What's your favorite historic irish landmark/site

bitemybanger · 12-01-2014 2:27pm #1

Ive visited many of our historic landmarks and sites over the years but there are two which stand out above the rest for me. One is Kilmanham jail as the history of this building and past prisoners is truly awe inspiring.
The second and personal favorite of mine is Newgrange. i live very close to the site but the age, mystery, engineering, precision and knowledge of astronomy is mind boggling. nothing comes close IMO.

jonniebgood1 · 12-01-2014 5:21pm

The black fort on inis mor. There is usually nobody else there and the setting might also have something to do with it.

bitemybanger · 12-01-2014 6:24pm

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

The black fort on inis mor. There is usually nobody else there and the setting might also have something to do with it.

Somewhere id love to visit. ive never been to any of the Inis isles.

santamaria · 12-01-2014 9:15pm

+1 in relation to Kilmainham

Was so impressed by the tour at glasnevin cemetry also.

Another favourite of mine was visiting the blasket islands. found the social history fascinating.

jonniebgood1 · 13-01-2014 8:52pm

santamaria wrote: »

+1 in relation to Kilmainham

Was so impressed by the tour at glasnevin cemetry also.

Another favourite of mine was visiting the blasket islands. found the social history fascinating.

Tomas O'Crohan wrote about his experience growing up on the blaskets. It is interesting in social commentary terms. Ref 'the islandman'.

Manach · 13-01-2014 9:51pm

Always had found memories of visiting Glendalough Monastic site on school tours.

time lord · 16-01-2014 7:44pm

Hill of Usineach in Co.Westmeath. Had a free tour there recently.

Scouser · 16-01-2014 9:35pm

Love love Kilmainham!

PinkCat86 · 19-01-2014 9:39pm

Ardmore round tower overlooking the sea

crockholm · 21-01-2014 9:35pm

Charlesfort outside Kinsale is certainly in the top 10-unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to visit all the sites that I want to see just yet

Aglomerado · 23-01-2014 9:40am

I love old monastic sites, such as Clonmacnoise, Glendalough, Jerpoint and Cashel.

But there are some great slightly lesser known free ones such as the Dominican priory in Kilmallock, Ballybeg (outside Buttevant), Kilmacduagh near Gort and Corcomroe in Clare.

Wren A. Magreet · 23-01-2014 12:06pm

Aglomerado wrote: »

I love old monastic sites, such as Clonmacnoise, Glendalough, Jerpoint and Cashel.

But there are some great slightly lesser known free ones such as the Dominican priory in Kilmallock, Ballybeg (outside Buttevant), Kilmacduagh near Gort and Corcomroe in Clare.

I have to agree!I love these old monastic sites too;it's hard to beat somewhere like Clonmacnoise or Glendalough on a beautiful sunny day.I was a little underwhelmed by Cashel though;there's no denying it has a beautiful setting, but came away feeling slightly disappointed(the wet,dreary weather that morning and the unsightly scaffolding around the site probably didn't help though!).For anyone visiting Clonmacnoise,I'd recommend visiting the Nun's Church just outside the modern cemetery(few know it's there);I sat there in quiet solitude one beautiful May morning - it was bliss!
I do love our prehistoric sites too.The hill of Tara,Newgrange,Knowth,Dowth and Loughcrew are always worth a visit.

crockholm · 23-01-2014 10:47pm

I Think It may be just a phase,but at the moment I have a fascination with 17th Century Buildings in Ireland. Britain transitions from Tudor to Jacobean Baroque,yet because Ireland has not sufficiently been mollified, the building style was still favouring large defensive structures without much attention to finer carvings (Parkes castle comes to mind) yet we see a seed growing for more embellished houses at the time too.

Mallow Castle,Kanturk Castle,bishops Palace in Raphoe and our first major brick Construction-Jigginstown house in Naas (btw O.P.W., get the finger out).

AI · 24-01-2014 9:20am

It took me two years to get round all the heritage sites in Ireland, north and south, that I thought were worth visiting. I put the results in a big coffee table book 'Ancient Ireland'.

I found that some of the best sites to visit were the lesser known ones. Newgrange is amazing, but sharing the experience with a few hundred other tourists took the shine off for me. If you get away from the beaten track there are passage tombs like Newgrange but you'll have the place all to yourself, take a torch and you can clamber (carefully) down the passage to explore the interior left pretty much just as it was 5000 years ago. I felt just like Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings.

I found the variety and quality of sites we have in Ireland quite amazing, and it is also amazing that these places are not well appreciated and apart from the odd few like Tara, Newgrange, Clonmacnoise, Cashel etc most are not well visited.

It was also interesting to see the difference between the north and south. In the north you'll get decent road signs, a car park and usually great information boards, in the south it seems lucky to get a rusty old road sign and not much else.

byhookorbycrook · 26-01-2014 5:51pm

Where would I start? Newgrange/Kilmainham/Clonmacnoise/Glendalough/Gallurus of course. But I have a soft spot for high crosses and in particular the High Cross at Moone. Glad to see Ballybeg get a mention, the columbarium there is magnificent and largely ignored.

Other lesser known spots like Rathgall, Spinian's Hill, Knockaulin, Foreknocks , Mullaghreelan, Dún an Óir, Haroldstown dolmen, the Piper's stones to mention just a few.
I actually like not having big car parks, large signs or bus tours!

chughes · 26-01-2014 10:09pm

From a medieval point of view I really like Trim Castle.

As someone with a big interest in the history of Dublin, I do like Georgian Dublin, especially Fitzwilliam Street.

Einhard · 30-01-2014 7:57pm

For some reason the Hill of Tara really affected me when I visited. Don't know why, and definitelt wasn't expecting it. Stopped off on a whim in a vbattered Hi-Ace van as we were driving through the area for work, and had a good wander around. Nobody else there, very windswept, and I felt a real connection with the place. And I'm definitely not the senitmental type! So Hill of Tara for me.

I really need to get to Skellig Michael though. I imagine that would be near the top of my list.

Ipso · 30-01-2014 8:48pm

Has anyone been to Dun Angus? It looks impressive.

crockholm · 31-01-2014 10:45pm

Einhard wrote: »

For some reason the Hill of Tara really affected me when I visited. Don't know why, and definitelt wasn't expecting it. Stopped off on a whim in a vbattered Hi-Ace van as we were driving through the area for work, and had a good wander around. Nobody else there, very windswept, and I felt a real connection with the place. And I'm definitely not the senitmental type! So Hill of Tara for me.

I really need to get to Skellig Michael though. I imagine that would be near the top of my list.

Well worth going to Skellig Rock,but just to give a Little advice-

Book the trip in advance,OPW severly restrict access to the Island,and the boats that land on the Island go out at 8 or 9 am,there are later boats,but these only sail around the Island and don't dock.

Bring sun screen.

Bring Money,it is expensive (50 euro pp I Think)

Once you disembark from the boat,proceed diretly at a brisk pace to the steps,be careful,no railing and primitive steps.However if you do get up there Before the crowd it is much more enjoyable.

Once you get back to the mainland,check out Valentia Island.

gobnaitolunacy · 01-02-2014 12:16pm

Bring plenty sea sickness tabs if you're not good on boats, the boat trip will be a living hell without them, it's not a quick spin out and back.

debit2credit · 01-02-2014 12:31pm

I always thought the view of rock of cashel as you drive in from junction 7 on the M8 is very impressive... people long go must have been awestruck when they first saw it.

Love all of the ones mentioned above. I also like the more recently built kylemore castle/abbey - some setting.

bitemybanger · 01-02-2014 1:21pm

debit2credit wrote: »

I always thought the view of rock of cashel as you drive in from junction 7 on the M8 is very impressive... people long go must have been awestruck when they first saw it.

Love all of the ones mentioned above. I also like the more recently built kylemore castle/abbey - some setting.

I loved Kylemore abbey. The first time i visited it was wet and rainy, a bit foggy too. i returned a few years later on a beautiful summers day and thought to myself "it doesn't get much better than this".

Im heading to Waterford next week for a few days, any lesser known sites worth a visit here folks?

orangesoda · 03-02-2014 7:26pm

Ive seen very few but the round tower in antrim was quite eery and the ardboe high cross which looks over lough neagh, the largest cross in ulster

Pearl21 · 04-02-2014 8:37pm

I think the guy posted this already
its become my bible for visiting heritage sites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrmXDDL7apw

Judgement Day · 05-02-2014 6:08pm

bitemybanger wrote: »

I loved Kylemore abbey. The first time i visited it was wet and rainy, a bit foggy too. i returned a few years later on a beautiful summers day and thought to myself "it doesn't get much better than this".

Im heading to Waterford next week for a few days, any lesser known sites worth a visit here folks?

The Ballysaggartmore Towers near Lismore are well worth visiting - built as the entrance to a Great House but when the money ran low the house itself was constructed as a modest affair. The old railway station at Lismore - privately owned - is also well worth a visit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballysaggartmore_Towers

Aglomerado · 06-02-2014 10:04am

Judgement Day wrote: »

The Ballysaggartmore Towers near Lismore are well worth visiting - built as the entrance to a Great House but when the money ran low the house itself was constructed as a modest affair. The old railway station at Lismore - privately owned - is also well worth a visit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballysaggartmore_Towers

I'd forgotten about that place. It's surreal, and there's a lovely walk there too.
I must visit it when the weather picks up again.

gobnaitolunacy · 06-02-2014 10:10am

Here's a building I came across quite by accident, a weird onion dome topped thing like it was straight out of India.
A serious wtf moment, did a double take and went back for a look.

http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/Surveys/Buildings/BuildingoftheMonth/Archive/Name,1397,en.html

Sad to note at the bottom of the article, people will still travel out to it just to vandalise it. Toerags.

wolfpawnat · 06-02-2014 11:08am

So many places.

Trim is gorgeous. Over half a year later, my son still wants to go back there. (he's only 4 and still talks about it)

The Blaskets are fascinating, a look into mid 19th century Ireland.

Scattery Island in Clare are gorgeous, the old churches and round tower, and the Napoleonic Battery as well. Though if it wasn't for a bird flying up from the dry moat I may never have seen it it is so overgrown.

I am going to Antrim next month and really want to see Dunlace. I would love to see the causeway too.

I just love all these little castles that no one seems to notice. Lemenagh is another gorgeous one. Got some great pics of the inside not too long ago. I also love Carrigafoyle. Any castle you can get a good wander around really.

There was a monastery I went to in Clare too, a beautiful one, cloisters still perfect. The name escapes me now. Most of the Burren really, and Poulnabrone.

Then of course, Glasnevin, the graveyard at Arbour hill and Kilmainham. Honestly, I just can't name one in particular.

Judgement Day · 06-02-2014 12:01pm

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Here's a building I came across quite by accident, a weird onion dome topped thing like it was straight out of India.
A serious wtf moment, did a double take and went back for a look.

http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/Surveys/Buildings/BuildingoftheMonth/Archive/Name,1397,en.html

Sad to note at the bottom of the article, people will still travel out to it just to vandalise it. Toerags.

Sure is a small world...in another life I owned the gates from the Hindu Gothic Arch at Dromana. Local kids had taken to leaving them closed against the traffic on what is now a public road and they were removed as a safety hazard. They were re-erected up at the Big house and I bought them in the early 1990's...they eventually ended up somewhere in east Cork - I think.

byhookorbycrook · 07-02-2014 5:37pm

Ipso wrote: »

Has anyone been to Dun Angus? It looks impressive.

Yes, few times , the chevaux de frise always reminds me of invaders trying to attack the fort.

byhookorbycrook · 07-02-2014 5:44pm

Waterford sites I like include the above and the rather neglected remains of Geneva Barracks near Passage, death place of the Croppy Boy of ballad fame. Although there is really not much to see there, I enjoyed finding the site of the Viking settlement outside the city too.

What's your favorite historic irish landmark/site

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