THE CLOCK GATE Nearly two hundred and thirty five years old…read moreand still the vehicles and people flow under it. Talking about the Clock Gate that straddles the North Main Street in Youghal, the one landmark in the East Cork seaside town that you cannot help but see. It was built in 1777 as part of the town's fortifications and also separated the town proper from the base town. It also served as a jail and some prisoners had their last view of the town before they were hanged from the windows. It is a much friendlier place nowadays though one councillor noted that the time displayed is not necessarily always correct. Cllr Liam Burke spoke at a 2009 October meeting and said that the Clock Gate clock is "giving out false information" by chiming out of sync with the real time.

I think the most interesting thing about Ireland are the ancient relics that are still standing:…read moreeither alone off the beaten path, or alongside more contemporary structures. The Grange Stone Circle in Lough Gur, located in a field off of R512, is the former, and it is definitely worth visiting if you are near Limerick. It is the largest ancient stone circle in Ireland and dates to the late Neolithic/Bronze Age. It had a ritualistic purpose and the center aligns to the sun during the summer solstice. To consider that some of the stones were brought from 3 miles away is just astounding, as is the understanding that this site dates to 2,200 BCE. To think of the ancient peoples that walked here so long ago is certainly astounding! The stone circle is definitely an impressive site to behold! More information can be found here: http://loughgur.com/destination/the-stone-circle/

Bigger around than Stonehenge The diameter of the upright…read morestones is 45 meters (148 feet) The diameter of the capped stones at Stonehenge is 33 meters (108 feet)

Free admittance with a free guided tour through the castle - and in my opinion although smaller,…read moreBarryscourt is way better than Blarney. Our tour guide was excellent and very informative. The castle has been (and continues to be) restored so you get to see each floor as it might have been not just stone rooms without floors like at Blarney. There's a lovely small garden and an orchard within the walls. Close to Fota House and Gardens this is an excellent stop while you're in the area and you can make a full day out of it by also visiting Fota. Fota Gardens and Arboretum are also free.

BARRYSCOURT CASTLE Paid my first visit in decades to…read moreBarryscourt Castle, an impressive relic of the 16th century court of the Barry family. Impressive enough as a stark ruin in the 80s but now it's much improved and well worth a visit, particularly since there is no charge at all, and that includes the guided tour of the interior. Time was short yesterday so we contented ourselves with a walk around the outside of the castle itself, through the herb garden and a large orchard. There are records of an orchard there since the 13th century and this one, with dozens of apple varieties, is laid out according to the 16th century manner. There are smaller plantings of pears and quinces. There is an information office with very helpful and friendly staff, toilets and a cafe and it is just off the main national road (N25). It is a very pleasant visit indeed and I'll be back for a longer stay, perhaps during Heritage Week which takes place in venues across the country from August 21st. Most events are free to enter, some have reduced charges. This is one of many available. See the Heritage Ireland site http://www.heritageireland.com or pick up the comprehensive National Heritage Week brochure at your local library. http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/South-West/BarryscourtCastle/ Tel: +353 21 488 3864

Lismore Castle is a privately owned castle that is not open to the pubic. However, the gardens are…read moreopen to the pubic for a fee. There are the original gardens and the 19th century gardens. Both are worth seeing. Near the original gardens is a tea room and art gallery. Park outside the 17th century gatehouse and go pay the fee inside the gatehouse.

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.

There are actually 2 castle's, an old and a new (or newer, its still very old obviously). The herd…read moreof white deer are worth the walk alone, they're beautiful. Don't expect throngs of tourists being herded on and off coaches here, it's not on the tourist trail at all. That's part of its appeal though I think. Recently purchased by Cork County Council that could all change relatively soon. Recommend you see it while you can still have the place all to yourself.

Simply amazing! Love that you get to walk through the fort underground and love the views. The tea…read morehouse is overlooking the water. The volunteers are a wealth of information.

I'd read that it was difficult to find the lonely minor road in West Cork, through the valley of…read moreflowers or Béal na mBláth, as it is known, where on Tuesday 22nd August 1922 Michael Collins leader of the Irish Free State was ambushed & killed in the course of a 20 minute gun battle. A party of friends & I were coming from Macroom heading south towards Cork City on the N22 road. We were following a reasonably good road map to the area which had Béal na mBláth clearly marked, but on unnamed country roads. About 10 minutes along the road we turned right at the sign for the R585 towards Crookstown. Follow this road, and be careful not to get diverted, because a couple of times there are false turnings to other roads that don't appear to be on the map. You'll eventually come to a noticeable group of terraced houses where the road goes either straight on, or to the right with no signs. TURN RIGHT You'll have come about 5 mins or just over 4km from the main road now, and suddenly you'll come to a crossroads where there's a garage, but again absolutely no signs. Despite it looking like the more likely road, DON'T TURN RIGHT, (thats the R585), nor should you go straight on. The unnamed road off to the LEFT is your man here! Of course we didn't have a clue, and it was only doing what no doubt everyone else does and ask directions at the garage, (judging by the books, postcards & souvenirs of Michael Collins on sale), that we discovered that the site was not very far long the road to the left. Apparently all the signs saying Béal na mBláth or Michael Collins memorial keep getting stolen & ending up in bars in New York! Indeed not far along on what is a surprisingly wide road for a nameless minor road, as the road bends you'll see clearly on the left hand side, a fenced off red podium on top which stands a grey stone cross. At around 8pm, just as it was beginning to go dark, on that fateful day, Michael Collins' small convoy of 4 vehicles was attacked, he determined to get out and fight despite advice to "drive like hell!" Maybe it was both disbelief & anger that he could be targetted by his own people in his own county, (and just 32km from his birthplace), when apparently he was on a mission to end the fighting, that made him get out. He'd himself instigated these flying columns of resistance in the war of independence only a few years earlier. He was the only one to die. It was pouring with rain, as I gazed up the steep embankment to positions where doubtless the flying columnists would have fired from. The cross which is simply inscribed in gaelic: miceal Ocolleain and the date, still had a faded wreath left over from the annual commemoration at the site. Just to the right of the podium a small white pillar marks the exact spot where he died. As we drove on we all voiced our differing views of the political situation at the time that drove Ireland to civil war, and this is a more than thought provoking symbol of those turbulent times.

This review was SO helpful. Just moved over and want to visit the Michael Collins Memorial and…read morewith these detailed driving instructions I feel confident I can find it.

What's not to love about a well-preserved 12th century stone structure? Absolutely nothing!…read more Plus, taking in the scenery of a lush cemetery, walking the same pathways as countless of monks on their pilgrimage, & petting a strange blind horse. Maybe even the best part is that it's totally free. How could I rate the Ardmore Round Tower anything other than 5 stars? That would be a crime.

The 12th-century Round Tower and Cathedral are very accessible any time, without cost…read more Five Stars.

Highly, highly recommend adding this to your Cork bucket list! The reading tour is 10 euros; I…read morebelieve the audio tour was 15 euros. We got to tour the prison grounds and learn about life in the prison, all while doing the reading tour. It was very eye opening, but very informative as well.

I know it's unfair to compare this to other jail tours in Ireland but it's really hard not to. The…read morearchitecture was gorgeous but the history was all quite surface level. I do appreciate them trying something different in tackling the stories of the jail and its prisoners.