39 places to visit
Experience Ireland’s Ancient East where thousands of years of Ireland’s history await you. Explore awe-inspiring prehistoric sites, delve into our monastic past or investigate the seismic events of recent centuries. Walk through gorgeous gardens and discover this region’s unparalleled historic legacy.
![Altamont Gardens]()
Altamont Gardens
Old-world gardens with an atmosphere all of their own
![Annes Grove Gardens]()
Annes Grove Gardens
A horticultural paradise in north Cork
![Ballyhack Castle]()
Site Closed
Ballyhack Castle
Savour a sense of the Middle Ages
![Barryscourt Castle]()
Site Closed
Barryscourt Castle
A fine Irish tower house bearing the scars of battle
![Battle of the Boyne]()
Battle of the Boyne
Where two kings fought for Europe’s future
![Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre (Newgrange and Knowth)]()
Limited Access
Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre (Newgrange and Knowth)
Step into Ireland’s richest archaeological landscape
![Cahir Castle]()
Cahir Castle
A defensive powerhouse of the thirteenth century
![Carlingford Castle]()
Carlingford Castle
A Norman citadel in the shadow of a giant
![Castletown House and Parklands]()
Castletown House and Parklands
Ireland’s first and finest Palladian mansion
![Clonmacnoise]()
Limited Access
Clonmacnoise
A spectacular monastery on the banks of the river Shannon
![Doneraile Estate]()
Limited Access
Doneraile Estate
North Cork’s ‘real-life Downton Abbey’
![Dungarvan Castle]()
Dungarvan Castle
Journey back to the dawn of Anglo-Norman rule in Ireland
![Dunmore Cave]()
Site Closed
Dunmore Cave
A unique attraction where history and geology merge
![Dwyer McAllister Cottage]()
Dwyer McAllister Cottage
An unlikely battle-site of the 1798 Rebellion
![Emo Court]()
Limited Access
Emo Court
A magnificent example of neo-classical architecture
![Famine Warhouse 1848]()
Famine Warhouse 1848
The unlikely site of a bloody skirmish
![Ferns Castle]()
Ferns Castle
Two nations, two cultures and one shared heritage
![Fore Abbey]()
Fore Abbey
Discover the mystical legacy of St Feichin
![Fota Arboretum and Gardens]()
Fota Arboretum and Gardens
Explore an island oasis of rare and exotic flora
![Glendalough Visitor Centre]()
Glendalough Visitor Centre
A valley of sanctuary for saints and scholars
![Heywood Gardens]()
Limited Access
Heywood Gardens
Discover a tranquil and romantic hillside landscape
![Hill of Tara]()
Hill of Tara
Experience the legacy of the high kings
![Holycross Abbey]()
Limited Access
Holycross Abbey
A place of pilgrimage with a fascinating past
![Jerpoint Abbey]()
Jerpoint Abbey
Where Irish medieval sculpture reached new heights
![Kells Priory]()
Limited Access
Kells Priory
Visit Ireland’s largest enclosed ecclesiastical site
![Kilkenny Castle]()
Kilkenny Castle
The jewel in the crown of an enchanting medieval city
![Loughcrew Cairns]()
Limited Access
Loughcrew Cairns
A high point of Neolithic art and design
![National Botanic Gardens Kilmacurragh]()
Limited Access
National Botanic Gardens Kilmacurragh
An oasis of rare horticultural delights
![Old Mellifont Abbey]()
Old Mellifont Abbey
Visit Ireland’s very first Cistercian foundation
![Ormond Castle]()
Limited Access
Ormond Castle
Discover a Tudor gem
![Reginald’s Tower]()
Limited Access
Reginald’s Tower
Step inside Ireland’s oldest civic building
![Rock of Cashel]()
Rock of Cashel
The high king of Irish monuments
![Roscrea Heritage Centre – Roscrea Castle and Damer House]()
Limited Access
Roscrea Heritage Centre – Roscrea Castle and Damer House
A place of medieval might and eighteenth-century elegance
![St. Mary’s Church Gowran]()
St. Mary’s Church Gowran
Records written in stone in the heart of Gowran
![Swiss Cottage]()
Swiss Cottage
An idyllic fantasy of country life
![The John F. Kennedy Arboretum]()
The John F. Kennedy Arboretum
A garden of presidential proportions.
![The Main Guard]()
The Main Guard
A courthouse with centuries of history under its arches
![Tintern Abbey]()
Tintern Abbey
Where monks toiled and legacies were created
![Trim Castle]()
Trim Castle
The ultimate symbol of Norman glory
