Visit Ireland, Ireland tourism

Ireland

Dublin The capital city of Ireland sprawls across the Liffey valley, reaching in a great sweep from the headlands of Howth in the north to Dalkey. Dublin is a complex city of almost dual personality, divided by the Liffey into the heavily populated north and more genteel south. This is a city with a quirky sense of humor, ideal to explore on foot. The historic heart of the city lies south of the Liffey, unaltered in appearance since Georgian times, though the last decade of the 20th century saw major urban regeneration that makes the place buzz with excitement, especially around Temple Bar.

This upbeat part of the city got its name from Sir William Temple, the Provost of Trinity College. Today, the area boasts fashionable pubs, good places to eat, discos and inordinate joie de vivre. Founded during the reign of Elizabeth I, Trinity College, the city’s most famous landmark, was a symbol of English dominance to which, until 1873, admission was restricted to Protestants. Many of the college’s students have achieved a measure of fame, notably Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Samuel Beckett and Jonathan Swift. The Old Library houses a number of important manuscripts in its Treasury, among which the Book of Kells is the best known. West of Trinity College stands Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule in Ireland, and worth a visit for its beautiful state apartments. On the corner of Suffolk Street and the popular shopping area, Grafton Street, stands the statue of Molly Malone, the Dublin beauty. Merrion Square is the city’s most elegant place, lined with classical Georgian houses with stunning doorways, canopies and fanlights. Oscar Wilde lived at 1 Merrion Square, Daniel O’Connell at 58, with WB Yeats only a few doors higher, at 82. St Stephen’s Green is an important 24.8 acre (10 hectare) open space, popular with office workers and a delightful place to soak up the atmosphere. The National Gallery houses one of the finest collections in Europe, and includes works by Gainsborough, Reynolds and Hogarth.

When the Normans invaded Dublin, in the process they forced the Vikings to the lands north of the Liffey, where they established Oxmanstown. The south continued to prosper, but the northern part of the city only became urbanized in the 18th century. Today, this is a less well-known area of busy pedestrianized streets, shopping centers and the popular Moore Street Market. In the 18th century, O’Connell Street was known as Gardener’s Mall, a fashionable area, renamed in honor of Daniel O’Connell. Worth seeking out here are the National Wax Museum at the corner of Dorset Street and Granby Row, and the James Joyce Center in North Great George’s Street.
To the northwest, Phoenix Park is the largest city park in Europe, and a good place to watch the city going about its business. Dublin Zoo is in the southeast corner of the park.

Excursions

Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dun Leery) has attractive Victorian buildings, castles and a fine seafront. The James Joyce Tower and Museum, at Sandycove, is housed in a Martello Tower built in the early 1800s. Many personal effects of James Joyce are gathered here, including a first edition of Ulysses. Three castles at Dalkey survive from the 15th and 16th centuries: Bullock Castle (not open to the public), Archbold’s Castle, now the town hall, and Goat Castle, housing the Dalkey Heritage Center. Malahide Castle, north of the city, was built in the 12th century and houses some lovely furniture and a portrait gallery with paintings by Irish and British artists. Castletown House, west of Dublin is a stunning Palladian building, among the best in Europe. It was built for the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, William Connolly, who contrived to become the richest man in Ireland.

Mapa de Irlanda

Dublin, Irlanda

The Southeast

County Wexford

Lying in the southeast corner of Ireland, Co Wexford has an enviable sunshine record, beautiful countryside and a string of delightful harbor towns and sandy beaches. The climate is milder than elsewhere and produces a number of stunning gardens, open to the public by arrangement.

Built close to the mouth of the River Slaney, Wexford is a busy commercial and fishing town named by Vikings. Shops, pubs and an atmospheric charm make Wexford an appealing place to visit; that and its internationally renowned week-long Opera Festival, held in October.

The Irish National Heritage Park at Ferrycarrig, northwest of Wexford comprises 17 sites linking Ireland’s history from prehistoric times to medieval. The mudflats of the Slaney Estuary (known as ‘slobs’) make up the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, at its best between October and April when wildfowl are here. Kilmore Quay is an attractive fishing village with fine sandy beaches, thatched cottages, pubs and a maritime museum. A short distance offshore, the uninhabited Saltee Islands, one of Ireland’s most important bird sanctuaries, are worth visiting. More easily accessed from Waterford, there is a beautiful drive down from Arthurstown to Hook Head Peninsula, which boasts many lovely sandy beaches and clifftops that are ideal for walking, cycling and horse riding.

Surrounded by farmland and stretched out along the River Slaney, Enniscorthy’s moment of fame arrived in 1798 in the form of the Battle of Vinegar Hill, when the United Irishmen made their last stand against the British. The thriving market town, by far the most attractive in Co Wexford, was established by the Normans – it is still dominated by the Norman castle and the much later St Aidan’s Cathedral. The castle houses the Wexford County Museum.

Well inland for an old port, New Ross, perched along the River Barrow, was the original family base of the American Kennedy family and remains devoted to the US President. The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Park and Arboretum, south of New Ross, is dedicated to his memory and was opened in 1968 and is a popular place for easy walks. Kilmokea Gardens are arguably the most beautiful gardens in the southeast of Ireland, and not to be missed.

County Waterford

Bordered by the sea and divided by two upland ranges – the Comeragh and the Monavullagh – Waterford has both rugged beauty and an attractive coastline of fishing villages, holidays resorts and beaches.

Tightly compressed into a curve of the River Suir, Waterford was founded by Vikings in order to control shipping entering the rivers Suir and Barrow. Above the quayside, Reginald’s Tower and Museum, built in 1003, is a forceful reminder of a turbulent past – Waterford was one of the few places to successfully oppose Cromwell’s forces. Organized tours of Waterford Crystal Glass Factory illustrate the comprehensive story of crystal manufacture. Dunmore East, southeast of Waterford, is a charming village close to safe bathing beaches and attractive coves, including Lady Cove, a neat sandy bay popular with local people and tourists. Tramore, south of Waterford is one of Ireland’s main holiday resorts. It has a racecourse, plenty of pubs, a large amusement park, miniature railway, boating lake and a 4.8km- (3 mile-) sandy beach caressed by the Gulf Stream.

The small harbor town of Dungarvan is found where the River Colligan flushes into Dungarvan Harbour. It provides a good base from which to explore the clifftops of Helvick Head. Nearby, Ardmore is renowned for its long, fine beach set against high cliffs and its place in Irish history as an important ecclesiastical site based on a seventh-century monastic settlement founded by St Declan.

County Carlow

The second-smallest of Ireland’s counties, Carlow, sandwiched between the rivers Barrow and Slaney, is mostly flat acres of rich farmland that edge along the base of hill country to the south, east and west. This is an unspoilt part of Ireland, a place of sleepy villages and lush countryside. Carlow Town used to be an Anglo-Norman stronghold, but these days it is largely concerned with the manufacture of sugar beet. It was the southernmost outpost of the area controlled by the English Crown and, as a result, heavily fortified. Carlow County Museum is in the town hall on Centaur Street.

County Kilkenny

This is a busy agricultural county, a place of lush, well-tended countryside, neat, attractive villages, homely cottages and dramatic castles along the river valleys of the Nore and the Barrow. Fishing, horseracing, riding and golf are the main activities in this manicured landscape.

Midlands Irlanda

County Tipperary

The lack of a coastline does not affect the beauty of this county in any way, as a walk to the top of Slievenamon (the mountain of the fairies), north of Clonmel, will reveal. Northwards, amid farmlands, rises the limestone Rock of Cashel, to the south are the Comeragh Mountains. The countryside of Tipperary is dotted with Norman castles and churches, and Stone and Iron Age sites.

The town of Clonmel sits on the banks of the River Suir, and dates from the 10th century, but there is considerable evidence all around of occupation from prehistoric times. Today, Clonmel is the most important town in the county. The County Museum in Parnell Street has a diverse collection of artifacts, including Roman coins and prehistoric items.

The Comeragh and Knockmealdown mountain ranges are vast uplands of forest and bog, but easy to explore either by car or on foot. Ballymacarbry on the River Nier is also a good base for walking.
Carrick-on-Suir, a thriving market town east of Clonmel is today best known for Sean Kelly the cyclist who had noted success in the Tour de France. Ormond Castle, just outside the town, is a fortified Elizabethan mansion and well worth visiting.

The Midlands

County Monaghan

This county lies between Fermanagh to the west and Armagh to the east, and has a delightful landscape of low, rolling hills. Lakes abound too, making this a popular place with coarse fishermen. The central part of the county is hilly but intensively farmed.
Monaghan is a market town, built on a monastic site, with some excellent architecture. The Monaghan County Museum on Market Street contains the Clogher Cross among its treasures, a sample of early Christian metalwork.

Castleblaney lies at the head of Lough Muckno, the county’s largest lake and a source of excellent coarse fishing. Carrickmacross, south of Ballybay, is famed for its handmade lace. To the north stands Mannan Castle, a 12th-century motte and bailey.

County Cavan

Known to anglers as a place of lakes and rivers and the very best in coarse fishing. Non-anglers scarcely know it at all for Cavan is an undiscovered county, peaceful and unspoilt, an attractive countryside dotted with woodlands and folded into wild glens that rise to the summit of Cuilcagh at 665m (2182ft), which it shares with Co Fermanagh.

Cavan, the county town, is uninspiring, but nearby Clough Oughter, a circular tower castle, tells of a time when this was the stronghold of the O’Reillys, the princes of Breffni. A short way out of Cavan, is a group of standing stones, Finn MacCool’s Fingers, said to be the place where the princes were crowned. West of the town, Lough Oughter is the name given to a collection of lakes, part of the River Erne system, and a major coarse fishing area.

County Longford

Like Co Cavan, Longford holds great appeal for anglers. It sits in the middle of Ireland, and lies in the catchment of the River Shannon. Lakes abound, notably Lough Gowna in the north and Lough Kinale in the east. Today, Co Longford is primarily given to farming. Perched on the River Camlin, Longford Town grew up around a fortress of the O’Farrells. The towers of the Cathedral of St Mel dominate the town. A few miles west, Cloondara is worth a visit: an attractive village on the Royal Canal. During the summer months, Irish music is performed in the teach cheoil (Irish music house). Ballymahon is famed for Oliver Goldsmith, author of She Stoops to Conquer and the classic poem The Deserted Village. He was born at Pallas, a few miles to the east.

County Westmeath

This county has an air of quiet beauty, being a place of lakes and wooded countryside, and a huge slice of untamed bogland, producing a unique habitat for flora and fauna. Old-fashioned pubs and ruins dot the landscape, and make Westmeath a fascinating place to explore.
The former garrison town of Mullingar is now an important center for angling and one of the most agreeable market towns in Ireland, with an atmosphere that is lacking in other towns in The Midlands. Hunting, shooting and fishing are the main pursuits here.

In Crookedwood village, at the foot of Lough Derravaragh, stands St Munna’s Church, the stuff of fairytales, complete with 15th-century tower and battlements and a lakeside setting. At Castlepollard are the beautiful grounds of Tullynally Castle, the family seat of the earls of Longford.

Baltimore, Irlanda

The Southwest

County Cork

This is Ireland’s largest county, combining rich agricultural land, an important sea port, glorious coastal and mountain scenery, gentle bays and romantic castles. Tourism and related activities form a major part of Cork’s economy, but instead of brashness and tackiness, the county has become more discerning and produced a wide range of quality shops, pubs, hotels and restaurants. Although the county extends northwards to Limerick, its most dramatic landscapes are in the southwest, where long fingers of land probe the Atlantic Ocean, making for stunning car tours and breathtaking excursions on foot. Ferries reach out to the offshore Sherkin Island, Bear Island and Cape Clear Island.

The name Corcaigh means ‘swamp’, a reminder that Cork is built on the marshy ground flanking the River Lee. The city is lively, buzzing with industry, academia and, invariably, the sound of impromptu music recitals, making this a delightful place to amble through the streets or sample Irish pub hospitality. The main part of the city is squashed onto an elongated island linked by elegant bridges. The English Market, at the rear of St Patrick Street, is a wacky place to wander around, not dissimilar in atmosphere to the open-air flea market on Cornmarket Street. North of St Patrick lies Paul Street, the trendy part of Cork, a place of pedestrianized streets, buskers and high-quality shops. Other places worth taking in are the tower of St Anne’s Shandon, the Butter Exchange which houses the Shandon Craft Center, Cork City Gaol, Elizabeth Fort (now a Garda station), the Cork Public Museum in Fitzgerald Park and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
Blarney Castle is renowned far and wide for the Blarney Stone, a kiss on which endows ‘the gift of the gab’. While in Blarney, the Woollen Mills and Blarney House are both worth seeking out.

Cobh (pronounced Cove) is Ireland’s main trans-Atlantic port, grown out of a former fishing village. The town center is dominated by St Colman’s Cathedral. The history of the port and its luxury liners (which included the Titanic) is told in Cobh Heritage Center.

Along the coast

Kinsale, an attractive seaside town at the mouth of Bandon River, has superb restaurants and fine buildings. Each October sees a gourmet festival here. Kilbrittain, Timoleague and Courtmacsherry are all unspoilt in lovely settings around the bay. Clonakilty is famed as a center for Gaelic culture and music. Castletownhead is another charming Georgian village, while nearby Skibbereen is a small market town renowned for its opinionated local newspaper, the Skibbereen Eagle. The isolated fishing village of Baltimore lies at the far end of one of the peninsulas, the place from which to visit the islands. Bantry is ideal for exploring Bantry Bay and the Sheep’s Head Peninsula. Bantry Bay House deserves a quick visit, with its glorious view and some important French tapestries.

County Kerry

The county is blessed with the finest scenery in Ireland, from the tranquil beauty of Killarney Lake to the majestic crags of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and the highest mountain in Ireland, Carrantoohill. The Iveragh Peninsula is without equal and is circled by the Ring of Kerry. The Beargha Peninsula is less well known, and relatively unexplored.

Set against a backdrop of mountains, Kenmare is a busy market town at the meeting of three rivers – the Roughty, Finihy and Sheen. The town has craft shops, restaurants, pubs and Kenmare Heritage Center. St Mary’s Holy Well is reputed to have healing properties.

The Ring of Kerry is a stunning, 180km- (112 mile-) scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula, with numerous diversions along coastal roads and out to islands like Skellig Michael. A drive through the hills via Ballaghbearna Gap and the Ballaghisheen Pass, promises rugged landscapes studded with lakes and carved by rivers. The resort town of Killarney spreads itself in the shadow of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, the finest ridge walk in Ireland. A traverse of the ridge is not for the faint-hearted, nor is the climb to the top of Carrantoohill an easy stroll. The town bustles to the needs of visitors, but its best feature is undoubtedly St Mary’s Cathedral, which boasts an untypically tall spire.

Killarney National Park embraces three lakes all linked by a river. A good starting point is Muckross House and Gardens, a neo-Tudor building with rooms furnished in the Victorian style. Torc Waterfalls are modest, but lie in a beautiful woodland setting. A nearby stairway of over 170 steps climbs to a fine viewpoint. The Dingle Peninsula has lovely beaches and the fine town of Dingle itself, the westernmost town in Europe. It is a slim peninsula with a spectacular coastal road and numerous diversions. Not to be missed is Brandon Mountain and Brandon Bay. Ventry has a lovely white-sand strand, on which legend claims the King of the Other World landed