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Things to do in Ireland

14 places worth the trip in Ireland, grouped by what they are. Every guide explains what to see, the best time to go and the practical details, checked against official sources. Best time to visit Ireland: May–Sep.

Nature in Ireland

Cliffs of Moher stretching along the Atlantic under a cloudy sky, County Clare
Nature
Liscannor, County Clare

Cliffs of Moher

Layered sandstone and shale cliffs rising up to 214 metres above the Atlantic for about 14 km of the Clare coast, part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.

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View over Kerry coastline, islands and mountains from Geokaun Mountain, Valentia Island
Nature
Iveragh Peninsula, County Kerry

Ring of Kerry

Ireland's best-known touring loop: 179 km of lakes, mountain passes, Atlantic beaches and small towns around the Iveragh Peninsula, beginning and ending in Killarney.

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View from a rocky summit over Connemara bogland, lakes and coast, County Galway
Nature
West County Galway

Connemara

A wild region of west Galway where mountains, bogland and lakes meet a ragged Atlantic coast, home to Kylemore Abbey and the trails of Connemara National Park near Letterfrack.

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Stone-walled cliff path above a turquoise inlet with the Blasket Islands on the horizon
Nature
Corca Dhuibhne, County Kerry

Dingle Peninsula & Slea Head

The Slea Head Drive loops west from Dingle town around the tip of the peninsula, past clochans, Dun Beag fort, Coumeenoole beach, the Blasket Centre and Gallarus Oratory.

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Poulnabrone portal tomb, a flat capstone on upright stones, in a grassy field of limestone and daisies
Nature
North County Clare

The Burren

A grey, terraced limestone landscape in north Clare, rich in wild flowers and ancient monuments such as Poulnabrone portal tomb, and part of a UNESCO Global Geopark.

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Heritage in Ireland

Weathered headstones and stone crosses in the monastic graveyard, with the stone-roofed St Kevin's Church behind
Heritage
Glendalough, County Wicklow

Glendalough

A glacial valley in the Wicklow Mountains where St Kevin founded a monastery in the sixth century; a round tower, stone churches and two lakes make it a favourite day trip from Dublin.

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The great grass-topped mound of Newgrange with its white quartz facade and entrance, seen across rough grass
Heritage
Donore, County Meath

Brú na Bóinne – Newgrange

Newgrange and Knowth, built around 3200 BC, are reached only by guided tour from the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre; at the winter solstice sunrise light enters Newgrange's inner chamber.

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The round tower and roofless Gothic cathedral of the Rock of Cashel above a grassy graveyard of headstones
Heritage
Cashel, County Tipperary

Rock of Cashel

A dramatic cluster of medieval buildings on a limestone rock above the town of Cashel: a round tower, a Gothic cathedral and Cormac's Chapel, with Ireland's only surviving Romanesque frescoes.

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Cities in Ireland

White cast-iron Ha'penny Bridge over the River Liffey with red-brick buildings, Dublin
City
Dublin, County Dublin

Dublin

Ireland's compact, walkable capital straddles the River Liffey, with medieval cathedrals, Georgian squares, free national museums and a famously sociable street life.

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The grey stone ranges and towers of Kilkenny Castle seen across its lawned courtyard
City
Kilkenny, County Kilkenny

Kilkenny

A walkable medieval city on the River Nore, where the Medieval Mile runs from 12th-century Kilkenny Castle and its parkland to St Canice's Cathedral and its climbable round tower.

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The colourful houses of the Long Walk lining the quay across choppy water, seen from the Claddagh side
City
Galway, County Galway

Galway City

A bohemian west-coast city where buskers fill the Latin Quarter, the Corrib rushes past the Spanish Arch to Galway Bay, and festivals run through the summer.

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National parks in Ireland

Lakes of Killarney with small wooded islands below brown mountains under a cloudy sky
National park
Killarney, County Kerry

Killarney National Park

About 10,000 hectares of lakes, woodland and mountains on the edge of Killarney town, home to Muckross House, Ross Castle, Torc Waterfall and Ireland's native red deer herd.

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Islands in Ireland

The steep twin-peaked rock of Skellig Michael rising from the Atlantic under a blue sky
Island
Off the Iveragh Peninsula, County Kerry

Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichil)

A steep Atlantic island about 12 km off Kerry, crowned by a remarkably preserved early medieval monastery of dry-stone cells, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

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Museums in Ireland

The ornate stone Campanile bell tower in Trinity College's Library Square under a blue sky
Museum
College Green, Dublin

Trinity College & the Book of Kells

Walk through Trinity College's cobbled squares to see the Book of Kells, a richly decorated Gospel manuscript about 1,200 years old, and the soaring wooden Long Room of the Old Library.

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Ireland holiday packages

Cliffs of Moher stretching along the Atlantic under a cloudy sky, County Clare
NatureCulture
Ireland · 9 nights4★ Boutique

Wild Atlantic Way

  • Cliffs of Moher
  • Connemara
  • Ring of Kerry
Includes accommodation · private transfers · daily breakfast · guided sightseeing
Indicative from
$1,908 pp
View over Kerry coastline, islands and mountains from Geokaun Mountain, Valentia Island
City breakFamily
Ireland · 5 nights4★ Hotel

Dublin & the Garden of Ireland

  • Trinity College
  • Glendalough
  • Kilkenny
Includes accommodation · private transfers · daily breakfast · guided sightseeing
Indicative from
$1,209 pp
Ireland travel overviewPlan a Ireland trip

Ireland travel guides