Sensory Friendly
Centre your spirit with a visit to our sensory-friendly historic places. Experience the calming effect of panoramic scenery, tranquil ruins or the relaxing sight of gardens cloaked in colour. Sit a while, close your eyes and take in the magnificent perfume of plants. Let the sound of birdsong, rustling leaves and softly flowing water features help you fully to inhabit your natural surroundings. If you enjoy or benefit from a mellow, soothing environment, here are some destinations you will simply adore.
Altamont Gardens
Old-world gardens with an atmosphere all of their own
Ardfert Cathedral
A trio of medieval churches devoted to St Brendan
Aughnanure Castle
A historical gem in the heart of Connemara
Boyle Abbey
Step back into Ireland’s monastic past
Céide Fields
The world’s most extensive Stone Age monument
Derrynane House
The childhood home of Daniel O’Connell
Doneraile Estate
North Cork’s ‘real-life Downton Abbey’
Fore Abbey
Discover the mystical legacy of St Feichin
Fota Arboretum and Gardens
Explore an island oasis of rare and exotic flora
Glebe House and Gallery
Explore a world-class collection of art
Heywood Gardens
Discover a tranquil and romantic hillside landscape
Ilnacullin – Garinish Island
An island garden of rare beauty
Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, Connemara – Pearse’s Cottage
A cottage steeped in revolutionary history and Gaelic culture
Iveagh Gardens
Experience a sense of wonder in Dublin’s ‘secret garden’
Jerpoint Abbey
Where Irish medieval sculpture reached new heights
Kells Priory
Visit Ireland’s largest enclosed ecclesiastical site
Loughcrew Cairns
A high point of Neolithic art and design
National Botanic Gardens Kilmacurragh
An oasis of rare horticultural delights
Old Mellifont Abbey
Visit Ireland’s very first Cistercian foundation
Portumna Castle and Gardens
Seventeenth-century splendour on the shores of Lough Derg
Roscrea Heritage Centre – Roscrea Castle and Damer House
A place of medieval might and eighteenth-century elegance
Scattery Island Centre
In the footsteps of St Senan
Swiss Cottage
An idyllic fantasy of country life
The John F. Kennedy Arboretum
A garden of presidential proportions.
