillene' and is regarded as one of the great houses of Ireland. It was built in 1755 [...]
Lough Erne's most strategic location Enniskillen Castle is located on an island that commands one of the few passes into Ulster. The first recorded castle here was built in the late 1400s [...]
Significant wildlife sanctuary once home to an important monastery Ireland's Eye is a small island with a martello fort on it that lies about a mile off the coast of Howth. Its largest [...]
Site of one of the largest European battles The Battle of the Boyne was fought between the armies of King William of Orange and his father-in-law, King James II of England. Billy had [...]
Malahide's traditional watering hole Gibney's pub was previously known as The Abercorn Tavern until 1937 when James Joseph Gibney bought it for £2500. It has remained in the same family for 5 generations. [...]
Zig-zags, cup marks and swirls The Ardmore Gallen Stone is one of the most impressive standing stones in Ireland. It stands over 6 ft tall and is 3ft wide in a largely forgotten [...]
The oldest monument on the Inishowen Peninsula The Morton God Dolmen may date back to 3500 BC and is one of the most overlooked ancient monuments in Inishowen. This portal tomb was believed to [...]
Once the stronghold of the O'Donnells Donegal Castle was built by the O'Donnell Clan around 1470. It stayed in their hands until 1607 when many Irish chieftains including Red Hugh O'Donnell fled Ireland [...]
One of Ireland's finest plantation castles This site was originally the stronghold of the Maguire Clan whose outline of a crannog can still be seen at the shoreline. Monea Castle was built for [...]
A Christmas Massacre Tully Castle was built on the shores of Upper Lough Erne in 1612 by a Scottish planter called Sir John Hume on former lands controlled by the Maguire Clan. After [...]
A memorial to 'Honest Dick' The Dawson Memorial is situated between Cootehill and Rockcorry and dominates the surrounding area due to its great height. It was erected in 1809 by the independent voters [...]
One of Ireland's earliest decorated High Crosses St Mura’s Cross is located in the ancient monastic site at Fahan, County Donegal. This is a rare 'slab' type cross that is generally believed to be [...]
One of the North's finest ancient burial chambers The Clontygora tomb is located on a prominent hillside in South Armagh and is locally known as 'The King’s Ring'. The tomb has an odd [...]
The earliest datable stone monument in Ireland The Kilnasaggart Pillar Stone dates to 700 AD and stands 6 feet tall. There is Ogham script on the stone that translates to ‘ this place, [...]
The mothership of Ireland's ancient monuments Newgrange is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is part of a complex of over 35 similar types of monuments built along the bend of the River [...]
One of Donegal's earliest 'Big Houses' Buncrana Castle is located near the mouth of the Crana River beside a small castle known as 'O'Doherty’s Keep’. These lands and most of Donegal were seized [...]
Mythological ancient caves The limestone caves of Kesh can be reached by a 200m ascent up a steep grassy slope on the side of a mountain near Ballymote in County Sligo. There [...]
The only castle in Ireland with its original roof Dunsoglhy Castle is located on private land near the end of Dublin Airport's runway. It was built by Sir Thomas Plunkett whose family was [...]
Ireland's first stone-built church The name Duleek derives from a word meaning 'house of stone' and this is the first reference in Ireland to such a church being made from stone rather than [...]
The last lighthouse to be automated in Ireland The Baily Lighthouse is located at the end of a promontory on Howth overlooking Dublin Bay. This is the historic shipping channel between Dublin and [...]
Location of the Asgard ammunition dump Howth Harbour Lighthouse is a beautiful little structure with strong circular walls and a gun position. The lighthouse keeper’s Georgian Style residence was occupied up until 1955 [...]
Waterford’s oldest and most famous music bar T & H Doolan's Pub was established in 1710 and is Waterford’s oldest tavern. Some parts of its internal walls were originally part of the 14th-century city [...]
One of Ireland's most beautiful 18th-century bridges Scarawalsh Bridge was built in 1795 and is a well-known landmark located between Enniscorthy and Ferns in County Wexford. This 6 arch humpback road bridge spans [...]
An exquisite example of Victorian industrial architecture Herdman's Mill was built in Sion Mills in 1853 on the banks of the River Mourne by the Herdman Brothers. The River Mourne has powered industrial [...]
The ancestral home of the O'Brien's Dromoland is the ancestral home of the O’Briens who are the direct descendants of Brian Boru and are one of the few Royal Gaelic families. The earliest castle [...]
A fantasy hunting lodge & a ground breaking court case In 1872 Fitzwilliam Hume commissioned William White to design a country retreat for his summer shooting season. When White over-ran the budget by [...]
Ireland's only vintage radio museum Howth Martello is one of 21 Martello towers that have survived in County Dublin. Many have been demolished and some are privately owned. In 2003, Pat Herbert, who [...]
The oldest scientific institution in Northern Ireland Armagh Observatory was established by Richard Robinson, Archbishop of Armagh, in 1789. This was the 2nd observatory in Ireland to be established after Dunsink in Dublin. [...]
The gorgeous gatehouse to a musical castle This was the location of the famous battle of Clontarf of 1014 involving Brian Boru. The first castle here was built by Hugh de Lacy in [...]
A former barracks re-imagined for conflict resolution The Glencree Barracks is located in a stunningly wild location in the Wicklow Mountains. It was built in 1806 as a direct response to both the [...]
Ireland's premier accommodation for guests of the nation Farmleigh was originally a small Georgian house in Phoenix Park. It was purchased by Edward Cecil Guinness on his marriage to his cousin, Adelaide Guinness [...]
Ireland's only double-decker bridge Craigavon Bridge is the oldest of Derry's 3 bridges and is the 3rd one built at this location over the mighty River Foyle. The 1st was built with wood in [...]
Dublin's most architecturally significant building Custom House Quay was built between 1781 - 1791 and is regarded as a masterpiece of European neoclassicism. It was designed by James Gandon (1743 – 1823) who [...]
One of the last round towers to survive in Dublin Sword's Round Tower stands 26 m high and is instantly recognizable from its crumbling windows and cap and its unique stone cross at [...]
A former residence of Dublin's Bishop Swords Castle dates back to 1190 AD. This was the residence of John Comyn 1st Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin. It had a huge 305m perimeter wall covering [...]
A memorial built for a loving husband Round towers normally date back to the 9th or 10th centuries but this one, however, is only 170 years old. It can be found on the [...]
Thousands of mini-standing stones uncovered in a bog The mysterious Beaghmore Stone Circles date from between 2900 BC to 1200 BC. They were uncovered by local peat cutters in the 1940s and are [...]
The only Corinthian column in the world with an internal staircase This monument was built in 1841 and stands over 28meters high on Carrigadaggan Hill in County Wexford. It was commissioned by General [...]
A bird lovers paradise Inch Island is located in the middle of Lough Swilly in County Donegal. It is not a ‘true’ island anymore because, in 1855, The Lough Swilly Railway Company drained [...]
Once the largest smock windmill in Europe This former windmill, now known as St Patrick's Tower, was the largest smock windmill in Europe. It was used to power the Roe Distillery on Thomas [...]
The largest collection of medieval architecture in Ireland The Rock of Cashel is one of Ireland's most striking monuments. It was previously known as St Patrick’s Rock as it was reputed to be [...]
Don't look out the window of this impressive Norman castle Castle Roche was built in 1236 by the De Verdun family on a steep rocky outcrop which made it virtually impregnable. De Verdun [...]
Standing stone associated with the greatest hero in Irish folklore Cúchulainn's Stone (or Clochafarmore) stands 10 feet tall and may date to anytime between 1000 BC and 500 AD. The various stories of [...]
World-class heritage site with 25% of Europe's megalithic art Knowth is one of Ireland's great ancient sites and is part of The Bru Na Boinne World Heritage complex of passage tombs. There is [...]
Ireland's longest bar The Hole in the Wall Pub dates back to the mid-1650s. During these times, merchants, noblemen, and servants of the king would travel to the city on horses by coach [...]
The Quakers of Ireland & The Leadbeater Papers Griesebank House was a former school for Quakers. It was founded by Abraham Shackleton 1726, the forefather of the great polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton. Quakers [...]
Ireland's finest example of a 'transitional castle' Portumna Castle was built during a period when fortified tower houses were slowly transforming into large country manors. It was built for Richard de Burgo, the [...]