I had to copy this from the internet cos I just don't have sufficient words to make it sound as…read moregood as the guys who wrote this...and anyway, they say it better than I would. "the monastery, of which only the scantiest remains exist, was founded in 1474. The original monastery was destroyed and some years later the friars began to gather again upon the old spot, and built themselves some cottages amongst the ruins. In these cottages was compiled the most famous of those great Annals for which Irish literature is so noted, viz., the Annals of the Four Masters. The book was so called because it was the work of four friars of great learning, the chief being Michael O'Leary, a native of Ballyshannon. The work these four men produced consists of 11,000 quarto pages, begins with the year of the world, 2242, and closes with A.D. 1616. The Annals are made up largely of brief details and records of battles, of the foundation and destruction of churches and abbeys, and of the deaths of chieftains, kings, abbots, &c.; nevertheless they form a priceless storehouse of information about Irish history. In recent years these Annals have been twice edited, the last edition being a handsomely printed book in four large quarto volumes." Having said that, from personal experience, the grounds of the Monastery are a great place for photography (my wedding pictures were taken here) and also a place for quiet reflection. On the other hand...they have also been the occasion of many a first kiss and a quick "futter" from those who have been to dances and discos at the nearby Abbey Hotel and Central Hotel. It's only a 5 - 10 minute walk from the centre of the town.

This is a great organization that is worth supporting. We bought the yearly pass and it has worked…read morewell for us.

Castle Coole is such an amazing place on a dry day. The staff were friendly, the grounds immaculate…read moreand the history was alive. Definitely recommended for a family day out.

This is a great organization that is worth supporting. We bought the yearly pass and it has worked…read morewell for us.

Jeebus... where to start on this one!? Newgrange is a 5000 year old tombe and religious site...erm…read morewe think! As with all such sites (the pyrimids in Egypt and Stonehenge in the UK are comprable examples) we can only guess at what the builders had in mind. To say we are lucky to have a site as impressive and important as this on our doorstep (about an hour and a bit from Dublin) is a huge understatement, it looks as impressive is it should be after a reconstruction some 30 years ago by a bunch of very very clever archaeologists. the results can be viewed by booking in advance and putting your name down for the 3 year waiting lists to be there at the summer and winter solstices. Opening times February - April: Daily 09.30 - 17.30. May: Daily 09.00 - 18.30. June - Mid September: Daily 09.00 - 19.00. Mid - End September: Daily 09.00 - 18.30. October: Daily 09.30 - 17.30. November - January: Daily 09.00 - 17.00.

If you come to Dublin this UNESCO world heritage site is a "must see". Everything I want to say…read morewill just be repeating the many good reasons to come here so read beyond my post and I'll keep mine short. - 5,000 year old tombs (New Grange, Knowth & Dowth) that are older than the pyramids and you can actually go inside New Grange. - 60% of Western Europe's neolithic art is found in the area. - inside the New Grange tomb is like going back in time, keep in mind these tombs were built with no modern tools at all and yet they knew how to build them and align the entrance on some, so they light up during the solstice. - friendly, knowledgeable guides. - well organised, small groups are taken in by bus rather than a mob of people overrunning the place so you can actually see and take it all in. - buy your tickets online and go early - a great Visitors Center gives you the backstory of the tomb's history before your tour.

This is a great organization that maintains many historical properties around the UK. If you are…read morevisiting multiple properties, it pays to purchase a yearly pass like we did.