Tourist destinations in Ireland
Encyclopedia

Destinations by county
Counties of Ireland
The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...

  • Antrim
    County Antrim
    County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...

    • Antrim Coast and Glens
      Antrim Coast and Glens
      The Antrim Coast and Glens is an area of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1988.The designation takes in the coastline from Ballycastle in the north to Larne in the south of County Antrim, and includes Rathlin Island...

    • Ballycastle
      Ballycastle, County Antrim
      Ballycastle is a small town in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its population was 5,089 people in the 2001 Census. It is the seat and main settlement of Moyle District Council....

    • Belfast
      Belfast
      Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

      , capital of Northern Ireland
      Northern Ireland
      Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

      , second largest city on the island
      • Edwardian City Hall
        Belfast City Hall
        Belfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council. Located in Donegall Square, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, it faces north and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre.-History:...

      • the murals in Falls Road, Sandy Row
        Sandy Row
        Sandy Row is a Protestant working-class community in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. It has a population of about 3,000. It is a staunchly loyalist area of Belfast, being a traditional heartland for affiliation with the paramilitary Ulster Defence Association and the Orange Order.-Location:Sandy...

         and Shankill Road
    • Carrickfergus Castle
      Carrickfergus Castle
      Carrickfergus Castle is a Norman castle in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the northern shore of Belfast Lough. Besieged in turn by the Scots, Irish, English and French, the castle played an important military role until 1928 and remains one of the best...

    • Giant's Causeway
      Giant's Causeway
      The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills...

      , a geological phenomenon and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
    • most of Lough Neagh
      Lough Neagh
      Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...

      , the island's largest lake, lies in Antrim.
    • Rathlin Island
      Rathlin Island
      Rathlin Island is an island off the coast of County Antrim, and is the northernmost point of Northern Ireland. Rathlin is the only inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland, with a rising population of now just over 100 people, and is the most northerly inhabited island off the Irish coast...

       off the coast

  • Armagh
    County Armagh
    -History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...

    • Armagh
      Armagh
      Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...

       city - ecclesiastical capital of all Ireland.
      • St. Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh - seat of the Church of Ireland
        Church of Ireland
        The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

         Archbishop of Armagh
        Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland)
        The Anglican Archbishop of Armagh is the ecclesiastical head of the Church of Ireland, the metropolitan of the Province of Armagh and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Armagh....

        .
      • Catholic St. Patrick's Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Armagh
        Archbishop of Armagh
        The Archbishop of Armagh is the title of the presiding ecclesiastical figure of each of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland in the region around Armagh in Northern Ireland...

        , primate of All Ireland

  • Carlow
    County Carlow
    County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...

    • Brownshill Dolmen
      Brownshill Dolmen
      The Brownshill Dolmen is a megalithic portal tomb situated 3 km east of Carlow, in County Carlow, Ireland. It lies just off the R726 regional road and is clearly visible from the road. The capstone at Brownshill, weighing an estimated 100 metric tons, is reputed to be the heaviest in Europe...


  • Clare
    County Clare
    -History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

    • Bunratty Castle
      Bunratty Castle
      Bunratty Castle is a large tower house in County Clare, Ireland. It lies in the centre of Bunratty village , by the N18 road between Limerick and Ennis, near Shannon Town and its airport. The name Bunratty, Bun Raite in Irish, means the 'bottom' or end of the 'Ratty' river. This river, alongside...

    • The Burren
      The Burren
      The Burren is a karst-landscape region or alvar in northwest County Clare, in Ireland. It is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. The region measures approximately 250 square kilometres and is enclosed roughly within the circle made by the villages Ballyvaughan, Kinvara, Tubber, Corofin,...

      , a karst
      KARST
      Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...

       landscape
    • Cliffs of Moher
      Cliffs of Moher
      The Cliffs of Moher are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of the Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Ireland....

    • Lisdoonvarna, spa town and site of a matchmaking
      Matchmaking
      Matchmaking is any process of matching two people for the purpose of marriage or a sporting contest.-Practice:In some cultures, the role of the matchmaker was and is quite professionalized...

       festival in late summer and autumn

  • Cork
    County Cork
    County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

    • Beara Peninsula
      Beara Peninsula
      The Beara Peninsula is a peninsula on the south-west coast of Ireland, bounded between the Kenmare "river" to the north side and Bantry Bay to the south. It has two mountain ranges running down its centre: the Caha Mountains and the Slieve Miskish Mountains...

    • Blarney
      Blarney
      Blarney is a town and townland in County Cork, Ireland. It lies north-west of Cork and is famed as the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.-Tourism:Blarney town is a major tourist attraction in County Cork...

       with its nearby Castle
      Blarney Castle
      Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, near Cork, Ireland, and the River Martin. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of the Kings of Desmond, and dates from 1446...

      , home of the Blarney Stone
      Blarney Stone
      The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about from Cork, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab . The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446...

    • Cork City
      Cork (city)
      Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

      , second city of the Republic of Ireland
      Republic of Ireland
      Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

      • University campus (University College Cork)
      • St. Finbarre's Cathedral
      • Church of St Anne (Shandon)
        Church of St Anne (Shandon)
        The Church of St Anne is a Church of Ireland church located in the Shandon district of Cork city in Ireland. It is situated a top a hill overlooking the River Lee.- History :...

      • English Market
    • Béal na mBláth
      Béal na mBláth
      Béal na mBláth, officially Béal Átha na Bláiche , is a small village in County Cork, Ireland. Both Bláth or Bláiche are variations of the word bláthach, meaning literally "flowery" or "floral", or in this case "buttermilk"....

      , place where Michael Collins
      Michael Collins (Irish leader)
      Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...

       was shot dead
    • Kinsale
      Kinsale
      Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...

    • Mizen Head
      Mizen Head
      Mizen Head , is located at the extremity of a peninsula in the district of Carbery in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of the extreme points of the island of Ireland and is a major tourist attraction, noted for its dramatic cliff scenery...

      , southwesternmost point of Ireland
    • Youghal
      Youghal
      Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...

      , a picturesque seaport town

  • Donegal
    County Donegal
    County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

    • The King
      The King
      - In gaming :* King Harkinian, a character in The Legend of Zelda video game series* The King, the chess engine in the computer game Chessmaster...

       The King (Ri) of Tory (Toraigh) Island: King Patsaí Dan Mac Ruaidhrí
    • Buncrana
    • Donegal town with Donegal Castle
      Donegal castle
      Donegal Castle is a castle situated in the centre of Donegal town, County Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. For most of the last two centuries, the majority of the buildings lay in ruins but the castle was almost fully restored in the late 1990s....

    • Glenveagh National Park with Glenveagh Castle
      Glenveagh Castle
      Glenveagh Castle is a large castellated Mansion house built in the Scottish Baronial style within Glenveagh National Park, near both Churchill and Gweedore in County Donegal, Ireland...

    • Grianan of Aileach
      Grianan of Aileach
      The Grianán of Aileach is a group of historic monuments in County Donegal, Ireland built on the hill of Grianán which is 244 metres high. Most writers have identified the site as being the great “royal fort” of Aileach...

      , historic monuments
    • Killybegs
      Killybegs
      Killybegs is the largest fishing port in County Donegal and in Ireland. It is located on the south coast of the county, north of Donegal Bay, near Donegal Town. The town is situated at the head of a scenic harbour and at the base of a vast mountainous tract extending northward...

    • Letterkenny
      Letterkenny
      Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...

    • The Rosses
      The Rosses
      The Rosses is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, centred around the town of Dungloe, which acts as the educational, shopping and civil centre for the area...

    • Slieve League
      Slieve League
      Slieve League, sometimes Slieve Leag or Slieve Liag , is a mountain on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. At , it has Ireland's highest sea cliffs...


  • Down
    County Down
    -Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

    • Downpatrick
      Downpatrick
      Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...

       with the reputed gravesite of Saint Patrick
      Saint Patrick
      Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....

       in Down Cathedral
      Down Cathedral
      Down Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a Church of Ireland cathedral located in the town of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. It stands on Cathedral Hill overlooking the town.-History:...

    • Mourne Mountains
    • Irish linen
      Irish linen
      Irish linen is the brand name given to linen produced in Ireland. Linen is cloth woven from, or yarn spun from the flax fibre, which was grown in Ireland for many years before advanced agricultural methods and more suitable climate led to the concentration of quality flax cultivation in northern...

       - Thomas Ferguson & Co Ltd
      Thomas Ferguson & Co Ltd
      Thomas Ferguson Irish Linen is the last remaining of the old established Irish linen Jacquard weavers in Ireland. Situated in Banbridge, Northern Ireland it has been weaving since 1854. The Company, bears the name of its founder, Thomas Ferguson , who was born at Clare, near the village of...

       the last remaining Irish linen
      Irish linen
      Irish linen is the brand name given to linen produced in Ireland. Linen is cloth woven from, or yarn spun from the flax fibre, which was grown in Ireland for many years before advanced agricultural methods and more suitable climate led to the concentration of quality flax cultivation in northern...

       Damask Factory

  • Dublin City, largest city on the island, capital and cultural and economic centre of the Republic of Ireland
    Republic of Ireland
    Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

    • Dublin Castle
      Dublin Castle
      Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...

       - former seat of British rule, now a major Irish government complex.
    • Phoenix Park
      Phoenix Park
      Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...

       - "largest inner city park in the world"; within the park are Ashtown Castle
      Ashtown Castle
      Ashtown Castle is a fortified house in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.It was found hidden within the walls of a much larger and more recent building that was being used by the Papal Nuncio until 1978. At that time, the more recent and larger building was deemed structurally irreparable due to dry rot....

       and Dublin Zoo
      Dublin Zoo
      Dublin Zoo , in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland is the largest zoo in Ireland and one of Dublin's most popular attractions. Opened in 1831, the zoo describes its role as conservation, study, and education...

    • Áras an Uachtaráin
      Áras an Uachtaráin
      Áras an Uachtaráin , formerly the Viceregal Lodge, is the official residence of the President of Ireland. It is located in the Phoenix Park on the northside of Dublin.-Origins:...

       - residence of the President of Ireland
      President of Ireland
      The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...

      , also within the Phoenix Park.
    • Government Buildings
      Government Buildings
      Government Buildings is a large Edwardian building enclosing a quadrangle on Merrion Street in Dublin, Ireland, in which several key offices of the government of Ireland are located...

       on Merrion Street
    • General Post Office
      General Post Office (Dublin)
      The General Post Office ' in Dublin is the headquarters of the Irish postal service, An Post, and Dublin's principal post office...

       building - headquarter of the 1916 Easter Rising rebels
      Easter Rising
      The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...

      , on O'Connell Street
      O'Connell Street
      O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...

      , the main thoroughfare of Dublin's Northside
      Northside (Dublin)
      The Northside is the area in County Dublin, Ireland bounded to the south by the River Liffey to the east by Dublin Bay, to the north and west by the boundaries of County Dublin.- Introduction :...

      .
    • National Gallery of Ireland
      National Gallery of Ireland
      The National Gallery of Ireland houses the Irish national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street. It was founded in 1854 and opened its doors ten years later...

      , houses the Irish national collection of Irish and European art.
    • National Library of Ireland
      National Library of Ireland
      The National Library of Ireland is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....

      , has a large quantity of Irish historical, literary and Irish-related material.
    • Glasnevin Cemetery
      Glasnevin Cemetery
      Glasnevin Cemetery , officially known as Prospect Cemetery, is the largest non-denominational cemetery in Ireland with an estimated 1.5 million burials...

       - burial location of Éamon de Valera
      Éamon de Valera
      Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...

      , Michael Collins
      Michael Collins (Irish leader)
      Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...

      , Roger Casement
      Roger Casement
      Roger David Casement —Sir Roger Casement CMG between 1911 and shortly before his execution for treason, when he was stripped of his British honours—was an Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary, and nationalist....

      , Seán T. O'Kelly
      Sean T. O'Kelly
      Seán Thomas O'Kelly was the second President of Ireland . He was a member of Dáil Éireann from 1918 until his election as President. During this time he served as Minister for Local Government and Minister for Finance...

      :
      Daniel O'Connell
      Daniel O'Connell
      Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...

      , Charles Stewart Parnell
      Charles Stewart Parnell
      Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...

      , Timothy Healy
      Timothy Michael Healy
      Timothy Michael Healy, KC , also known as Tim Healy, was an Irish nationalist politician, journalist, author, barrister and one of the most controversial Irish Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

    • Irish National War Memorial Gardens
      Irish National War Memorial Gardens
      The Irish National War Memorial Gardens is an Irish war memorial in Islandbridge, Dublin dedicated "to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914–1918", out of over 300,000 Irishmen who served in all armies....

      , Islandbridge, Dublin, memorial to Irish war dead in First World War
      World War I
      World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

    • Kilmainham Gaol
      Kilmainham Gaol
      Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison, located in Kilmainham in Dublin, which is now a museum. It has been run since the mid-1980s by the Office of Public Works , an Irish Government agency...

      , a former prison where, among others, most of the rebels of 1916 were held and executed; now used as a museum.
    • Four Courts
      Four Courts
      The Four Courts in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's main courts building. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court. The building until 2010 also formerly was the location for the Central Criminal Court.-Gandon's Building:Work based on...

      , seat of the Supreme Court of Ireland
    • Garden of Remembrance
      Garden of Remembrance (Dublin)
      The Garden of Remembrance is a memorial garden in Dublin dedicated to the memory of "all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom"...

       Parnell Sq., Dublin, Republican memorial.
    • Irish National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin (Northside).
    • National Museum of Ireland
      National Museum of Ireland
      The National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...

       for Archaeology (in Kildare St) and Decorative Art and History (in the former Collins Barracks)
    • St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
      St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
      St Mary's Church , known also as St Mary's Pro-Cathedral or simply the Pro-Cathedral, is a pro-cathedral and is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland.-Status as "pro-cathedral":...

       - seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin
      Archbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic)
      The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Archdiocese of Dublin. The Church of Ireland has a similar role, heading the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. In both cases, the Archbishop is also Primate of Ireland...

      .
    • Christ Church Cathedral
      Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
      Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the Ecclesiastical province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the Church of Ireland...

       - seat of Anglican Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin
      Archbishop of Dublin (Church of Ireland)
      The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough in the Church of Ireland...

    • St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland's "national cathedral"
    • St Stephen's Green, a landscaped inner-city centre public park in Dublin
    • Smithfield, Dublin
      Smithfield, Dublin
      Smithfield is an area on the northside of Dublin. Its focal point is a public square, formerly an open market, now officially called Smithfield Plaza, but known locally as Smithfield Square or Smithfield Market....

      , a culturally re-developing, increasingly "fashionable" area
    • Trinity College, Dublin
      Trinity College, Dublin
      Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...

       (also called the University of Dublin) - Ireland's oldest university, founded by Queen Elizabeth I
      Elizabeth I of England
      Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...

       and home of the Book of Kells
      Book of Kells
      The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created by Celtic monks ca. 800 or slightly earlier...

       and the Book of Durrow
      Book of Durrow
      The Book of Durrow is a 7th-century illuminated manuscript gospel book in the Insular style. It was probably created between 650 and 700, in Northumbria in Northern England, where Lindisfarne or Durham would be the likely candidates, or on the island of Iona in the Scottish Inner Hebrides...

      . (The film Educating Rita was made on the campus.)
    • Georgian Dublin
      Georgian Dublin
      Georgian Dublin is a phrase used in the History of Dublin that has two interwoven meanings,# to describe a historic period in the development of the city of Dublin, Ireland, from 1714 to the death in 1830 of King George IV...

      , view of eighteenth century streetscape of Dublin (e.g. Fitzwilliam Square
      Fitzwilliam Square
      Fitzwilliam Square is a small but historic Georgian square in the south of central Dublin, Ireland. It was the last of the five Georgian squares in Dublin to be built....

      , Merrion Square
      Merrion Square
      Merrion Square is a Georgian square on the southside of Dublin city centre. It was laid out after 1762 and was largely complete by the beginning of the 19th century. It is considered one of the city's finest surviving squares...

      ).
    • St. James's Gate Brewery
    • Old Jameson Distillery
      Jameson Irish Whiskey
      Jameson is a single distillery Irish whiskey produced by a division of the French distiller Pernod Ricard. Jameson is similar in its adherence to the single distillery principle to the single malt tradition, but Jameson combines malted barley with unmalted or "green" barley...

    • St. Michan's Church
      St. Michan's Church
      St. Michan's Church, located in Church Street, Dublin, Ireland, is a Church of Ireland church.-Building:Built on the site of an early Danish chapel , the current structure dates largely from a reconstruction in 1686, but is still the only parish church on the north side of the Liffey surviving...

    • Ha'penny Bridge
      Ha'penny Bridge
      The Ha'penny Bridge , known later for a time as the Penny Ha'penny Bridge, and officially the Liffey Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge built in 1816 over the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland...

      , a famous Victorian walker bridge spanning across the Liffey
    • Temple Bar
      Temple Bar, Dublin
      Temple Bar is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland. Unlike the areas surrounding it, Temple Bar has preserved its medieval street pattern, with many narrow cobbled streets. It is promoted as "Dublin's cultural quarter" and has a lively nightlife that is popular...

      , a mainly cobblestone
      Cobblestone
      Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...

      quarter, directly on the Southern banks of the Liffey, popular for its cultural and nightlife spots.
    • Croke Park
      Croke Park
      Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

      , one of Europe's largest stadiums, with the Museum of the Gaelic Athletic Association
      Gaelic Athletic Association
      The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

    • Grand Canal and Royal Canal

    • Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
      Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
      Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. Located to the south-east of Dublin city, its county seat is the town of Dún Laoghaire. It is one of the four constituent parts of the Dublin Region...

      • the panoramic southern Dublin Bay
        Dublin Bay
        Dublin Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south...

         with the towns of Dalkey
        Dalkey
        Dalkey is suburb of Dublin and seaside resort in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement and became an important port during the Middle Ages. According to John Clyn, it was one of the ports through which the plague entered Ireland in the mid-14th century...

         and Killiney
        Killiney
        Killiney is a suburb of Dublin in south County Dublin, Ireland. It is within the administrative area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County. The area is by the coast, south of neighbouring Dalkey, and north to Shankill area in the most southern outskirt of Dublin....

      • James Joyce Tower and Museum at Sandycove
        Sandycove
        Sandycove is an area of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Dún Laoghaire and Glasthule, but north of Dalkey.Sandycove is well-known for its gentlemen's bathing place, the Forty Foot, which in the past afforded a quiet swimming haven for males only...


    • Fingal
      Fingal
      Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...

      • Howth
        Howth
        Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...

         and Howth Head
        Howth Head
        Howth Head is a headland north east of Dublin City in Ireland. Howth falls under the local governance of fingal county council. Entry to the headland is at Sutton while village of Howth and the harbour are on the northern shore. Baily Lighthouse is on the southeastern part of Howth Head...

      • Malahide
        Malahide
        Malahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.-Name:...

         with the Norman Malahide Castle
        Malahide Castle
        Malahide Castle, parts of which date to the 12th century, lies, with over of remaining estate parkland , close to the village of Malahide, nine miles north of Dublin in Ireland.-History:...


  • Fermanagh
    County Fermanagh
    Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....

    • Enniskillen Castle
      Enniskillen Castle
      Enniskillen Castle is situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It was originally built in the 16th century and now houses the Fermanagh County Museum and the regimental museum of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.-History:...

    • Devenish Island
      Devenish Island
      Devenish or Devinish is an island in Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Aligned roughly north–south, it is about one and a quarter miles long and two-thirds of a mile wide. The main place to get a ferry to the island is at Trory Point, just outside Enniskillen.- Features...

    • Lough Erne
      Lough Erne
      Lough Erne, sometimes Loch Erne , is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne. The river begins by flowing north, and then curves west into the Atlantic. The southern lake is further up the river and so is named Upper...


  • Galway
    County Galway
    County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...

    • Aran Islands
      Aran Islands
      The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland...

       - Irish Gaeltacht
      Gaeltacht
      is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...

      , islands in Galway Bay
      Galway Bay
      Galway Bay is a large bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south. Galway city is located on the northeast side of the bay. It is about long and from to in breadth...

      .
    • Connemara
      Connemara
      Connemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...

       - Irish Gaeltacht
      Gaeltacht
      is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...

      , a heathland area, with the Twelve Bens
      Twelve Bens
      The Twelve Bens, or Twelve Pins , is a mountain range of sharp-peaked quartzite ranges located northeast of Roundstone in Connemara in the west of Ireland. Dedicated fell runners attempt to hike all twelve peaks in a single day...

       and the Maumturk Mountains
      Maumturks
      Na Sléibhte Mhám Toirc are a picturesque mountain range in Connemara in the west of Ireland. They are less well known than their more famous neighbours, the Twelve Bens on the other side of the Inagh Valley...

      .
    • Galway
      Galway
      Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

       City, a lively university town (seat of the NUI Galway)
    • Lough Corrib
      Lough Corrib
      Lough Corrib is a lake in the west of Ireland. The River Corrib or Galway river connects the lake to the sea at Galway. It is the second largest lough in Ireland . It covers 178 km² and lies mostly in County Galway with a small area of its northeast corner in County Mayo.The first canal in...

      , the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland.

  • Kerry
    County Kerry
    Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

     - Scenic rural county in the south west.
    • Dingle
      Dingle
      Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....

      , main town of the idyllic Dingle Peninsula
      Dingle Peninsula
      The Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the major peninsulae in County Kerry. Its ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland.-Name:...

    • Killarney
      Killarney
      Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...

       - internationally renowned as the undisputed centre of tourism in the South West of Ireland .
    • Killarney National Park
      Killarney National Park
      Killarney National Park is located beside the town of Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. It was the first national park established in Ireland, created when Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish state in 1932...

       with the Killarney Lakes, the Muckross House and Gardens
      Muckross House
      Muckross House is located on the small Muckross Peninsula between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane, two of the lakes of Killarney, from the town of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland....

      , Ross Castle
      Ross Castle
      Ross Castle is the ancestral home of the O'Donoghue clan though it is better known for its association with the Brownes of Killarney who owned it until recently...

      , the Torc Waterfall
      Torc Waterfall
      Torc Waterfall is a waterfall at the base of Torc Mountain, about from Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland.The falls are one of the landmarks on the 200 kilometre Kerry Way walking tour, and are encompassed in the Killarney National Park...

    • Macgillycuddy's Reeks
      Macgillycuddy's Reeks
      MacGillycuddy's Reeks is a mountain range in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. Stretching slightly over , it includes the highest peaks in Ireland and the only peaks on the island that are over . The highest of these is Corrán Tuathail or Carrauntoohil , followed by Binn Chaorach and Cathair na...

       on the Iveragh Peninsula
      Iveragh Peninsula
      The Iveragh Peninsula is located in County Kerry in Ireland. It is the largest peninsula in southwestern Ireland. A mountain range, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, lies in the centre of the peninsula...

      , Ireland's highest mountains
    • the Ring of Kerry
      Ring of Kerry
      The Ring of Kerry is a tourist trail in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. The route covers the 179 km circular road , starting from Killarney, heading around the Iveragh Peninsula and passing through Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen and Killorglin...

      , a panoramic ring road around the Iveragh Peninsula passing through, among others, the village of Cahersiveen, the birthplace of Daniel O'Connell
      Daniel O'Connell
      Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...

    • Skellig Islands
      Skellig Islands
      The Skellig Islands , once known as the Skellocks, are two small, steep, and rocky islands lying about 13 km west of Bolus Head on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland...

       with the monastic site on Skellig Michael
      Skellig Michael
      Skellig Michael , also known as Great Skellig, is a steep rocky island in the Atlantic Ocean about 9 miles from the coast of County Kerry, Ireland. It is the larger of the two Skellig Islands...

      , a UNESCO World Heritage site
    • Tralee - the county town and home of the Rose of Tralee
      Rose of Tralee (festival)
      The Rose of Tralee festival is an international competition which is celebrated among Irish communities all over the world. The festival takes its inspiration from a nineteenth century ballad of the same name about a woman called Mary, who because of her beauty was called The Rose of Tralee. The...

       festival.
    • Valentia Island
      Valentia Island
      Valentia Island is one of Ireland's westernmost points, lying off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry, Ireland. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial bridge at Portmagee, as well as by a ferry which sails from Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's...


  • Kildare
    County Kildare
    County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...

    • Irish National Stud
      Irish National Stud
      The Irish National Stud is a Thoroughbred horse breeding facility based at Tully, Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland...

      , National Horse stud with many famous horses, centre of Irish horse breeding
    • Kildare
      Kildare
      -External links:*******...

       town with Kildare Cathedral
      Kildare Cathedral
      The Cathedral Church of St. Brigid, Kildare is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Kildare, County Kildare in Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin.-History:...

       on the site of an early Christian monastery founded by Saint Brigid
    • Maynooth
      Maynooth
      Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...

      , town on the Royal Canal, Catholic bishop seat, Maynooth Castle
      Maynooth Castle
      Maynooth Castle is a castle in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland.The castle was built before the middle of the 13th century and was the home of the Fitzgerald family from 1176 until the 1534 rebellion of Silken Thomas, the son of the ninth Earl of Kildare...

      , Carton House
      Carton House
      Carton House was one of Ireland's greatest stately homes and one time ancestral seat of the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster. Located west of Dublin, in Maynooth, County Kildare, the Carton demesne runs to 1,100 acres . For two hundred years it possessed the finest example in Ireland of a...

      , the campuses of St Patrick's College
      St Patrick's College, Maynooth
      St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...

       and of the NUI Maynooth.

  • Kilkenny
    County Kilkenny
    County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...

    • Dunmore Cave - a show cave with many calcite formations and archaeological finds
    • Jerpoint Abbey
      Jerpoint Abbey
      Jerpoint Abbey is a ruined Cistercian abbey, founded in the second half of the 12th century, near Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located 2.5 km south west from Thomastown on the N9 national primary road. There is a Visitor Centre with an exhibition...

       near Thomastown
      Thomastown
      -Landmarks:Kilfane Glen is a restored historic 1790s garden of romantic era with waterfall, woodland walks and cottage orne. The garden is listed as an Irish Heritage garden and was awarded assistance in 1993 by the European Union Cultural Commission...

    • Kells Priory
      Kells Priory
      Kells Priory is one of the largest and most impressive medieval monuments in Ireland.The Augustine priory is situated alongside King's River beside the village of Kells, about 15 km south of the medieval city of Kilkenny. The priory is a National Monument and is in the guardianship of the Office of...

       at Kells
      Kells, County Kilkenny
      Kells is a village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is about 15 km south of Kilkenny. It is situated on high ground to the south of the Kings River.Kells Priory though in ruins, is one of the best preserved in Ireland....

    • Kilkenny City - one of Ireland's most exemplary medieval cities
      • Kilkenny Castle
        Kilkenny Castle
        Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways...

         - meeting place of the Confederate Ireland
        Confederate Ireland
        Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny"...

         government in the 1640s.
      • Rothe House
      • St Canice's Cathedral
        St Canice's Cathedral
        St Canice's Cathedral , is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Kilkenny city, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin....

      • St Mary's Cathedral
        St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
        St. Mary’s is the Roman Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Ossory. It is situated on James’s Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Kilkenny also has a second cathedral, Saint Canice’s which is Church of Ireland....


  • Laois
    County Laois
    County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...

     - "Queen's County"
    • Castle Durrow
      Castle Durrow
      Castle Durrow is a country house in Durrow, County Laois Ireland, built between 1712-1716 by Colonel William Flower as a family home. The house was built in the pre-Palladian design and formal gardens that was popular in the 18th century and is considered one of the finest country houses in Laois...

    • Rock of Dunamase
      Rock of Dunamase
      The Rock of Dunamase is one of the most historic sites in Ireland. Its ruins date back many hundreds of years...

    • Slieve Bloom mountains

  • Limerick
    County Limerick
    It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...

    • Adare
      Adare
      -General information:Adare's origin is as a settlement by a crossing point on the river Maigue. It is situated 16 km from Limerick City. Renowned as one of Ireland's prettiest villages, Adare is designated as a Heritage Town by the Irish government...

      , "Ireland's most beautiful village" with Adare Manor
      Adare Manor
      Adare Manor is a 19th century manor house located on the banks of the River Maigue in the village of Adare, County Limerick, Ireland, the former seat of the Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, now a luxury resort hotel - the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort....

      , Desmond Castle, a Franciscan
      Franciscan
      Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

       and a Trinitarian
      Trinitarian Order
      The Order of the Holy Trinity is a Catholic religious order that was founded in the area of Cerfroid, some 80 km northeast of Paris, at the end of the twelfth century. The founder was St. John de Matha, whose feast day is celebrated on 17 December...

       abbey
    • Castle Oliver
      Castle Oliver
      Castle Oliver is a Victorian mock castle in the south part of County Limerick, Ireland. Built for entertaining rather than for defense, it has a ballroom, drawing room, library, morning room, dining room and hall which feature hand-painted ceilings, decorated ornamental corbels, superbly executed...

    • Limerick
      Limerick
      Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

       city - historic Irish city and home to the famous Munster rugby
      Munster Rugby
      Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...

       team and Thomond Park
      Thomond Park
      Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...

      • King John's Castle - 13th century castle located on the medieval King's Island.
      • St. Mary's Cathedral
        St. Mary's Cathedral, Limerick
        St Mary's , is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Limerick city, Ireland which is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Previously the cathedral of the Diocese of Limerick, it is now one of three cathedrals in the United Dioceses of Limerick and...

         - 12th century cathedral located on King's Island.
      • Hunt Museum
        Hunt Museum
        The Hunt Museum is a museum in the city of Limerick, Ireland. Holding a personal collection donated by the Hunt family, it was originally situated in the University of Limerick, before being moved to its present location in 1997. It can now be visited in the old custom house, an historic 18th...

         - museum housing over 2000 artifacts from Ireland and abroad.
    • Lough Gur
      Lough Gur
      Lough Gur is a lake in County Limerick, Ireland between the towns of Herbertstown and Bruff. The lake forms a horseshoe shape at the base of Knockadoon Hill and some rugged elevated countryside. It is one of Ireland's most important archaeological sites...

       - ancient mesolithic human settlement site.

  • Londonderry
    County Londonderry
    The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...

    • City of Derry, only city in Ireland with intact city walls (therefore called the "Maiden City")
      • Bogside
        Bogside
        The Bogside is a neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. The area has been a focus point for many of the events of The Troubles, from the Battle of the Bogside and Bloody Sunday in the 1960s and 1970s...

         with, among numerous others, the murals at the Free Derry Corner
        Free Derry Corner
        Free Derry Corner is a square in the Bogside neighbourhood of Derry, Northern Ireland, which lies in the intersection of the Lecky Road, Rossville Street and Fahan Street. On the Free Derry Corner is a memorial to the 1981 hunger strikers and several murals...


  • Louth
    County Louth
    County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...

    • Monasterboice
      Monasterboice
      The historic ruins of Monasterboice are of an early Christian settlement in County Louth in Ireland, north of Drogheda. It was founded in the late 5th century by Saint Buithe who died around 521, and was an important centre of religion and learning until the founding of nearby Mellifont Abbey in...

      , early Christian settlement with high cross
      High cross
      A high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...

       and round tower
      Irish round tower
      Irish round towers , Cloigthithe – literally "bell house") are early medieval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with three in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man...


  • Mayo
    County Mayo
    County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...

    • Achill Island
      Achill Island
      Achill Island in County Mayo is the largest island off the coast of Ireland, and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,700. Its area is . Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Bridge, between the villages of Gob an Choire and Poll Raithní . A bridge was first...

    • Ashford Castle
      Ashford Castle
      Ashford Castle is a medieval castle turned five star luxury hotel near Cong on the Mayo/Galway Border in Ireland, on the shore of Lough Corrib. Ashford Castle is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World organization.-History:...

       near Cong
      Cong, County Mayo
      Cong is a village straddling the borders of County Galway and County Mayo, in Ireland. Cong is situated on an island formed by a number of streams that surround it on all sides...

    • Croagh Patrick
      Croagh Patrick
      Croagh Patrick , nicknamed the Reek, is a tall mountain and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. It is from Westport, above the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey. It is the third highest mountain in County Mayo after Mweelrea and Nephin. On "Reek Sunday", the last...

       - mountain place of pilgrimage - since pagan times to present day Christian times, near Westport
      Westport, County Mayo
      Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....

    • Lough Mask
      Lough Mask
      Lough Mask is a limestone lough of 22,000 acres in County Mayo, Ireland, north of Lough Corrib. Lough Mask is the upper of the two lakes, which empty into the Corrib River, through Galway, into Galway Bay. The lake is visited for its trout fishing...

    • Museum of Country Life
      Museum of Country Life
      The Museum of Country Life is located in Turlough Village, 8 km northeast of Castlebar, County Mayo in Ireland. Established in 2001, the museum is part of the National Museum of Ireland. The museum exhibits the way of life of rural Irish people between 1850 and 1950, and it is in the grounds...

       near Castlebar
      Castlebar
      Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...


  • Meath
    County Meath
    County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

    , the Royal County
    • Drogheda
      Drogheda
      Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....

      , site of the Battle of the Boyne
      Battle of the Boyne
      The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...

    • Ráth Cairn
      Ráth Cairn
      Ráth Cairn is a small Gaeltacht in County Meath, Ireland. It is about 55 km northwest of Dublin....

       - A small Gaeltacht
      Gaeltacht
      is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...

       area.
    • Bective Abbey
      Bective Abbey
      Bective Abbey is a Cistercian abbey on the River Boyne in Bective, County Meath, Ireland. The abbey founded by Murchad O'Maeil-Sheachlainn in 1147 as a 'daughter house' of Mellifont Abbey. Although nothing remains except old ruins and walls, it is in a remarkable state of preservation...

       - A 12th Century Cistercian abbey.
    • Newgrange
      Newgrange
      Newgrange is a prehistoric monument located in County Meath, on the eastern side of Ireland, about one kilometre north of the River Boyne. It was built around 3200 BC , during the Neolithic period...

       - a megalithic passage grave
      Passage grave
      thumb|250px|right|A simple passage tomb in [[Carrowmore]] near [[Sligo]] in IrelandA passage grave or passage tomb consists of a narrow passage made of large stones and one or multiple burial chambers covered in earth or stone. Megaliths are usually used in the construction of passage tombs, which...

       site older than the pyramids.
    • Knowth
      Knowth
      Knowth is a Neolithic passage grave and an ancient monument of Brú na Bóinne in the valley of the River Boyne in Ireland.Knowth is the largest of all passage graves situated within the Brú na Bóinne complex. The site consists of one large mound and 17 smaller satellite tombs...

       - a similar monument even more impressive than Newgrange that has only recently been opened for visitors.
    • Dowth
      Dowth
      Dowth is a Neolithic passage tomb which stands in the Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland. It is found at .Dating from about 2,5002000 BCE, is the second oldest behind Newgrange of the three principal tombs of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site a complex of passage-tombs...

       - A Neolithic passage tomb, oldest principle tomb at Brú na Bóinne.
    • Brú na Bóinne
      Brú na Bóinne
      is a World Heritage Site in County Meath, Ireland and is the largest and one of the most important prehistoric megalithic sites in Europe.-The site:...

       - location of the above two and other monuments.
    • Loughcrew
      Loughcrew
      Loughcrew is near Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland. . Loughcrew is a site of considerable historical importance in Ireland...

       - 5,000 year old Burial Grounds.
    • Hill of Tara
      Hill of Tara
      The Hill of Tara , located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs between Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland...

       - seat of Ireland's ancient High Kings
      High King of Ireland
      The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...

      .
    • Kells
      Kells, County Meath
      Kells is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, from Navan and from Dublin. In recent years Kells has grown greatly with many Dublin commuters moving to the town....

       - after which the Book of Kells
      Book of Kells
      The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created by Celtic monks ca. 800 or slightly earlier...

       is named.
    • Trim Castle
      Trim Castle
      Trim Castle , Trim, County Meath, Ireland, on the shores of the Boyne has an area of 30,000 m². It is the remains of Ireland's largest Anglo-Norman castle...

       - Ireland's Largest Castle.
    • Slane Castle
      Slane Castle
      Slane Castle is located in the town of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland. The castle has been the family home of the Conyngham Marquessate since the 18th century....

       - 18th Century Castle

  • Monaghan
    County Monaghan
    County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...

    • Harvest Time Blues
      Harvest Time Blues
      Harvest Time Blues is an annual music festival held in Monaghan town, in Ireland. Since its launch in 1990, it has become one of the "one of Ireland's leading live music festivals"...

       Festival

  • Offaly
    County Offaly
    County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...

     - "King's County"
    • Birr Castle
      Birr Castle
      Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.-Ireland's Historic Science...

    • Clonmacnoise
      Clonmacnoise
      The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone....

      , monastic site on the banks of the River Shannon
      River Shannon
      The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...


  • Roscommon
    County Roscommon
    County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

    • Lough Key
      Lough Key
      Lough Key is a lake in Ireland. It is located in the northwest of County Roscommon, northeast of the town of Boyle. The lough's name is believed to come from Cé, a druid; the lake was formed over his grave.-Derivation of name:...


  • Sligo
    • Carrowmore
      Carrowmore
      Carrowmore, County Sligo is one of the four major passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland. It is located at the centre of a prehistoric ritual landscape on the Cúil Irra Peninsula in County Sligo in Ireland....

      , passage tomb site
    • Drumcliffe
      Drumcliffe
      Drumcliffe, officially Drumcliff , is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. It is 8 km north of Sligo town on the N15 road between Ben Bulben and the sea.-History:...

       with the gravesite of William Butler Yeats
      William Butler Yeats
      William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...

      , near the Ben Bulben
      Ben Bulben
      Ben Bulben, sometimes spelt Benbulben or Benbulbin , is a large rock formation in County Sligo, Ireland. It is part of the Dartry Mountains, an area sometimes called "Yeats Country".Ben Bulben is listed as a protected structure....

       mountain
    • Sligo
      Sligo
      Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...

       town with the Dominican
      Dominican Order
      The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...

       Sligo Abbey
      Sligo Abbey
      Sligo Abbey , a ruined abbey in Sligo, Ireland, was originally built in 1253 by the order of Maurice Fitzgerald, Baron of Offaly. It was destroyed in 1414 by a fire, ravaged during the Tyrone War in 1595 and once more in 1641 during the Ulster Uprising...


  • Tipperary
    County Tipperary
    County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...

    • Glen of Aherlow
      Glen of Aherlow
      The Glen of Aherlow is a picturesque valley nestling between Slievenamuck and the Galtee Mountains in the western part of South Tipperary in Ireland. The principal village is Lisvarrinane or more commonly spelt Lisvernane with a hamlet at Rossadrehid where Aherlow creamery was located before its...

    • Lough Derg
    • Rock of Cashel
      Rock of Cashel
      The Rock of Cashel , also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, South Tipperary.-History:...

      , traditional seat of the Kings of Munster

  • Tyrone
    County Tyrone
    Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...

    • Ulster American Folk Park
      Ulster American Folk Park
      The Ulster American Folk Park is an open-air museum in Castletown, just outside Omagh, in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The Park explores the historical link between Ulster and America, focusing particularly on the lifestyle and experiences of those immigrants who sailed from Ulster to America...

       near Omagh
      Omagh
      Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...


  • Waterford
    County Waterford
    *Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...

    • Ardmore
      Ardmore, County Waterford
      Ardmore is a fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland, not far from Youghal on the south coast of Ireland, with a population of around 330, although this varies with the tourist season. It is believed to be the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland...

       with the round tower
      Irish round tower
      Irish round towers , Cloigthithe – literally "bell house") are early medieval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with three in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man...

       of St Declan's Church
    • Waterford
      Waterford
      Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

      , Ireland's oldest city
      • Waterford Cathedral
        Waterford Cathedral
        Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Waterford City, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin....

      • Reginald's Tower

  • Westmeath
    County Westmeath
    -Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...

     - Centre of Ireland - attractive lakes.
    • Athlone Castle - old castle in Athlone Town
    • Belvedere House and Gardens
      Belvedere House and Gardens
      Belvedere House and Gardens is a famous country house located near Mullingar, in county Westmeath, Ireland. Its gardens which include The Jealous Wall and many hectares of forest, attract thousands of visitors annually for their beauty...

       - Historic Gardens near Mullingar
    • Lough Owel
      Lough Owel
      Lough Owel is a lough in the Midlands of Ireland, situated north of Mullingar, the county town of Westmeath. It is a deep lake, well known amongst anglers, and holds a few char along with brown trout. Water from Lough Owel feeds the Royal Canal, a canal crossing Ireland from Dublin to the River...

       and Lough Ennell
      Lough Ennell
      Lough Ennell is a lake near the town of Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. It is situated beside the N52 road, off the Mullingar/Kilbeggan road. It is approximately 4.5 miles long by 2 miles wide, with an area of about...

       - beautiful lakes

  • Wexford
    County Wexford
    County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...

    • Enniscorthy
      Enniscorthy
      Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...

       with Enniscorthy Castle
    • Ferns Castle and Abbey
      Ferns, County Wexford
      Ferns is a small historic town in north County Wexford, Ireland with a population of about 900. It is 16 km from Enniscorthy, where the Gorey to Enniscorthy N11 road joins the R745 regional road...

    • New Ross
      New Ross
      New Ross is a town located in southwest County Wexford, in the southeast of Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of 7,709 people, making it the third largest town in the county after Wexford and Enniscorthy.-History:...

    • Tintern Abbey
      Tintern Abbey (County Wexford)
      Tintern Abbey was a Cistercian abbey located on the Hook peninsula, County Wexford, Ireland.The Abbey – which is today in ruins, some of which have been restored – was founded in the 13th century by William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, as the result of a vow he had made when his boat was...

    • Wexford
      Wexford
      Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...

       town with Selskar Abbey

  • Wicklow
    County Wicklow
    County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...

     - "the garden of Ireland"
    • Avoca
      Avoca, County Wicklow
      Avoca is a small town near Arklow, in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated on the River Avoca.The Avoca area has been associated with its famous copper mines for many years and the valley has been immortalised by Thomas Moore in the famous song The Meeting of the Waters...

    • Bray
      Bray
      Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...

       - considered the southernmost suburb of Dublin
    • Enniskerry
      Enniskerry
      Enniskerry is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.- Location :...

    • Glendalough
      Glendalough
      Glendalough or Glendaloch is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest, and partly destroyed in 1398 by English troops....

      , 6th century monastic site with Irish Round Tower
    • Greystones
      Greystones
      Greystones is a coastal town and small seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on Ireland’s east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin , with a population in the region of 15,000....

    • Powerscourt Estate
      Powerscourt Estate
      Powerscourt Estate , located near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying 19 hectares . The house, originally a 13th century castle, was extensively altered during the 18th century by German architect...

      , extensive castle grounds and gardens; a popular tourist attraction, includes golf course, restaurant, hotel.
    • Russborough House
      Russborough House
      Russborough House is a stately house situated near the Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow, Ireland, between the towns of Blessington and Ballymore Eustace and is reputed to be the longest house in Ireland, with a frontage measuring 210 m/700 ft...

      , an exceptionally fine example of Irish Palladian architecture
      Palladian architecture
      Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...

      , designed by Richard Cassels
      Richard Cassels
      Richard Cassels , who anglicised his name to Richard Castle, ranks with Edward Lovett Pearce as one of the greatest architects working in Ireland in the 18th century. Cassels was born in 1690 in Kassel, Germany. Although German, his family were of French origin, descended from the...

      , built between 1741 and 1755.
    • Wicklow Mountains
      Wicklow Mountains
      The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...

      , an Irish national park
      National Parks in the Republic of Ireland
      National Parks in the Republic of Ireland is a link page for any national park in the Republic of Ireland.Table below shows the name of the national park and in which county of Ireland it is located. The first park which was established in Ireland was the Killarney located in County Kerry in 1932...

      , all of the above towns are in or near these mountains
    • Wicklow
      Wicklow
      Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...

       town with Wicklow Head
      Wicklow Head
      Wicklow Head is a headland near the southeast edge of the town of Wicklow in County Wicklow, approximately 3 km from the centre of the town.Geographically, it is the easternmost point on the mainland of the Republic of Ireland.-See also:...

      , the easternmost point of the Republic of Ireland

Tourism Ireland

Tourism Ireland
Tourism Ireland
Tourism Ireland is the marketing body responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas...

 was established under the framework of the Belfast Agreement of Good Friday 1998. It is jointly funded by the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on a two-to-one ratio, and operates under the auspices of the North-South Ministerial Council through the UK Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism in the Republic of Ireland.

Tourism Ireland works with the two tourist boards on the island, Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, who are responsible for product and enterprise development and marketing to tourists within the island of Ireland.

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland is the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 and replaces and builds upon the functions of Bord Fáilte, its predecessor organization...

, the National Tourism Development Authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act, 2003 to guide and promote tourism as a leading component of the Irish economy. The organisation provides strategic and practical support to develop and sustain Ireland as a tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...

.

NITB, Northern Ireland Tourist Board

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board markets tourism in Northern Ireland. It also identifies prospects, and develops programmes to assist the tourism industry to reach its potential.

External references

All fishing tourism in ireland
Discover Ireland


See also

  • List of Ireland-related topics
  • Common Travel Area
    Common Travel Area
    The Common Travel Area is a passport-free zone that comprises the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The area's internal borders are subject to minimal or non-existent border controls and can normally be crossed by Irish and British citizens with only...

  • Gardens in the Republic of Ireland
  • Parks in the Republic of Ireland
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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