Venturing down a woodland trail puts things into perspective. Trees join limbs before the sky and…read moresunshine filters down in golden patches. Bees land on wild flowers and the sound of birdsong is powerful. All of a sudden, the softest blanket of purple haze shimmers before me. A shock of bluebells huddle together, their heads downcast. The astonishing splendour of nature has awoken me and I feel like telling the bluebells to look up. Look up and appreciate the beauty around you. The magnificence of yourselves.

Went for a lovely walk here recently. It's a bit out of my way but I wouldn't mind coming back,…read moreespecially in Spring when the bluebells and wild garlic are in full bloom. Seemingly there are walks to the extend of 10km and well sign posted. Some of the ways we walked are lovely small. Just pure nature. A nice suurounding to unwind.

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!

My husband and I stopped by here while heading out of Dublin to do a bit of a tour of manor houses…read morebetween Dublin and Wexford. I had heard they had beautiful gardens and a nice place to stop for lunch. I have to say, the gardens were indeed absolutely beautiful. There was a wedding being prepared inside the house, so you weren't allowed to go inside when I was there. However, I'm not sure if you're normally allowed inside or not. After spending about an hour walking around the grounds and snapping photos, we stopped at the little outdoor cafe by the manor house for some coffee and lunch. We each had a sandwich which came with a little side salad. There was also nice classical/light jazz music playing in the background. I have to say, it made for quite the relaxing afternoon. From the area where they serve food, you overlook the gardens as you sit out in the sun. If it does start raining, which, because this is Ireland, invariably it will... they do have some limited seating. Would love to come here next time and sit outside with some wine. :)

Stopped into the Saturday market September 2018, at first glance did not seem to have much but most…read moreof the vedors were inside, we purchased some lovely pies and quiche. A nice coffee bar can make any type of espresso drink. We had a lunch of quiche and flat whites, inside seating is available. There were also several vendors selling locally made gift items, including beautiful wood tables. One of us had a 15 minute massage which was very relaxing. Lots of options for relaxing afternoon.

Fore Abbey is a 7th century abbey spread across the valley of ancient structures. The abbey complex…read moreincludes several notable features, such as the remains of the Benedictine monastery, St. Feichin's church, and the famous Fore Crosses. There are several ruins to explore on this stop.

For a ruin, this place was really in good shape. Most here are a pile of rocks that vaguely…read moreresembles a building. This one had rooms and working stairs. If you go, there is a big parking lot on the main road. You don't have to park on the street.

Ever wonder what that big spherical sculpture at the start of the Naas by-pass was called? (a good…read morequestion for a maddeningly obscure table quiz) Well, Perpetual Motion is what it is called. There ya go now. When I was a kid, I used to think that it was a big inflatable rubber ball on the way to my Granny's house, and I imagined that it was part of some advertisement or something. No, it's a sculpture, commissioned by the Government to waste your money and mine. Still, you have to say that it's... different. Not much if a compliment that, really.

People may not like it but it's a definite landscape marker that people always associate with Naas…read moreso it's also handy for giving people directions, it's kinda hard to miss! The sculptor is Rachel Joynt by the way if anyone's interested. She also has work out in UCD, "Noah's Egg"

Not where baby Goths go to stand trial, but a beautiful mansion designed by James Gandon of Four…read moreCourts fame in 1790. The playground of various earls until the 1930s, it was taken over by the Jesuits and eventually handed over to the State a few years ago. One of the most impressive features of Emo is its wonderful gardens, which have been rejuvenated in recent times; they include formal areas, woodland walks, a rake of rare trees, an impressive lake and an abundance of statues. Some of these statues were actually pulled from the lake when the State took over the estate, and it is suspected that they somehow made their way their during the time that the Jesuits were running the place. "Brother, there seems to be an effigy of a naked faun down by the old stables." "I think I know the perfect spot for it. Grab a shovel." The house itself is open to the public from Easter to September, but you are free to roam the gardens all year round.

A lovely house worthy of a visit in the Midlands of Ireland. The house has a history stretching…read moreback to the 18th century, and had an interesting variety of owners- rich English and American gentlement, and the Jesuit Order, before being passed to the Office of Public Works of the state. As with most OPW properties, visiting prices are very reasonable, and the tour guides are interesting and informative. They clearly are passionate about what they do, which is excellent. Something that sticks out for me from the tour was that the Jesuits removed many artworks which were sexual in nature, left behind by previous owners, to avoid tempting the members of the order. I found this quite funny. However, they were good at keeping the art safely stored away to be recovered again in later years. The gardens at Emo Court are also beautiful, and extensive. You can freely roam around in them all year. I particularly like the lake, with many different water birds living there, and a lot of fish. Well worth a visit.

It's really cool place to visit. The place is a Cistercian abbey on the River Boyne in Bective,…read moreCounty Meath, Ireland. The abbey was founded around 1147. Is in ruins but some areas are really well preserved. It is very quiet, the 5 times I've been there I think I've seen 10 people and That was too many haha! So it's very relaxing and inspiring. I always take my dog, so he can run all over the place. It is good that is very clean and well cared. It's great location for photographs.

Rock of Dunamase is a fantastic little stop just off the main road. We were driving from Dublin to…read moreKillarney. I was looking for a place to stop and stretch our legs. This was perfect; better than I hoped for. There is a small little parking lot. From there you can see the ruins. It's just a short walk up the hill to the site where you can walk amongst the castle ruins. The views on top are incredible. You can really soak in the beauty that is Ireland. Free. Easy to Access. Stunning.

For the last number of years we have been passing the big brown sign for the Rock Of Dunamase on…read morethe Laois stretch of the M7. And finally, on St Patricks Day 2014, we decided to stop and take a look. The day before we had been to see the Rock of Cashel, it was a weekend of Rocks! Firstly and not surprisingly, after you leave the M7 at junction 16, it is not signposted very well. If you follow the signs to Carlow via the N80, you should get there OK as the turn off for the Rock is then well sign posted from the N80 itself. At least this was the case when we were heading northbound on the M7, perhaps its better signposted from junction 16 if you are heading southbound. You pull up to an Anglican Church, where you can park, but the first thing that catches our attention are all the signs warning you not to leave valuables in your car. This is obviously a favourite spot for thieves, to have so many signs telling you so. Heed their warnings and keep all valuables on your person. Finally the Rock of Dunamase itself! It's impressive to look upon. And even more impressive at the top, amongst the ruins. The views of the surrounding country side is fantastic (and this was on a dull day). It's well worth a visit, imagine what it would be like on a clear day? A few things of note: it's free to enter. There are gravelled foot paths up to the top, which is not far at all, but parts are quite steep. You should wear sensible shoes and be somewhat sturdy on your feet to make it to the top.