We were in the area(ish), heard this was the world's oldest, intact, operational lighthouse and…read moreknew we had to take the detour to see it. Hook Lighthouse has 800 years of history and is found on Hook Head, a rocky blustery bluff jutting out into the harbor on the Atlantic. The history is cool but you definitely feel the necessity of the lighthouse when you're there as it must have saved many ships from rocky fates during the frequent spring storms. We didn't go in the lighthouse but have heard such good things about the tour. We came a little later in the day. There are beautiful overlooks and the view of the lighthouse is pretty splendid regardless. Get to it!

This was really a highlight on our trip! We wandered the grounds for a bit, viewing the free…read moreexhibits, enjoying the day, taking in the amenities. Our tour guide was charismatic, knowledgeable and patient. Our group of about 10 included young and old requiring some time on the stairs. We had plenty of time to explore the lighthouse and learned so much more than we could have imagined. The tour includes some quick films based on persons who worked in the lighthouse as well as information provided by our guide. I just can't say enough good things about this tour. All together, this is a must do if you find yourself any where near by. Bring the kids, bring mom & dad, bring your friends, just go!

"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.

It's impressive to me when I see such old structures that are still standing. We sure don't make…read more'em like we used to, do we? Reginald's Tower was originally built as a Viking fort for defense. If you go across the street by the water, you can see a cannonball that is still stuck in the facade. Inside, there's a small museum where you can learn more about it's history.

Vikings and the port were so important to building this city and its history. Learn about it…read more Not a bad little museum. Allot approximately 30-40 minutes to visit if you want to read and listen to the documentary. If not, 15 minutes can get you in and out. 45 minutes if you listen to the tour guide. I recommend the quick documentary at the top floor.

Loftus House or Hall is a beautiful mansion located on the Hook peninsula in Ireland. The current…read moreMansion as I recently visited it, was built about the year 1350, and the prior castle stucture was built about the year 1170. The story goes, that the current mansion is haunted by the Devil and the ghost of a young woman named Anne Tottenham. Outside of being supposedly haunted, the Loftus Hall also has a very colorful history as it was attacked by the English during the Irish Confederate war in 1642. It was first attacked by Captain Thomas Aston serving King Charles the 1st of England. The mansion as it was defended by Irish loyalist is quite amazing. At Loftus Hall today, you can take a tour of the house and learn about its amazing and sometimes dark history. The house architecturally is beautiful! The custom floors that were hand cut and laid by Italian Masons is just breath taking! I will add, that the Italian Masons had their hands cut off by an English Lord at the time of floor completion so the floor could not be replicated (Creepy). The master entry staircase in Loftus Mansion (hand carved wood) is one of only three that were made by the original wood master craftsman. The other two staircases, one is located on the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean, and the 3rd located at present in the Vatican City. The tour is amazing, creepy, and fun! They have a wonderful little cafe and coffee shop where you can sit and enjoy a cup of tea, and the location of the Mansion is just beautiful. The Loftus Hall is also not far from the Hook Light House (One of the oldest light houses in the world built in the year 1172). Standing in front of the Loftus Mansion on the Hook Peninsula, looking out over the bay towards St. Georges Channel, is very mystical. If I could, I'd have a little getaway Irish cottage here it is so beautiful. I definitely recommend you visit Loftus Mansion and the area overall. You will not be let down by the history, and the beauty of the environment.

Very cool old house but the majority hasn't been restored yet so you only get to see a small…read moreportion. The history is fun and interesting but the way they take you through it is geared more towards families.

Tramore Bay's eastern border is called Brownstown Head - notable for its views and 3 sentinel…read morepillars. As with the Western headland which hosts the Metal Man, these pillars are to ward shipping from entering the bay. The headland itself is strangely barren - once you've rounded the charming wooded corner encircling the Church, both woods and road end and you'll have to tramp through barren windswept fields to get to the Pillars. This eastern headland has remarkable views of the sandhills, the backstrand and in the distance Tramore town. Best time to visit is at sunset - you'll see the sun sink over Tramore's steeple. Beware the dogs though - the highlight of their day, if not month, is the occasional passing bike. The last time I was there a small terrier and alsatian dog chased us up and down those hills until they dropped from exhaustion. I've never seen anything like it! First the terrier dropped, and about half a mile later the alsatian dropped. We got to the next hill and then we dropped. Even though we couldn't see the terrier, we could still hear him, yapping furiously.

Amazing place, beautiful bucolic views and peaceful atmosphere. It is nestled in a quaint Irish…read moretown with 2 pubs, takeaway place, a convenience shop, and Michelin restaurant. Whether you are just visiting the tea room and gardens/castle tour, or staying in the castle Airbnb rooms- it's a wonderful experience. The gardens and grounds are more extensive than you realize, and can find many hidden pathways that lead to somewhere seemingly magical. I have been a guest at Huntington for a collective 3 months now, and would highly recommend. If you come in the Spring, don't miss out on seeing the lambs!

We had a lovely stay in the castle. Claire and Alex are excellent hosts! They made sure we were…read morecomfortable. The castle is beautiful and full of history. We had to miss their award winning breakfast due to an early flight, but we heard it was amazing. I highly recommend staying here!

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.

As our tour group visited Waterford Crystal last week, our guide mentioned that a 9/11 memorial had…read morejust been dedicated at a museum across the street. We checked it out and learned the memorial was pretty much brand new - just being dedicated on September 16, 2018. The memorial contains a small steel beam from one of the WTC towers sitting at an angle on a grid-work metal support that resembles what the towers looked like before that terrible day. It's located on the second level at Bishop's Palace, in the Menapia Plaza. It's a very pretty setting, on an oval shaped lawn ringed by shrubs, flowers and benches. A wall plaque nearby reads: September 11th, 2001 Lest We Forget This piece of steel was retrieved from the ruins of the World Trade Centre. It serves as a memorial to the many lives that were lost during the terrorist attacks on 11th September 2001. Unveiled 16th September by Cllr. Declan Doocey Mayor of the City and County of Waterford

This is the official county museum for Wexford. Building is really cool and you can get all the way…read moreto the rooftop. Views across the town are pretty cool, and you can pick out all the historical points in the towns history like Vinegar Hill and the Cathedral as well as some others. The exhibits are awesome, I particularly liked the Eileen Grey one. They also have a Brooklyn exhibit with Kelly's shop including all the old things you could buy back in the day. They also have some of the rooms decorated in the style from when the castle was occupied while downstairs they have a super interesting collection of artefacts including a wheel from a German blame that mistakenly dropped a bomb in nearby Kiltealy area, a three seater bike made for brothers who wanted to attend GAA matches, a carriage and lots of other stuff. You can also go downstairs to see the dungeon. I really recommend the guided tour because there is a lot of history and information connected to this place. The guide we had was awesome-and even provided some Stuff for kids or dress up!