The last great stone cathedral to be built in Europe The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas is more commonly known as Galway Cathedral. This site, on the banks [...]
Ireland's best-preserved ancient church The Gallarus Oratory is located at the end of the Dingle Peninsula. It has been suggested that 'Gall Aras' translates to mean 'the house for foreigners (or pilgrims) by [...]
Look out for the smiley face The Fourknocks' name may derive from the Irish word ‘Fuair Cnocs’ meaning ‘cold hills’ or it just may refer to the four tombs on the nearby hills. [...]
Regarded as Ireland's finest High Cross Muiredach's High Cross stands 18 feet tall and is so named because of an inscription on its base that reads 'a prayer for Muiredach by whom this [...]
Ireland's longest river The River Shannon flows 260 km and is by far the longest river in Ireland or the British Isles. It is named after the Celtic goddess, Sionna whose source is the [...]
One of Ireland's most beautiful beaches Ballymastocker Bay is also known as Portsalon Beach. This is a truly spectacular Blue Flag beach located on the Fanad Peninsula in north county Donegal. It was [...]
Ireland's most northerly pint! Farren's Bar has been in the Farren Family for six generations and holds the claim to being Ireland's most northerly pub. According to online blogs...it apparently has stools along [...]
A lighthouse landmark without a light In 1781, architect John Trail was given the task of designing not one, but two lighthouses on the top of Wicklow Head. This was to eliminate the [...]
Northern Ireland's No.1 tourist attraction This incredible piece of architecture is Titanic Belfast which was designed by the American-born architect Eric Kuhne and built by Harcourt Developments. It takes you on a journey [...]
The oldest pub in the World Sean's Bar was originally known as 'Luain's Inn' and has uneven sawdust floors, ceiling supports, cozy snugs, and pitted fireplaces. It is located in Athlone on the [...]
Connemara's stunning fjord In geology, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Ireland has 3 true examples which are Lough Swilly, Carlingford, and Killary. [...]
Ireland's highest mountain Carrantuohill in co. Kerry is Ireland's highest mountain standing at 1,038 m or 3,406 ft. It is the central peak of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks range and is topped by a large [...]
The most northerly point of Ireland Banba's Crown is Ireland's most northerly building on the mainland. It was named 'Banba' after the mythological patron goddess of Ireland and was built by the British [...]
Ireland's highest waterfall Powerscourt Waterfall cascades down 398 feet into a stunning glaciated valley covered in beech, oak, larch, and even giant redwoods. This area of outstanding natural beauty could have also been [...]
The oldest operational lighthouse in the World Tradition states that Dubhán, a missionary monk, established some sort of beacon at this location as early as the 5th century AD. Interestingly, the word 'dubhán' [...]
A thorny little island Dalkey Island lies less than 300 meters off the south Dublin coastline and its name translates to 'Thorny Island' in Irish. This 22-acre island has been occupied for 6000 [...]
The oldest field system in the World In the 1930s, a local schoolmaster, Patrick Caulfield from Belderrig, noticed piles of symmetrical stones when he was cutting turf in the 1930s. It dawned on [...]
Some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe The Slieve League Cliffs are amongst the highest sea cliffs in Europe rising 1972 feet above the Atlantic Ocean (making them nearly 3 times higher [...]
Lambs, Ancient Axes & Wallabies Lambay Island lies just 4km off the north County Dublin coast and is the easternmost point of Ireland. This has been a unique production site for axes from [...]
4500-year-old tomb in a housing estate Many ancient monuments have survived for 2 main reasons. The first is because the sheer weight of the stones has stopped people from removing them, and [...]
An abbey under The Rock Hore Abbey was founded in 1266 as a Benedictine abbey. Soon after, it was transferred to the ownership of the Cistercians after the Archbishop of Cashel David McCarvill, [...]
A cross once used for hanging rebels Kells is one of the oldest continuously settled towns in Ireland and has produced many rich historical artifacts. The most famous of these is the world-famous [...]
The last walled city to be built in Europe Derry is the last walled city to be built in Europe. The walls were built between 1613 & 1618 during the reign of James I [...]
A picture-perfect dolmen The Poulnabrone Dolmen is located in a dramatic and sparsely populated area known as 'The Burren'. This is a classic example of a portal tomb with the taller portal stones [...]
Mysterious carvings on an ancient rock The Clonfinlough Stone lies in a field near Clonlough in County Offaly. It has mysterious carvings that may date as far back as 1000 BC or they [...]
A unique Napoleonic fort on a river This odd-looking building is the Old Fort at Shannonbridge. It was built in 1810 beside the oldest bridge on the Shannon which dates from 1757. At [...]
Once one of the most important places of learning in Europe The monastery of Clonmacnoise was founded by St Ciarán in 546 AD. Ciaran was a young preacher who convinced the local king [...]
The O'Neill Dynasty was according to legend founded by Niall of the Nine Hostages who ruled from Tara in the late 4th or early 5th century. Myth has it that he was descended from [...]
The highest bridge in Ireland for 150 years Not many people are aware whilst driving into Enniskerry on the R117 that they passing over the Knocksink Bridge. When it was built in 1859 [...]
Palladius was an early Irish missionary and the first bishop of Ireland. He was probably of British or Roman descent and the immediate predecessor to St. Patrick by about 30 years. He was possibly [...]
What's so special? Nothing much - except being the Patron Saint of Ireland! Saint Patrick, the son of a Welsh Roman and a former slave was born in c.387 a.d and died 460 [...]
Saint Brigit of Kildare is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Patrick and Columba. Her name is also variously spelled as Brigid, Bridget, Bridgit, Bríd, and Bride and is sometimes also known as [...]
Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise was supposedly the son of a carpenter and was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. His name has produced many variant spellings, including Ceran, Kieran, and Queran. He was [...]
Dublin City's oldest ancient monument This little cist grave is known as the Knockmaree Dolmen or Linkardstown Tomb. It dates from 2500 BC and making it the oldest monument to survive in Dublin's [...]
The largest collection of rare whiskeys in the country In 1599, Sir William Temple, a renowned teacher, and philosopher built a house here on newly reclaimed land from the River Liffey. In 1656, [...]
Once the largest military barracks in Europe Collins Barracks was built in 1702 and was one of the largest barracks in Europe. It was, with the exception of the Royal Hospital at Kilmainham [...]
The Knights Templar in Ireland After the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, large areas of land around the Hook Peninsula were given to the order Knights Templar Order, a brotherhood of monastic [...]
Voted Ireland's 'Building of the Century' This stunning and timeless building is St. Aengus' Church located in Burt, co. Donegal. It was built in 1967 and was designed by local award-winning architects Frank [...]
The Beaker culture is the name of a cultural phenomenon which occurred in large parts of Western Europe during the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age period. The term was coined by John Abercromby, [...]
'allegedly'.. the most haunted house in Ireland! Loftus Hall was built by The 4th Marquess of Ely in 1872 and soon after this date strange happenings began. One infamous story took place on [...]
A beautiful abbey founded by the greatest Norman knight Tintern Abbey was founded in 1200 by William Marshall, the 1st Earl of Pembroke. Marshal had set sail for Ireland on his first visit [...]
Ireland's best-kept archaeological secret The Loughcrew passage tomb dates back to 3200 BC and is not only 500 years older than Newgrange but is also located 800 feet above sea level. It has [...]
In Irish mythology, the Fomoire or Fomorians were a semi-divine race and were believed to have been one of the first tribes to inhabit Ireland in ancient times. They are believed to be the [...]
Give me Shell Tour This stunning little house was built in 1750 for Emily Fitzgerald. She was a great-granddaughter of Charles II who married James Fitzgerald in 1747 of Carton House. When Emily's [...]
James Gandon is today recognized as one of the leading architects to have worked in Ireland. He was born in Bond Street, London - 29th February 1742, at the house of his [...]
In ancient times, the Fir Bolg were the rulers of Ireland before the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The origin of the Fir Bolg name is, as usual, the subject of [...]
Brian Ború was born near Killaloe in 941 and is regarded as Ireland's greatest High King. He was a member of the O'Brien dynasty and an ancestor of the Kings of Thomond. He was [...]
Richard de Clare (Strongbow) was a Welsh lord and the Earl of Pembroke. In 1169, Dermont MacMurrough, the king of Leinster was defeated by Roderic, the king of Connacht. Dermont went to Wales and [...]