I think the most interesting thing about Ireland are the ancient relics that are still standing:…read moreeither alone off the beaten path, or alongside more contemporary structures. The Grange Stone Circle in Lough Gur, located in a field off of R512, is the former, and it is definitely worth visiting if you are near Limerick. It is the largest ancient stone circle in Ireland and dates to the late Neolithic/Bronze Age. It had a ritualistic purpose and the center aligns to the sun during the summer solstice. To consider that some of the stones were brought from 3 miles away is just astounding, as is the understanding that this site dates to 2,200 BCE. To think of the ancient peoples that walked here so long ago is certainly astounding! The stone circle is definitely an impressive site to behold! More information can be found here: http://loughgur.com/destination/the-stone-circle/

Bigger around than Stonehenge The diameter of the upright…read morestones is 45 meters (148 feet) The diameter of the capped stones at Stonehenge is 33 meters (108 feet)

TOWN WALLS of YOUGHAL Had a walk around the Town Walls of…read moreYoughal during a recent visit; amazingly, had never done it before. Again, I don't think they, like most of the attractions in the town, are well enough publicised, though the local bodies do their bit. The walls date from the 13th century - confirmed by a charter of King Edward 1. The walls once surrounded the town on the shoreline as well as inland. Despite a partial collapse in recent years, much of the inland portion remains and you can walk along part of it and enter one of the watch towers, the walk providing good views over the town and out into the bay.

THE CLOCK GATE Nearly two hundred and thirty five years old…read moreand still the vehicles and people flow under it. Talking about the Clock Gate that straddles the North Main Street in Youghal, the one landmark in the East Cork seaside town that you cannot help but see. It was built in 1777 as part of the town's fortifications and also separated the town proper from the base town. It also served as a jail and some prisoners had their last view of the town before they were hanged from the windows. It is a much friendlier place nowadays though one councillor noted that the time displayed is not necessarily always correct. Cllr Liam Burke spoke at a 2009 October meeting and said that the Clock Gate clock is "giving out false information" by chiming out of sync with the real time.

Free admittance with a free guided tour through the castle - and in my opinion although smaller,…read moreBarryscourt is way better than Blarney. Our tour guide was excellent and very informative. The castle has been (and continues to be) restored so you get to see each floor as it might have been not just stone rooms without floors like at Blarney. There's a lovely small garden and an orchard within the walls. Close to Fota House and Gardens this is an excellent stop while you're in the area and you can make a full day out of it by also visiting Fota. Fota Gardens and Arboretum are also free.

BARRYSCOURT CASTLE Paid my first visit in decades to…read moreBarryscourt Castle, an impressive relic of the 16th century court of the Barry family. Impressive enough as a stark ruin in the 80s but now it's much improved and well worth a visit, particularly since there is no charge at all, and that includes the guided tour of the interior. Time was short yesterday so we contented ourselves with a walk around the outside of the castle itself, through the herb garden and a large orchard. There are records of an orchard there since the 13th century and this one, with dozens of apple varieties, is laid out according to the 16th century manner. There are smaller plantings of pears and quinces. There is an information office with very helpful and friendly staff, toilets and a cafe and it is just off the main national road (N25). It is a very pleasant visit indeed and I'll be back for a longer stay, perhaps during Heritage Week which takes place in venues across the country from August 21st. Most events are free to enter, some have reduced charges. This is one of many available. See the Heritage Ireland site http://www.heritageireland.com or pick up the comprehensive National Heritage Week brochure at your local library. http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/South-West/BarryscourtCastle/ Tel: +353 21 488 3864

Simply amazing! Love that you get to walk through the fort underground and love the views. The tea…read morehouse is overlooking the water. The volunteers are a wealth of information.

Lismore Castle is a privately owned castle that is not open to the pubic. However, the gardens are…read moreopen to the pubic for a fee. There are the original gardens and the 19th century gardens. Both are worth seeing. Near the original gardens is a tea room and art gallery. Park outside the 17th century gatehouse and go pay the fee inside the gatehouse.

There are actually 2 castle's, an old and a new (or newer, its still very old obviously). The herd…read moreof white deer are worth the walk alone, they're beautiful. Don't expect throngs of tourists being herded on and off coaches here, it's not on the tourist trail at all. That's part of its appeal though I think. Recently purchased by Cork County Council that could all change relatively soon. Recommend you see it while you can still have the place all to yourself.

"Stay away stay away stay away from me, for I am the man of misery" is supposedly what the man atop…read morethe pillar shouts. To be honest, he looks like a giant smurf - white pants, blue shirt. During storms, ships used to try to shelter in Tramore Bay. Only to be welcomed by rocks. One of the masts of these unfortunate crafts now stands on Tramore Beach's backstrand as a further reminder of the treachery of the bay's hidden rocks. So the locals hoisted pillars on each headland of the bay - to the east on Brownstown Head, and on the west headland (called Westown) the Metal Man. It's a lovely walk through the fields along the coast out to the Metal Man - start at Newtown Cove and tramp the mile or so around the inlets and through the fields. You'll need sturdy shoes and a waterproof/windbreaker: even if it's not rainy, it will most likely be windy. The view is well worth the effort.

We toured the abbey on our own since it was close to Kilkenny. It was around a 20 minute drive…read more Admission was free using the Heritage Card. We had a great overview of the abbey from the staff as well as tips on other places to see nearby. We almost had the abbey to ourselves given the weather and lateness in the day. The ruins were in good condition to walk around and we tried to find most of the unusual carvings that the staff highlighted. They were randomly located throughout and an odd feature given the austerity imposed on most abbeys at the time. Do stop by.

A Cistercian Abbey from ~1100AD. Interesting history and description of the life of the monks in…read morethose days. Our guide was delightful and knowledgeable. Tour lasted about 1 hour. It is worth a look if you are in the area. Mark & Nancy.

Beautiful course and an even better view…read more We stopped by for lunch and to admire the course. One of our group had played before and had to tell us the stories. We ate lunch in the clubhouse and had a fine selection of food. Service was great and the menu was well thought out. I would give them 5 stars but I got food poisoning from the oysters I ate there. After a long night I made it on my flight to Scotland with cold sweats and a green face. I was surprised somewhere this nice had bad shellfish. I'll go back again...but will mind the shellfish.

If you are in Cork and have access to a car, you might as well head to Kinsale. The small port and…read morefishing town has many pubs, craft and photography shops and is popular with tourists. After driving about 15 kilometers you will see a long hill and on the very top, a ruined castle. If you go up walking through the grass heading to the right side, you will be amazed by the view of the cliffs, the noise of the waves smashing the rocks and the smell of fresh air. And this view is completely free! The only problem is a big closed gate, which belongs to a golf course built some years ago that still raises protests as a big part of the land was made private.