Places to Explore

• Ardee

  The road from Mellifont Abbey to Ardee passes through Monasterboice, home to some of Ireland's finest medieval High Crosses. Near the village's Round Tower, you'll find the famed Muireadach Cross and, nearby... (more)

• Blessington

• Bray

  One of Ireland's oldest seaside resorts, Bray is a trim, growing village known for its summer cottages and sand-and-shingle beach, which stretches for 2 km (1 mi). When the trains first arrived from Dublin... (more)

• The Curragh

  The broad plain of the Curragh, bisected by the main N7 road, is the biggest area of common land in Ireland, encompassing about 31 square km (12 square mi) and devoted mainly to grazing.... (more)

• Drogheda

  Drogheda (pronounced draw-hee-da) is one of the most enjoyable and historic towns on the east coast of Ireland—and a setting for one of the most tragic events in Irish history, the seige and massacre... (more)

• Dundalk

  Perfectly positioned as a hub to explore the region north and south of the border, Dundalk—only 9½ km (6 mi) from Northern Ireland—is the main town of County Louth (Ireland's smallest... (more)

• Glendalough

• Hill of Tara

• Kells

  In the 9th century, a group of monks from Iona in Scotland took refuge at Kells (Ceanannus Mór) after being expelled by the Danes. St. Columba had founded a monastery here 300 years earlier, and... (more)

• Kildare Town

  Horse breeding is the cornerstone of County Kildare's thriving economy, and Kildare Town is the place to come if you're crazy about horses. But, in addition to all things equine, Kildare boasts other stellar... (more)

• King William's Glen

• Louth

  Louth warrants a visit, if only for the splendidly preserved oratory here. St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, was reputed to have built his first church (which is no longer here) in this hilltop village... (more)

• Maynooth

  A few minutes south of the tiny Georgian town of Maynooth is the hamlet of Celbridge, official address to Ireland's largest country house, Castletown.... (more)

• Mellifont Abbey

• Monasterboice

  Ireland has more carved-stone High Crosses than any other European country, and an outstanding collection is in the small, secluded village of Monasterboice, a former monastic settlement.... (more)

• Mount Usher Gardens

• Naas

  The seat of County Kildare and a thriving market town in the heartland of Irish Thoroughbred country, Naas (pronounced nace) is full of pubs with high stools where short men (trainee jockeys) discuss the... (more)

• Navan

  Navan, at the crucial juncture of the Rivers Blackwater and Boyne, is a busy market and mining town with evidence of prehistoric settlements. It took off in the 12th century, when Hugh de Lacy, lord of... (more)

• Newgrange

• Powerscourt House, Gardens, and Waterfall

  One of the grandest estates and gardens in Ireland, Powerscourt is one of the main reasons that people head to Enniskerry, but just one among many. Within the shadow of famous Sugar Loaf Mountain, Enniskerry... (more)

• Roundwood

  At 800 feet above sea level, Roundwood is the highest village in Ireland. It's also surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery. The Sunday afternoon market in the village hall, where cakes, jams, and other... (more)

• Slane

  Slane Castle is the draw at this small Georgian village, built in the 18th century around a crossroads on the north side of the River Boyne. For further information about Slane, see the sponsored website:... (more)

• Straffan

  Its attractive location on the banks of the River Liffey, its unique butterfly farm, and the Kildare Hotel and Country Club—where Arnold Palmer designed the K Club, one of Ireland's most renowned... (more)

• Trim

  The heritage town of Trim, on the River Boyne, contains some of the finest medieval ruins in Ireland. In 1359, on the instructions of King Edward III, the town was walled and its fortifications were strengthened... (more)

• Wicklow Town

  At the entrance to the attractive, tree-lined Main Street of Wicklow Town sprawl the extensive ruins of a 13th-century Franciscan friary. Wicklow, from the Danish wyking alo, means "Viking meadow," testifying... (more)