Ireland is one of the most beautiful countries that you will ever visit and below you will find our comprehensive guide on visiting the Emerald Isle.
What is the best Ireland vacation itinerary?
- The Cliffs of Moher
- Sligo
- Killarney National Park
- Boyne Valley
- The Rock of Cashel
- Dublin
- Dingle
- Galway City
- Blarney Castle
- Limerick
Let’s look more in depth at the Top 10 Places to Visit in Ireland
The Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about 14 kilometres (9 miles). At their southern end, they rise 120 metres (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag’s Head, and, 8 kilometres (5 miles) to the north, they reach their maximum height of 214 metres (702 ft) just north of O’Brien’s Tower, a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs, built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O’Brien, then continue at lower heights. The closest settlements are the villages of Liscannor 6 km (4 miles) to the south, and Doolin 7 km (4 miles) to the north.
From the cliffs, and from atop the tower, visitors can see the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountain ranges to the north in County Galway, and Loop Head to the south.The cliffs rank among the most visited tourist sites in Ireland, with around 1.5 million visits per annum.
Sligo
One of the must sees in County Sligo is Classiebawn Castle
Classiebawn castle close to the head of Mullaghmore on County Sligo’s Wild Atlantic Way, was the holiday home of Louis Mountbatten, a member of the British royal family who was assassinated close by in 1979. The pair of standing stones erected on the ground below the castle would seem to support the reputed occult interests of Lords Palmerston, Ashley and Mountbatten.
Killarney National Park
When you visit Killarney National Park, make sure you don’t miss Torc Waterfall.Torc Waterfall (from Irish: Easach Toirc, meaning “cascade of the wild boar”) is a 20 metres (66 ft) high, 110 metres (360 ft) long cascade waterfall formed by the Owengarriff River as it drains from the Devil’s Punchbowl corrie lake at Mangerton Mountain. The waterfall, which lies at the base of Torc Mountain, in the Killarney National Park, is 4.3 miles (7 kilometres) from Killarney in Kerry, Ireland.
The waterfall is a popular site on the Ring of Kerry and the Kerry Way tours. The word Torc is from the Irish translation of a “wild boar”, and the area is associated with legends involving wild boars. One legend is of a man who was cursed by the Devil to spend each night transformed into a wild boar, but when his secret was revealed by a local farmer, he burst into flames and disappeared into the nearby Devils Punchbowl on Mangerton Mountain from which the Owengarriff River emerged to hide the entrance to his cave beneath the Torc Waterfall.
Boyne Valley
Only 20 minutes from Dublin and an hour from Belfast, the Boyne Valley is a really accessible place for a day trip and is full of historical and cultural gems such as Newgrange.
Read more at www.discoverireland.ie/boyne-valley-highlights
The Rock of Cashel
The Rock of Cashel (Irish: Carraig Phádraig), also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick’s Rock, is a historic site located at Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland. According to local legends, the Rock of Cashel originated in the Devil’s Bit, a mountain 20 miles (30 km) north of Cashel when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the Rock’s landing in Cashel.
Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century. The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. In 1101, the King of Munster, Muirchertach Ua Briain, donated his fortress on the Rock to the Church.
Dingle
Bring the beauty of Ireland into your front room with this immersive tour of the Dingle Peninsula. Described by National Geographic as ‘the most beautiful place on earth,’ the Dingle Peninsula is a glorious mix of untouched wilderness, stunning coastlines and beautiful little towns.
Galway City
Galway, a harbour city on Ireland’s west coast, sits where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. The city’s hub is 18th-century Eyre Square, a popular meeting spot surrounded by shops and traditional pubs that often offer live Irish folk music. Nearby, stone-clad cafes, boutiques and art galleries line the winding lanes of the Latin Quarter, which retains portions of the medieval city walls,
Blarney Castle
Built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, and has been attracting attention ever since. Over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney making it a world landmark and one of Ireland’s greatest treasures. Now that might have something to do with the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of our tower.
Kiss it and you’ll never again be lost for words. Kiss The Blarney Stone The Stone of Eloquence For over 200 years, world statesmen, literary giants, and legends of the silver screen have joined the millions of pilgrims climbing the steps to kiss the Blarney Stone and gain the gift of eloquence. Its powers are unquestioned but its story still creates debate. Once upon a time, visitors had to be held by the ankles and lowered head first over the battlements.
Today, we are rather more cautious of the safety of our visitors. The Stone itself is still set in the wall below the battlements. To kiss it, one has to lean backwards (holding on to an iron railing) from the parapet walk. The prize is a real one as once kissed the stone bestows the gift of eloquence.
Limerick
County Limerick (Irish: Contae Luimnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster, and is also part of the Mid-West Region. It is named after the city of Limerick.
O’Connell Street (Irish: Sráid Uí Chonaill) is the main thoroughfare of the city of Limerick. It was previously known as George’s Street until it was renamed after Daniel O’Connell. The street runs in parallel to the River Shannon and forms part of an overall thoroughfare, along with Rutland Street and Patrick Street, that bisects Limerick City Centre in a north east to south west direction.
Visiting Dublin
The Top 10 things you must do in Dublin
Top 10 Things you must do in DUBLIN, Ireland. Dublin has so much to offer anyone visiting the city. From traditional music and dance, festive Irish pubs, castles, history and culture, plus the heritage of Irish Whiskey and the story of Guinness – there is something for everyone. Known as one of the friendliest cities in the world, you may even make an Irish friend of two!https://www.youtube.com/embed/kfn5ySr-1fI?feature=oembed
Visit some of Dublin’s unique and fascinating attractions that are key to the character of Dublin city, but also to its people and the people of Ireland.
Guiness Store House
Guinness Storehouse is a tourist attraction at St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland.Since opening in 2000, it has received over twenty million visitors.
The Storehouse covers seven floors surrounding a glass atrium shaped in the form of a pint of Guinness. The ground floor introduces the beer’s four ingredients (water, barley, hops and yeast), and the brewery’s founder, Arthur Guinness. Other floors feature the history of Guinness advertising and include an interactive exhibit on responsible drinking. The seventh floor houses the Gravity Bar with views of Dublin and where visitors may drink a pint of Guinness included in the price of admission.
The old Jameson Distillery
The original distillery on this site was called the Bow Street Distillery and was established in 1780. John Jameson took full ownership (he was previously the general manager) and expanded the distillery in 1805. By 1810, the operation was officially renamed to John Jameson & Son’s Bow Street Distillery. The distillery grew to an upwards of 5 acres (2 ha) by 1886.
At this time, it was described by many as a “city within a city”. The distillery also housed a Smithy, Cooperage, saw mills, engineers, carpenters, painters and coppersmiths’ shops. Water for the distillery came from two deep wells dug underneath the site. Cellars were also dug underneath nearby streets to store maturing whiskey, while four stills and two wash stills, each holding 24,000 gallons (109,000 L), were heated by both fire and steam coils above.
Following a difficult period that included American Prohibition, Ireland’s trade war with Great Britain, and the introduction of Scotch blended whiskey, the Jameson distillery fell on hard times and decided to form the Irish Distillers Group with their previous rivals, the Cork Distilleries Company and John Power & Son in 1966. Eventually, it became one of the last distilleries in Ireland to close in 1971. The operation was then moved out of Dublin to the New Midleton Distillery.
Glasnevin cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery (Irish: Reilig Ghlas Naíon) is a large cemetery in Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland which opened in 1832. It holds the graves and memorials of several notable figures, and has a museum.
The cemetery is located in Glasnevin, Dublin, in two parts. The main part, with its trademark high walls and watchtowers, is located on one side of the road from Finglas to the city centre, while the other part, “St. Paul’s,” is located across the road and beyond a green space, between two railway lines.
The cemetery contains historically notable monuments and the graves of many of Ireland’s most prominent national figures. These include the graves of Daniel O’Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith, Maude Gonne, Kevin Barry, Roger Casement, Constance Markievicz, Pádraig Ó Domhnaill, Seán MacBride, Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, James Larkin, Brendan Behan, Christy Brown and Luke Kelly of the Dubliners.
The National Botanic Gardens
The National Botanic Gardens (Irish: Garraithe Náisiúnta na Lus) is a botanical garden, located in Glasnevin, 5 km north-west of Dublin city centre, Ireland.The 19.5 hectares are situated between Glasnevin Cemetery and the River Tolka where it forms part of the river’s floodplain.
The gardens were founded in 1795 by the Dublin Society (later the Royal Dublin Society) and are today in State ownership through the Office of Public Works. They hold approximately 20,000 living plants and many millions of dried plant specimens. There are several architecturally notable greenhouses. Today the Glasnevin site is the headquarters of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland which has a satellite garden and arboretum at Kilmacurragh in County Wicklow.
Croke Park
Croke Park (Irish: Páirc an Chrócaigh) is a Gaelic games stadium located in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is sometimes called Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Since 1891 the site has been used by the GAA to host Gaelic sports, including the annual All-Ireland in Gaelic football and hurling.
James Joyce Centre
The James Joyce Centre is a museum in Dublin, Ireland, dedicated to promoting an understanding of the life and works of James Joyce.
The Centre is situated in a restored 18th-century Georgian townhouse at 35 North Great George’s Street, Dublin, dating from a time when north inner city Dublin was at the height of its grandeur.
Mountjoy square
Mountjoy Square (Irish: Cearnóg Mhuinseo) is a Georgian garden square in Dublin, Ireland, on the north side of the city just under a kilometre from the River Liffey. One of five Georgian squares in Dublin, it was planned and developed in the late 18th century by the Luke Gardiner, 1st Viscount Mountjoy. It was surrounded on all sides by terraced, red-brick Georgian houses. Construction began in the early 1790s and the work was completed in 1818.
Top 10 Famous Pubs In IRELAND
Ireland’s pubs are the place to be when it comes to fun and good Irish hospitality. There’s nothing quite like perching on top of a bar stool or chair with a creamy pint of “the black stuff”, or whatever your favourite tipple.
Infectious rhythm of traditional Irish music, cosy, open fires and a community with tradition and a love of storytelling. Friendships are formed and memories are made, the hospitality never fails. So, find a chair, order a round and enjoy Ireland’s iconic pub scene.
Other Topics and Questions about Ireland
- What to pack
- Places to visit
- Getting there
- Airports in Ireland
- Where to stay
- Getting around in Ireland
- Taxis, trains and buses
- Car Rental
- Food and Drink
These and many other questions are answered in our comprehensive guide to Ireland
