Boyle Abbey, Co. Roscommon

Boyle Abbey in County Roscommon is one of the most impressive Cistercian monastery ruins in Ireland with quite a turbulent history.

Exploring Ireland's Ancient East: The Hill of Slane, Co. Meath

This mythical hill in County Meath is steeped in legend and lore - its prominent location and commanding views over the Boyne Valley and beyond made it one of the most important sites in the ancient east of Ireland.

 

Inis Cealtra, the "Holy Island" in Lough Derg, Co. Clare

Inis Cealtra became known as "Holy Island" during the middle ages, when the monastery was one the most frequented pilgrimage sites in Ireland. But the island was already considered a sacred place in pagan times.

 

Magical Places: St. Berrihert's Kyle and Holy Well, Co. Tipperary

Hidden deep in the Glen of Aherlow at the foot of the Galtee Mountains lies the enchanted and mysterious St. Berrihert's Kyle and Holy Well. 

 

Along the Wild Atlantic Way: Burrishoole Friary, Co. Mayo

When Sir Richard de Burke joined the Dominican Order he built a Friary on the tranquil banks of the Burrishoole Channel, a tidal inlet on the north side of Clew Bay. However, in his planning he forgot a crucial detail...

Magical Places: Tintern of the Vow, Co. Wexford

Tintern Abbey has a colourful history: it was built to make good on a promise and became one of the wealthiest Cistercian monasteries in Ireland. After its dissolution it was transformed into a private residence for one of the most influential families of Wexford.

 

A walk around Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny

This small village, nestled in the rolling hills of Co. Kilkenny is also known as the "jewel of the south east" - a picturesque setting even Hollywood couldn't resist.

St. Patrick's trail: Saul, Co. Down

Saul in Co. Down is one the most important sites associated with St. Patrick.  It is believed that Ireland's patron saint founded his very first church here in AD 432.

 

Magical Places: Rathfran Priory, Co. Mayo

On the banks of the tidal Cloonaghmore River where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean lie the remains of Rathfran Priory, also known as the 'Priory of the Holy Cross'. It is one of the earliest monastic foundations in the Province of Connacht.

 

Magical Places: The seven churches of Glendalough, Co. Wicklow

The valley of Glendalough is a raving beauty in the heart of the Wicklow mountains, an enchanted and spellbinding place. Scattered throughout the valley are the remains of seven early medieval churches and one of the most important monastic sites of Ireland. 

 

Magical Places: The secret of the lost town of Jerpoint, Co. Kilkenny

On the banks of the River Nore lie buried the remains of the medieval town of Newtown Jerpoint. The ancient ruins hold an arcane secret: local lore has it that none other than St. Nicholas found his final resting-place inside the small church graveyard here.

 

Timetravelling in East Clare: Tracing the footsteps of Brian Boru

Brian Boru, the greatest High King of them all died in 1014 in the Battle of Clontarf. A thousand years later his spirit still lives on, especially in his hometown Killaloe in East Co. Clare. Lets take a few steps back in time and explore Brian Boru's home ground.

 

Magical Places: The Tomb of the Jealous Man and Woman, Newtown Abbey, Co. Meath

Hidden away in a small church on the grounds of an Augustinian Priory on the banks of the River Boyne you'll find the wondrous tomb of a medieval knight and his Lady,  locally known as "the Tomb of the Jealous Man and Woman". 

 

Magical Places: Timoleague Friary in West Cork

Built on the site of an earlier monastic settlement the imposing ruins of Timoleague Friary sit on the banks of the Argideen River where it flows into Courtmacsherry Bay.

Magical Places: Ross Errilly Friary, Co. Galway

Ross Errilly sits on the banks of the Black River, overlooking the plains of east Galway, on the border to County Mayo. The medieval friary has a long and turbulent history of oppression, expulsion and clandestine reoccupation. 

 

Magical Places: Cong Abbey, Co. Mayo

In the year 627 AD St. Feichín stumbled across a magical spot on the small corridor of land between Lough Mask and Lough Corrib in the west of Ireland. This island in the woods surrounded by rivers and streams was so enchanting that he decided then and there to built a monastery here. The monastic settlement was to become one of the most majestic Abbeys in Ireland.

Magical Places: Inchagoill, the Island of the Foreigner, Co. Galway

Legend has it that there are 365 islands scattered on Lough Corrib, one for each day of the year. One of those is Inchagoill Island or "Inis An Ghaill", the "Island of the Foreigner". Tucked away on that little sacred Isle are ancient monastic ruins and a mysterious stone with the oldest surviving inscription in roman letters ever found in Ireland. 

Haunted Places: Charleville Forest Castle, Co. Offaly

Footsteps, voices, a child crying, nocturnal singsong echoing through the halls - haunted Charleville Forest Castle, hidden deep inside the ancient oak woods in County Offaly is infested with ghosts and spirits, making it one of the eeriest places in Ireland. 

 

Magical Places: The Abbey of the Four Masters, Co. Donegal

The Franciscan Friary overlooking scenic Donegal Bay is best known for "The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland" or the "Annals of the Four Masters" - one of the most important records of the history and mythology of Ireland that was compiled and written down here. 

 

Magical Places: Sherkin Island, Co. Cork

Only a short boat ride from the mainland, Sherkin Island feels like a world apart. The tranquil little island lies in Roaringwater Bay on the south-western fringes of Ireland and is a nature lover's paradise: stunning seascapes, cliffs and rocky shores, beautiful sandy beaches, lush woodland and an abundance of wildlife.