Pre COVID my sister Pea and I went to Ireland on a Brendan tour. One of the stops was the old 12th…read morecentury village, Jerpoint Newtown. We had lunch at the O'Connell's farmhouse with lovely soup and sandwiches. The high point was going to visit the relics of the old church and St. Nicholas' grave. Santa is only dead if you want him to be. The O'Connell's were wonderful hosts, giving great food, great craic (look it up) and a great tour with history of the relics and ancient graveyard. Awesome!

I read a blog on things to do in Kilkenny while planning a 50th best friends trip to Ireland from…read morethe US. We had to email to make an appointment for our tour and had to make sure we had money which is a rare thing theses days but I am so glad we stumbled across this hidden Gem. Joe was such a great host and allowed me to take as many photos and videos as I wanted so I could show my son's all the rich history his property had. His dogs were so friendly too. It was worth the tour just to hang out with them and I got to hold a 1 day old sheep which was an awesome added bonus. Be sure to pay the little extra for the sheep herding. Very neat if you have never seen anything like it before.

A must see city!! Very walkable with so much to see and do!! We took a day trip from Dublin and it…read morewas our favorite town while on 10 day tour! There were so many cathedrals (take the trolley that picks up at the castle) and things to see around town.

The second day of our Ireland tour brought us to Kilkenny and we sure loved it. There must be 200…read morepubs and restaurants clustered together on what is known as the Medieval Mile. Throw in a thousand year old castle, the Smithwicks Brewery, live music just about everywhere you go, and a great monument dedicated to the sport of Irish Hurling, and you have one fascinating and extremely eclectic city. I can't tell you enough how much we enjoyed Kilkenny.

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!

"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.

This place is amazing! It's currently being restored, so a lot of the old original structure is…read morestill in place. The man who runs it puts a lot of care into maintaining the castle and knows the whole, very long and very interesting, history! Also, the view from the top of the castle is absolutely breathtaking. Truly a magical experience.

My second time visiting the castle, I also went back in August. I love chatting with the owner,…read moreSean, who has many stories to tell as well as being very knowledgeable in Irish history.

Amazing to explore and climb! There is a ladder inside and it wasn't too difficult to get up for my…read morefamily, although I will say towards the top the space does get more narrow. Beautiful view at the top. Worth the money and would definitely recommend!

We didn't plan to visit this cathedral but stumbled upon it while wandering around. It's really…read moreinteresting architecturally and historically. There's quite a bit to read here. The round tower is worth a climb for views of Kilkenny but the steps are awfully steep.

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!

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.