Irish Cottage Holidays

Ireland holiday information and tourist attractions

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Irish Coast County Tipperary, in South Ireland, is the largest inland county and home to the sport of hurling. Dromineer is an important resort on Lough Derg and an ideal spot from which to sail on the lake. It also has a ruined castle. Lismore in County Waterford has probably the most spectacular castle in Ireland. The castle overlooks the rolling wooded countryside of the Backwater Valley and has been the Irish home of the Dukes of Devonshire since the middle of the 18th Century.

In the south east of Ireland is County Carlow, one of Ireland’s smallest counties. It is surrounded by the Blackstairs Mountains, the Barrow Valley and the Killeshin Hills. The county town of Carlow is a bustling town with a court house modelled on the Parthenon. Also in the county is the granite formation known as Browne’s Hill Dolmen. It is believed to have the largest capstone in Europe and is five thousand years old. County Dublin is next door and home to Ireland’s capital, the fascinating city of Dublin with its history, its museums and, of course, its Guinness-serving pubs.

Blackstairs Mountains In South West Ireland is County Cork, with its beautiful scenic coastline in the west of the county. The city of Cork is in the east and has several interesting buildings including the imposing St Finbarr’s Cathedral and the Cork City Gaol. St Anne’s Church, Shandon is across the river and houses the Shandon Bells. Neighbouring County Kerry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, home to such places as Castlegregory, Kenmare, Killarney, Kilmore and Tralee. This is a mystical unspoiled land with old stones and Iron Age forts. It has beautiful coastal and inland scenery.

Also in this corner of Ireland is County Limerick. The medieval city of Limerick is worth a visit. There is plenty to see there, including the 13th Century King John’s Castle which overlooks the River Shannon. County Wicklow is sometimes known as the garden of Ireland and certainly contains some spectacular scenery. There are beautiful glens and valleys and majestic mountains. There are also interesting towns and villages and many ancient monuments.

In Central Ireland is County Offaly with its main town of Tullamore, famous for its whiskey. The county has many castles and other places of historical interest, the most important of which is the early monastic site at Clonmacnoise. The Slieve Bloom Mountains are a wonderful area for walking and there are several very attractive towns and villages in the area.

OBriens Castle - Clare Another popular tourist area is West Ireland. County Clare is centred around the main market town of Ennis, which lies on the banks of the River Fergus. The attractive town is well worth visiting, as is Doolin which is close to the famous cliffs of moher. Doolin is known throughout the world as the capital of traditional Irish music. The ancient town of Galway is known as the capital of the west of Ireland. It is the gateway to the Aran Islands. County Galway is a large area divided by Lough Corrib. Between the lake and the ocean is scenic Connemara, whilst a fertile plain stretches away to the east of the county.

County Louth in North East Ireland is a small county running northwards from the River Boyne. The legendary hero Cuchlain was said to have been born here, close to Dundalk, the county town. The area is popular with walkers and also offers fishing for salmon and trout. Nearby County Wexford is also a fishing paradise, with a wealth of scenery from mountains and valleys to pretty coastal harbours. Wexford town was founded by the Vikings and holds a world famous opera festival. Trim is the site of King John’s Castle, the largest and best preserved Norman castle in the country. It was built in 1220 and was used as one of the locations in the film “Braveheart” – even though it was in the wrong country!

Donegal beach In North West Ireland, County Donegal is a land of moors and mountains particularly popular with golfers and fishermen. County Mayo, is on the coast and has several large lakes within its borders. The main town is Castlebar it is a centre for ramblers and holds the International Four Days Walk early each June. Ballina was once the largest town in the county but is now the second largest. It is situated at the mouth of the River Moy close to Killala Bay. The town has both the Ox Mountains and the Nephin Beg Mountains within easy reach. County Sligo is a beautiful county of lakes and mountains which inspired the poet William Butler Yates, who is buried here in Drumcliffe. Sligo is an attractive town with plenty of galleries, restaurants and cafés.

One of the most popular tourist areas in Northern Ireland is County Antrim. It is home to the splendid Norman castle of Carrickfergus, which stands on the shores of Belfast Lough. One of the most famous sites in the county is the Giant’s Causeway, a tremendous mass of basalt columns ascending from the sea to the headland above. Ballymena was originally settled by the early Christians in about the 5th Century. A castle was built in the town during the 17th Century, but has long since gone.

IRISH ATTRACTIONS
Ireland Cottage Rental	Clean, affordable holiday cottages for rent. Self-catering accomodation in the Irish countryside
Northen Ireland
Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim	World Heritage site.World famous rock formation made up of 40,000 six sided basalt columns, estimated to be about 55 million years old, which were formed by cooling lava
Old Bushmills Distillery	The oldest licensed distillery in the world. Whiskey has been distilled here legally since 1608. Guided tour and tasting.
Slieve League	Europe's Highest Sea Cliffs (765 ft).
American Folk Park, Ulster	museum of emigration and folklife. This extensive indoor / outdoor attraction features ancestral homes, shopping streets, pioneer houses and a full-size emigrant ship. A winner of NI Best Attraction Award. Tel: (028) 8224 3292
Enniskillen Castle	Incorporating The Regimental Museum, The Watergate History and Heritage Centre.
W5	W5 = WhoWhatWhereWhenWhy, the biggest daily draw at the Odyssey centre. More than 100 thrilling exhibits and installations will fire the imaginations of everyone Tel: (028) 9046 7700
Belleek Pottery	This World famous pottery offers guided tours and has a visitor's centre.
Castle Coole	Magnificent neo-classical house. Family home of the Earls of Belmore. It has fine interiors and exquisite furniture and furnishings
Florence Court, Ulster	Mid eighteenth century home with magnificent plaster work, the striking rococo dining-room ceiling
Crom Estate	1,350 acres of woodland, park land and wetland, one of Northern Ireland's most important nature conservation areas, including Crom Old Castle.
Devenish Island	One of the largest of the 154 islands of Lough Erne, is the site of the ruins of an abbey and of a perfect 12th century round tower
Marble Arch Caves	These magnificent Mesozoic limestone caves have an extensive network of caverns, viewed from a boat
Eire (Southern Ireland)
Dublin Hotel Booking	Wide selection of quality budget and luxury hotels in Dublin. Secure realtime online reservation service.
Athenry, Galway	Mediaval town withHeritage Centre. Founded in the 13th, surrounded with a curtain wall with towers and a moat. It is the only walled town in Ireland whose still-intact walls are clearly visible to the approaching visitor
Galway Bay and The Aran Islands
Mizen, West Cork	Mizen Vision Signal Station Visitor Centre, the southernmost point on mainland Ireland, the Visitor Centre was once an active lighthouse
Skibbereen, West Cork	Skibbereen Heritage Centre, featuring the Great Famine Commemoration Exhibition and the Lough Hyne Visitor Centre
Cape Clear Island, West Cork	Prehistoric monuments, megalithic standing stones, a 5000 year-old passage grave, a 12th century church ruin, and a 14th century O'Driscoll castle cannonaded in the early 1600's
Kilkenny, Co. Laois	Medival town situated on both banks of the Nore. It has many historical points of interest including Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice Cathedral, Rothe house and many more. Comedy festival and the Kilkenny Arts Festival are held annually in Kilkenny