We saw a sign on the road - a big impressive sign... "This looks big and impressive" I said "Woo…read moreHoo" Junior said We followed the signs and soon arrived at the castle.. it was a little disappointing on first inspection. "Boo" I said, "That's not a Castle" Junior said. None the less we got out and explored what we could - the castle was locked up for repairs but apparently you can normally go inside and explore a bit. It is apparently the last residence of the famed Irish she-pirate Grace O'Malley/Granuaile - she used to tie the mooring rope of her ship to her toe when she went to bed. The full story is on the pic attached (pic of the plaque)

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

A MUST SEE! The Jackie Clarke Collection is an absolute hidden gem in Ballina. A perfect way to…read morespend your afternoon. I could not recommend it higher! They put a lot of thought into this collection and it is amazing to see the historical significance in each letter, picture, map, etc. they hold in this exclusive collection. It is interesting for tourists to see the history of Ireland unfold in each room of the collection. It is also of interest to the locals with the collection of maps which show how the county boarders have changed overtime. It is well worth the trip to beautiful town of Ballina to check it out. And if this collection isn't already enough to grab your attention, the collection is actually hosted in an old bank! The bank's old vault is now home to one of the rare original copies of the Proclimation of the Irish Republic printed before the 1916 rising. The good news is you don't need to know much Irish history to enjoy The Jackie Clarke Collection.

Really love the easy drive from Sligo to this waterfall. Very easy to walk off the road and to see…read moreit the goats everywhere make it so charmed also easy to get an Uber from Sligo to here. And a cute café makes it easy trip. The café makes it nice for a coffee and snack . If just going here I'll plan only an hour to see the sites not much else to do unless you walk to the devil's chimney then plan three hours for everything.

I'd thought, wrongly, that this waterfall was in county Sligo; nope, wrong again matey, the sign…read moresays it's inside county Leitrim and only just. It's a beautiful place and designed for walks and picnics. It has toilets and you can potter around the lake area to the coffee bar, but you'll need a fair level of fitness to go to the top of the waterfall as it's quite steep. The water is so clean with a peaty hue given Ireland has wonderful peat bogs - an incredible eco system of its own. Now it ain't the falls of Angel, it ain't Niagara nor Dunn's River; this waterfall reaches 50ft high and is situated at Glencar Lough, and it inspired perhaps Ireland's greatest poet William Butler Yeats who put it much better than me in his poem 'The Stolen Child' 'Where the wandering water gushes From the hills above Glen-Car, In pools among the rushes That scarce could bathe a star' Glad we went, once. Paradise Ireland style.

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 .

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.

Another favourite on my tour of the area and a Must See…read more The blowhole has always been an attraction and a feature, but has now been made safe by the presence of this wall: allowing the general public to view this wondrous power of nature from the best possible angle - above! The wall and surrounding sculpture happen back in 2002 when world famous Travis Price III, a Washington architect who has come to this rural area to create the latest instalment in what is now a ten year ongoing project for him: the Spirit of Place/ Design which he carries out worldwide. He calls it 'an expedition' that he takes with 15/20 architecture students. They engage in immersing themselves in, what are for them, distant and foreign landscapes. They then attempt to create, for the people of this location, a piece of architecture that marries the cultural metaphors of the landscape with a tribute to contemporary design. His pieces of architecture are modern, with a convenient function, and are an intended to be a tribute to the landscape in which they sit. This piece is titled 'Thin Places' - and is two shrines dedicated to those Lost at Sea. Part of the Tír Sáile - The North Mayo Sculpture Trail is the largest public arts project ever undertaken in Ireland. It entailed the putting in place of fourteen site specific Sculptures along the North Mayo Coast.

If you're sick of visiting crowded, tacky castles, sick of watching audio visual presentations and…read moresick of gift shops with shamrock snow domes, come to Aughnanure. Set in picture perfect grassland with lovely Yew trees and a bubbling brook, this 14th century tower house is in great condition. Admission is about €4, guided tours are informal events and there are good information boards in the castle proper. The banqueting hall, dry dock and ammunition store are all unique and still well preserved. Well signposted off the N59 from Galway and on most maps but be careful driving in - the last mile or so is one of those Irish country roads with room for one car only and lots of blind corners.