Bective Abbey was Ireland’s second Cistercian monastery, founded in 1147. The chief features of the ruins are the combined religious and defence elements. The cloister is quite well preserved and some beautiful arches are still intact.
Opening Hours:
Access to the site is available all year round.
Located 15 mins from Trim off the R161 (Navan Road).
Contact & Pricing:
discoverboynevalley.ie/bective-abbey
[email protected]
Tel: 041 988 0300
Trim, Co. Meath
Free admission
The Bog of Allen Nature Centre is an international centre for peatland education, conservation and research run by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council.
Explore the typical interior of a traditional Irish cottage, where the turf fire was the main source of heating and cooking in 19th century Ireland. See ancient treasures like bog butter, coins, the Great Irish Elk and an ancient dugout canoe, all recovered in an excellent state of preservation from the Bog of Allen.
Visit an exhibition celebrating the beauty of Irish boglands and their unique wildlife. Irish bogs have a valuable role in storing greenhouse gases and carbon, storing water, helping to control flooding, providing a refuge for plants and animals and providing spectacular places for recreation.
In the gardens at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre is a special feature called Flytraps, a greenhouse of insect eating plants which are found in bogs all over the world; it is the largest such collection in Ireland and Britain. You can see active insect trappers such as Sundews, Venus Fly Trap, Butterwort and Bladderwort. All these plants move to catch insect prey. You will also see passive fly trappers such as the Cobra Lily and Pitcher Plants (these plants use a range of tactics to lure insects to them, such as drugging them with “narcotic-enhanced” nectar).
The stages in the formation of a raised bog are shown in the gardens. See the reconstructed habitats of lake, fen and bog representing ten thousand years of history. Dip for mini-beasts in the wetland habitats and see sphagnum moss – the bog building plant that holds up to 20 times its own weight in water.
The wildlife conservation gardens at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre are situated on a one acre site to the rear of the centre. Work began on the gardens in 2004 with the aim of providing a refuge for biodiversity. The gardens are entirely peat free. Home-made compost is used to enrich the soil. The wild flower beds have been created to benefit insects. The gardens are managed without using pesticides, chemicals, peat based soil improvers or tap water. Pests such as snails are controlled by encouraging a healthy population of frogs and beetles.
Finish your day in the bog by visiting Lodge Bog, a living bog nature reserve in the Bog of Allen. Here you can find live sundews, feel the watery bog move and listen for the curlew calling. There is a boardwalk on the site and a seating area for you to take in all the sights and sounds.
Opening Hours:
Open all year, Mon to Fri: 9am – 5pm, last visit 4pm.
Special weekend openings from May to September, check events for details.
Not open Christmas or public holidays.
Contact & Pricing:
http://www.ipcc.ie/visitor-attraction/
[email protected]
Tel: 045 860 133
Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare
Adults €5; concessions
Castletown House is Ireland’s largest and earliest Palladian style house. It was built between 1722 and 1729 for William Conolly, the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. The facade was designed by the Italian architect, Alessandro Galilei; Irish architect Sir Edward Lovett Pearce added the wings.
Castletown was built with two wings – connected by Ionic colonnades – flanking the Renaissance-inspired central block of the house. The wings contained the kitchens on one side and the stables on the other. This “Palladian” style originated in Italy with the 16th century architect Andrea Palladio (1508-80), and came to prominence in England in the early eighteenth century.
The house remained in the hands of William Conolly’s descendants until 1965. Its future became uncertain but it was saved in 1967 when (along with 120 acres of the demesne lands) it was purchased by the Hon. Desmond Guinness, founder of the Irish Georgian Society. The house was opened to the public and restoration work began, funded by the Irish Georgian Society and private benefactors. In 1994 the house was transferred to State care and is now managed by the Office of Public Works.
Through restoration, conservation, acquisition of parkland and development of visitor facilities, one of the most important houses in Ireland (and one of significance in terms of European architectural heritage) is being preserved for future generations.
Castletown, in the words of Kevin B. Nowlan, former Professor of Modern History, is an Italian palace set on the banks of the River Liffey.
At the time it was built, contemporary commentators expected it to be no less than ‘the epitome of the Kingdom, and all the rarities she can afford’. It is indeed not only the greatest of Irish houses, but also home to a significant collection of paintings, furnishings and objects, many associated with the house since the eighteenth century. This is extraordinary, considering that most contents from the house were dispersed at various auctions, the largest one held at Castletown over three days in April 1966. It explains why Castletown was considered a leading conservation and restoration project after the Hon. Desmond Guinness bought it in 1967 and, with the help of the Irish Georgian Society, opened it to the public.
Desmond Guinness himself had been able to acquire a significant number of original contents – including important family portraits, statues, furniture and the set of three Murano glass chandeliers – from Lord Conolly-Carew before the auction, which he then returned to Castletown. Over the years, many benefactors generously gave or loaned other important items, contributing to the exquisite collection on display today. Their generosity and kindness is acknowledged in the house and is recorded in Castletown: Decorative Arts, the detailed catalogue of our collection published in 2011.
Most items in the collection today belong to the Castletown Foundation, which between 1979 and 1994 owned and managed Castletown. When the house passed into state ownership, the collection was given on long-term loan to the Office of Public Works (OPW). In the more than two decades since, the OPW has been working closely with the Castletown Foundation on the presentation of the house and, together, they have secured additional items for the collection, both through purchase and generous loans. For example, in 2014 OPW identified, purchased and repatriated a pair of fine French corner cabinets which had been commissioned by Lady Louisa Conolly. They are now back in the Red Drawing Room where they used to be.
Access to the house is only by guided tour. The tour covers all aspects of the history of Castletown House from 1722 right up to the present day. The diverse and fascinating Conolly family members who lived in the house are explained, and visitors get a chance to view the fine architecture, original furniture and vast collection of paintings within Castletown. The House is available for school tours and private groups throughout the year; advance booking is essential.
The Berkeley Costume and Toy Collection is a fine collection of 18th and 19th century costumes, toys and dolls. Countess Ann Griffin Bernstorff, the Irish artist and collector, assembled the collection as a private enthusiasm. Covering a period of some 80 years from 1740–1820, the exhibits range from rare and delicate artefacts to simple and robust playthings, and everyday garments of the past, many of which were once owned by Irish families. The costumes are on view during one’s tour of the house; unfortunately, the toys have been moved to the second floor, which is not open to the public.
You can have a look at the highlights of the Castletown collection here – https://castletown.ie/collection-highlights/
Opening Hours:
Castletown House is currently closed.
The house opens daily until November; Tours run hourly from 10am until 4:30pm.
Access to the house is by guided tour only.
The restored 18th century Parklands are open to the public daily for free.
Access times vary, check here for details.
Contact & Pricing:
castletown.ie
[email protected]
Tel: 01 6288252.
Celbridge, Co. Kildare
Adults €10; concessions. Free on the first Wednesday of every month.
The County Museum Dundalk is one of Ireland’s finest Local Authority Museums. It is located in a restored 18th Century distillery. Exhibits include the Mesolithic era onwards to the Middle Ages, Medieval times and the local industry all across three floors.
The Museum collection comprises over 70,000 objects ranging from the proverbial (Viking) needle to an anchor. Among the highlights are a magnificent three-wheeled, Heinkel motor car made in Dundalk in the late 1950s; the first Olympic Medal won by an Irishwoman (a Bronze won by Ardee’s Beatrice Hill-Lowe in archery in the 1908 Games in London); Oliver Cromwell’s shaving mirror; a leather jacket or jerkin worn by King William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne; items collected by Sir Francis Leopold McClintock, discoverer of the fate of Franklin and one of Ireland’s greatest explorers; and a multi-award winning exhibition marking the industrial and engineering history of county Louth.
Opening Hours:
Tues-Sat: 10am–5pm
Closed Sun, Mon & Bank Holidays.
Contact & Pricing:
lamn.ie/visit-us/county-museum-dundalk
[email protected]
Tel: 042 939 2999
Jocelyn Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth
Free admission
Glendalough is a scenic valley and lakeland, with picturesque walking trails and monastic ruins. The Visitor Centre has an exhibition and an audio-visual show, with occasional tours available.
Glendalough is an early Christian ecclesiastical settlement founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. Set in a glaciated valley with two lakes, the monastic remains include a superb round tower, stone churches and decorated crosses.
In the latter part of the sixth century, St. Kevin crossed the mountains from Hollywood to Glendalough. Within 100 years, the area had developed from a remote hermitage into one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. The monastery continued to flourish after St. Kevin’s death in 617 A.D.
By the end of the eighth century, the monastery employed up to 1000 lay people to help grow crops and tend livestock. Monasteries were wealthy. In addition to stores of treasure, most monasteries maintained substantial stocks of food and were able to survive periodic famines. Such rich sites were often plundered. Glendalough’s remote location made it an easy target, and between 775 and 1095 it was plundered many times by both local tribes and Norse invaders. Usually the churches and houses were burned, but each time the monastery was rebuilt.
The eventual decline of Glendalough’s monastery was not due to invaders, but rather to a shift in political power. When Glendalough was annexed to the diocese of Dublin in 1152, its importance declined. Despite this, the place has retained a spiritual significance.
Today the ruins of the ancient monastic site are scattered throughout the valley. Many are almost 1000 years old. The main sites are located in the area known as the Monastic City, beside the Visitor Centre. Further afield are the ruins of other churches, extending from St. Saviour’s Church in the far east of the valley, to Temple na Skellig beside the Upper Lake.
The Monastic City is the name given to the main monastic site at the eastern end of the valley, close to the Visitor Centre and the Glendalough Hotel. The following monuments can be seen in the Monastic City.
The Gateway stands at the entrance to the Monastic City, and is perhaps one of the most important monuments as it is now unique in Ireland. The building was originally two-storeyed, probably with a timber roof. Inside on the west wall, is a cross-inscribed stone. Visitors entering the Monastic City from the road still pass through this ancient entrance, walking on some of the original stone paving.
Perhaps the most noticeable monument, the Round Tower is about 30 metres high. The entrance is about 3.5 metres from the base. Originally there were six wooden floors with ladders. The roof had fallen in many years ago, but was rebuilt in 1876 using the original stone. Round towers were multi-functional. They served as landmarks for visitors, bell-towers, store-houses, and as places of refuge in times of attack.
The Cathedral is the largest of the churches, and was constructed in several phases. Of note, are an aumbry or wall cupboard under the southern window, and a piscina – a basin used for washing sacred vessels. Outside the Cathedral is St. Kevin’s Cross – a large early granite cross with an unpierced ring.
The Priest’s House is a small Romanesque building which was almost totally reconstructed using the original stones in 1779. The east end has a decorative arch. The original purpose of the building is unknown, but it may have been used to house the relics of St. Kevin. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was used as a place to inter priests.
St. Kevin’s Kitchen is a church notable for its steep roof formed of overlapping stone, supported internally by a semi-circular vault. The belfry has a stone cap and four windows facing north, south, east and west, and is reminiscent of a round tower.
Only the low walls of St. Kieran’s Church remain. It was uncovered in 1875, and probably commemorates the founder of Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement that had associations with Glendalough during the 10th century.
St. Kevin’s Bed is a small cave in the cliff to the east of Temple ne Skellig. The entrance is about 8 metres above the lake. The site is not safely accessible, and has been the scene of many serious accidents. It may be viewed from the Miner’s Road, across the lake. The cave runs back two metres into the cliff and was reputedly a retreat for St. Kevin and later for St. Laurence O’Toole.
(Information supplied by www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie)
Opening Hours:
Visitor Centre open daily: 9.30am – 6pm
Last admission 45mins before closing
Closed 23 – 29 December
Contact & Pricing:
heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/glendalough-visitor-centre
[email protected]
glendalough.ie
Tel: 04 044 5352
Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
Adults €5; concessions. Free admission on the first Wednesday of every month
The Hill of Tara was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. Tara was the ancient spiritual and political capital of Ireland for over 2,000 years. The five Ancient Roads of Ireland converged here. A famous Feis (festival) was held here every third year at which the laws of the land were discussed. There is a great view from the hill.
Located 15 minutes from Navan off the N3.
Opening Hours:
There is year-round access to the Hill of Tara itself.
Guided tours available from the Visitor Centre, which opens from May to Sept: 10am – 6pm. Visitors can avail of a free 25min audio-visual show available in 6 languages.
Contact & Pricing:
heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/hill-of-tara
[email protected]
Dunsany, Navan, Co. Meath
Tel: 046 902 5903 (off season phone 041 988 0300)
Free admission
Monasterboice is an interesting monastic site near Drogheda, Co. Louth. The impressive ruins include a large cemetery, two churches, one of the tallest round towers in Ireland and two of the best high crosses. The crosses are superb examples of Celtic art which brought the Bible to life for illiterate people. Muiredach’s Cross dates from 900-923 AD and is regarded as the finest high cross in Ireland. The West Cross at 6.5m high is the tallest high cross in the country. There is also a simpler North Cross. The Round tower is over 30m (110 feet) tall, divided into four stories inside.
wikipedia.org (this article contains very detailed information about the legendary Muiredach’s High Cross )
Opening Hours:
The Tower is closed to the public.
The site is open all year.
Contact & Pricing:
discoverboynevalley.ie
Tel: 41 987 2843
Monasterboice, Co. Louth
Free admission
The day tour of Newgrange and the Boyne Valley starts from the centre of Dublin and travels to the Brú na Bóinne visitor centre. Which sits on the River Boyne in county Meath, about 40 minutes’ drive north of Dublin. It is famous for the ancient passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth.
Here you join the official tour of Newgrange to visit these incredible monuments. Newgrange is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is the oldest and largest Neolithic burial chamber in Europe (3,200 BC).
Scheduling:
Runs Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun.
Tour pick up at 9am at the Molly Malone Statue on Suffolk Street, estimated arrival back in Dublin is 5pm.
Entrance Fees into Newgrange and Bru Na Boinne are included in tour price.
Lunch stop included, but food is not included in tour price.
Other day tours from Dublin also available, see website below.
Contact & Pricing:
hilltoptreks.com/day-tours-from-dublin/celts-and-castles-tour
[email protected]
Tel: 087 784 9599
Adults €85; concessions
Newgrange Neolithic Monument was built around 3200 BC, making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. The Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre interprets the Neolithic monuments of Newgrange, Knowth & Dowth. There is a full scale replica of the chamber at Newgrange, and a model of one of the smaller tombs at Knowth.
The Newgrange site consists of a large circular mound with a stone passageway and interior chambers. The mound has a retaining wall at the front and is ringed by engraved kerbstones. There is no agreement about what the site was used for, but it is thought to have had religious significance – it is aligned with the rising sun and its light floods the chamber on the winter solstice. It is the most famous monument within the Brú na Bóinne complex, alongside the similar passage tomb mounds of Knowth and Dowth, and as such is a part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Once a year, at the winter solstice, the rising sun shines directly along the long passage, illuminating the inner chamber and revealing the carvings inside, notably the triple spiral on the front wall of the chamber. This illumination lasts for about 17 minutes. Professor M. J. O’Kelly was the first person in modern times to observe this event on 21 December 1967. The sunlight enters the passage through a specially contrived opening, known as a roofbox, directly above the main entrance. Although solar alignments are not uncommon among passage graves, Newgrange is one of few to contain the additional roofbox feature.
Today the first light enters about four minutes after sunrise, but calculations show that 5,000 years ago first light would have entered exactly at sunrise. The solar alignment at Newgrange is very precise compared to similar phenomena at other passage graves. Current-day visitors to Newgrange are treated to an impressive re-enactment of this event through the use of electric lights situated within the tomb.
Many thanks to Wikipedia for the above information – www.en.wikipedia.org
Opening Hours:
Visitor Centre open 7 days a week: 9.30am – 4.15pm
Exact opening times vary monthly, and site may be closed due to extreme weather conditions. Closed 24 – 27 December.
Check the website for current opening hours.
This is a busy site, with queues likely during summer months.
Access is not guaranteed without pre-booked tickets, online booking recommended.
There are 4 tour options:
Admissions via the Visitor Centre, visitors are brought to the monuments by shuttle bus.
Contact & Pricing:
heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/bru-na-boinne-visitor-centre-newgrange-and-knowth
[email protected]
Tel: 041 988 0300
Donore, Co. Meath
Adults €5-18; concessions
Mellifont Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery in Ireland (founded in 1142 by St Malachy of Armagh). The abbey’s most unusual feature is the octagonal Lavabo (c. 1200). The Visitor Centre houses an interesting exhibition on the work of masons in the Middle Ages with fine examples of their craft on display. Access to the site is by a stone stairway.
Opening Hours:
Mid-May to mid-September: 7 days a week, 10am – 5pm
Guided tours available on request.
Contact & Pricing:
heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/old-mellifont-abbey
[email protected]
Tel: 041 982 6459 / 041 988 0300
Tullyallen, Drogheda, Co. Louth
Adults €5; concessions. Free admission on the first Wednesday of each month.