Highlights of Southern Ireland

Dublin Castle is the heart of historic Dublin. In fact, the city gets its name from the black tidal pool, which was on the site of the present castle garden, known in Classical Gaelic as ‘Dubh Linn’. Generally, the state apartments, medieval undercroft and chapel royal are open to visitors to explore deep into the history of this beautiful city.

Explore one of the largest unoccupied jails in Europe, covering some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland’s emergence as a modern nation from the 1780s to the 1920s. Attractions here include a major exhibition detailing the political and penal history of the prison and its restoration and the tour of the prison also includes an audio-visual show.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral has been at the heart of Dublin and Ireland’s history and culture for over 800 years. For centuries it was the largest enclosed space on the island and it remains the largest cathedral in the country. It has been visited by some of Irish history’s most influential individuals from Cromwell, William of Orange and King James I, to Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. We can organise a private vergers tour with behind-the-scenes access.

Nestled in the centre of Ireland’s Medieval Mile, Rothe House and Garden is one of Kilkenny’s hidden gems. The building was the home of a 17th-century merchant and consists of three townhouses, courtyards and gardens. The home was built for John Rothe Fitzpiers, who lived here with his wife and 12 children. Rothe was a successful merchant who made his business trading cloths and silks from the UK to Europe. The house contains a full collection of unique artefacts and there is even a genealogical research service available for patrons to help them retrace their Kilkenny family roots.

Explore one of the most recognisable buildings in Ireland. Kilkenny Castle has been an important site since Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, also known as Strongbow, constructed the first castle in the 12th century. The history is full of legends and stories involving earls, witches and visits from royalty. Marvel at the grand country house and wander among the beautifully manicured gardens and 50 acres of lush parklands. There’s also a tearoom and even orienteering trails to discover.

The world-class 45km Waterford Greenway runs from Waterford to Dungarvan along the route of an old railway line. Along the way you’ll travel over two stone viaducts and have the opportunity to stop at some local villages. The famous Mount Congreve Gardens are along the route and you’ll also encounter stunning sea views as you cycle the final stage into Dungarvan.

The unique yachting harbour of Kinsale is one of many colourful gems strung along the coastline of County Cork. Narrow, winding streets lined with a fantastic range of top quality shops and boutiques with many unique designs and great gift ideas, galleries, lively bars and superb restaurants, and a handsome natural harbour filled with yachts and guarded by a huge 17th-century fortress make it an engrossing place to visit.

This vast 17th-century fortification would be worth a visit for its spectacular views alone, but there’s much more here. The 18th and 19th-century ruins inside the walls make for some fascinating wandering. It’s 3km southeast of Kinsale along the minor road through Scilly; if you have time, hike there along the lovely coastal Scilly Walk.

Framed by its fishing port, the peninsula’s charming little ‘capital’ manages to be quaint without even trying. Some pubs double as shops, so you can enjoy a Guinness and a singalong among screws and nails, wellies and horseshoes. Dingle town is a truly cosmopolitan, creative place. In summer its hilly streets can be clogged with visitors; in other seasons its authentic charms are yours for the savouring. Although Dingle is one of Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht towns, the locals have voted to retain the name Dingle rather than go by the officially sanctioned – and signposted – Gaelic name of An Daingean.

The Cliffs of Moher are a dramatic 14km (9 mile) length of Atlantic coastline at the southwestern edge of the Burren region. They run from their southern end at Hag’s Head up to a maximum height of of 214m (702 feet) close to O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O’Brien as an observation tower for the Victorian tourists, and the site remains one of the most popular sites in Ireland. From the tower, you can see out to the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountain ranges to the north, and Loop Head lighthouse to the south.

The Burren (meaning ‘great rock’) stretches across northern Clare, a windswept, lunar-like landscape of barren grey limestone that was shaped beneath ancient seas, then forced high and dry by a great geological cataclysm.  Villages throughout the region include the music hub of Doolin on the west coast, Kilfenora inland and charming Ballyvaughan in the north on the shores of Galway Bay. South of Ballyvaughan, a series of severe bends twists up Corkscrew Hill. Built as part of a Great Famine relief scheme in the 1840s, the road leads to prehistoric and Iron Age sites including Gleninsheen Wedge Tomb, Poulnabrone Dolmen and Caherconnell Fort.