Heritage

The night before the Battle of the Boyne, King William of Orange was hit by Jacobite artillery fire while out on a reconnaissance mission. Fortune favoured King Billy that July evening as he only suffered a flesh wound before going on to take victory in the most famous battle to have ever taken place on Irish soil. Had the hit...

The motorway from Dublin to Limerick doesn't actually take you to the Treaty City but continues on further into the south-west, eventually running out of government money about 20 kilometres south of the city. Traffic slows and builds just ahead of your arrival into the historic heritage town of Adare. And while the rush-hour traffic allows you to enjoy the...

Tens of thousands of traditional music-loving folk gathered in the town of Cavan for the 2010 Fleadh Cheoil and less than 24 hours into my maiden festival visit, I found myself smack bang in the middle of Lough Oughter. Dating back to the early 1950s, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (Festival of Music in Ireland) was established to promote Irish traditional...

I enjoyed the bright morning hours of New Year’s Day for the first time in recent memory. The last strains of 2012 were eased away with a combination of cheese, chocolate and Spanish Grenache, as the hootenanny rang in the New Year and simultaneously called time on a hectic festive season that was both enjoyed and endured in equal measures. The...

Some are used for affairs of State, others are must-sees on Ireland’s tourist travel, and many more converted into the living quarters for eccentric artists or American actors. And while scores remain in ruin along the coastal shores north and south of the island, many more have been converted into luxury hotels and guesthouses allowing visitors to step back...

Clonmacnoise One of Ireland's most popular tourist attractions One of Ireland's most popular tourist attractions and significant historic sites, the Clonmacnoise monastic site dates back to the sixth century and to the Land of Saints and Scholars. The site boasts three high crosses, a cathedral, seven churches and two round towers, and was founded in 548-9 by Saint Ciarán. It...