I loved my time visiting the Clifden Castle. We walked a long winding dirt path to get to it and it…read morewas a beautiful and peaceful journey. The castle is in complete ruins. It was built around 1818 and after the original owner died the estate changed hands many times. Although the life of this castle turned into a sad and greedy story there is no argument about its beauty. Even in a great state of decay it is magnificent. How anyone could have pillaged or stripped this property of its essentials is beyond my understanding. The doors, windows, flooring and roof are gone. The stables appear to have received the same treatment and stands in equal ruins. The land is rolling and tranquil. I could have stayed on the property for hours watching the sheep, horses and cows roam all around me. It's a shame that this castle is beyond restoring. If you want to visit I would say the sooner the better.

I read about this derelict castle on the tourist brochures, and thought it looked like an ideal…read moreplace to take the kids. It was a bit of a pain to find. The tourist guides tell you to take the Sky Road out of Clifden until you see an Arch on the left, and to walk from there. What causes the confusion is the sign someone has erected next to the arch to say it's a private entrance. If you ignore the sign and walk through the arch, it's a fair walk down a very rough, very narrow road to the castle. We had a buggy, and it was difficult in places to manage with the rough stone road surface. What was more difficult was trying to make room for a rather ignorant jeep driver that passed us twice forcing us up towards the barbed wire fence with a buggy and two young kids. He seemed to be a resident on that road that wasn't too happy to have tourists around. Perhaps the sign was erected by him! I don't recommend visiting the castle if have a buggy. Also, boots would be a good idea. The last stretch of road to the caste was a mixture of mud and cow pats! Not ideal for the tourist with the white shoes and trousers we met while there :-) The castle itself is quite impressive. It looks like what most kids expect a castle to look like. All entrance doors and lower floor (basement?) entrances have been blocked. However there are some windows at ground level on the outside, and a drop of about 8ft on the inside. So be careful if you have young kids. Well worth the walk to see a fairly well preserved castle, and nice views down towards the bay and beaches.

True 5 star visit…read more Nestled in the heart of Connemara, on the Wild Atlantic Way, Kylemore Abbey is a haven of history, beauty and serenity. Home to a Benedictine order of Nuns for the past 100 years, Kylemore Abbey welcomes visitors from all over the world each year to embrace the magic of the magnificent 1,000-acre estate.

Overall this is a beautiful place, however we attended a lecture within the Abbey and were totally…read moredisgusted with the older gentleman who gave the lecture. Despite a request to "slow down" his speech so we could understand him, he ignored the request and in essence gave a 20 minute lecture in 10 minutes. At least 5 people out of 12 lingered afterwards and complained to each other about his arrogance.

I live local to here so may be biased but I always bring visiting friends here on the start of any…read moretour of the area. Some unconfirmed local facts that may be true plus others that are. One of only 2 square lighthouses in the world with the other located in France. Because of the weather report from this light house back around the time of the D Day attack on France the main day was postponed by 1 day due to poor weather reported from here. Helipad used by Irish Coast Guard for refueling etc. Current lighthouse keeper is Vincent Sweeney and very friendly if about.

Belmullet is such a friendly and beautiful place . I was offered a lift by a local - I didn't know…read morehim , and he said he had to show me all the best parts of the area . Its one of the best days I've ever spent . Visit if you get the chance .

It was a rainy day when we visited Achill Island, so we just decided to drive on the Wild Atlantic…read moreWay. Even though it was rainy and very windy, we really enjoyed seeing the views along the coast. We stopped several times to get pictures of the gorgeous cliffs. We spent about an hour exploring, but had the weather been better we would have spent more time. I think it's definitely worth spending some time exploring this island, rain or shine!

Listed as One of the most beautiful beaches in the world and yet no one is ever there! I've been to…read morethis beach three times. Very little traffic, winding and twisting road to get there but it's amazing. Sheep grazing on the mountains. Stunning

By far our favorite Neolithic structure seen during our drive through Ireland…read more The path from parking lot was gravel but to get close we had to walk over some weathered and rutted limestone. Tread carefully. The enigmatic portal has been standing for many thousands of years. Maybe a marker, a tomb or something else. A must see for those driving through the Burren.

Some 22 years, I first encountered Poulnabrone Dolmen, prior to the Cliff of Moher. I was very…read moreeager to revisit. The Poulnabrone Dolmen in the Burren, County Clare, is surely one of the most photogenic ancient sites in Ireland, with its thin limestone slabs lying elegantly atop one another. It's also the OLDEST dated megalithic monument on the island, dating back 5,800 years! But the accolades don't stop there. After the Cliffs of Moher, it's the second most visited site in the Burren.

So this castle was fully rebuilt and restored but the owner died and left it to his children. They…read moredon't use it so it sits abandoned once again. Locals say there have been rumors of it becoming and Airbnb, or a museum, but as of now, this tower sits empty. It's a beautiful view if you hike from Doolin to the Cliffs of Moher, or you can drive right next to it as well. You just can't go on the property until someone buys it from the current owners.

As Maggi R. mentioned, this castle is not open to the public. However, you can drive all around it…read moreand take scenic photos for social media - don't ask me why I do this. Regardless, it is quite a sight to behold. It's VERY scenic and picturesque if you drive above it to get photos with the ocean in the background. You will have to park on one of the few shoulder spaces on the roads surrounding it to take pix of it. You won't be able to get very close to it. It's a beautiful site to see, but unless you have other business in Doolin, don't go out of your way just to view this 16th century castle. It's just not worth it. I wasted half a day to check out this castle that I could only drive around. Other than that, I don't know a whole lot more about this 16th century Irish castle. Take a pass on this one and just enjoy the photos I have uploaded here. Not much else to do in Doolin...

Good walk.it is about 5km round trip.this is also the location of Marconi radio stationread more

One of the most beautiful and stunning places I visited in Ireland. It is SO worth the ferry and…read morespending a whole day on the island. The views and pictures were what we were expecting at the cliffs of moher but I felt so lucky that we got that here! It was a blue sky, sunny day which of course really made it that much better. The walk from the visitor center up to the fort is pretty rough. The temperature was nice and fairly cool so that helped but I think if it was a hot day it would have been way harder. You're basically walking on uneven stone and rocks the whole way up so wear decent shoes!

We spent the day biking around Inis Mor and this was one of our stops…read more I'm really glad we decided to stop here. You have to pay a bit for it, but it was well worth it. It's about a 15 minute walk up to the fort. Once you're up there, the view are spectacular. It's right on the coast and the views of the cliffs are amazing. They also let you walk right to the edge with no rope or fence, so be careful! It was also incredibly windy up there the day we were there. It was probably about a half an hour bike ride over from the pier. I would definitely recommend stopping here when on the island!

I fell in love with Cong the moment we arrived. Yes I am one of those who loves the quiet man but…read moreit was more than that. I could have and did spend hours just walking in the forest there, it was beautiful and peaceful.

Probably my favourite place in Ireland. The Abbey itself is interesting enough, with some really…read moreold graves and a rich history. There's no information boards so read up before you go. The best part though is the little fishing hut over the river (walk through the abbey, across the grassy square and follow the path to the river). The monks used to sit here and fish through a hole in the floor. With the water bubbling past and drowning out the other noises it's a lovely, peaceful spot. Often you can have it to yourself as you're slightly off the tourist route and any tourists who do make it to Cong get caught up in the 'Quiet Man' hype. See if you can arrange to go on a good day - with the sun streaming down through the trees this is the best place in Ireland.