So much to see
With so much at your fingertips in Ireland's Ancient East, it can be hard to know where to start. There is one thing, however, that links these amazing places, from the medieval city of Kilkenny to the mystical Hill of Tara, and that's the stories.Discover the tales behind these landmarks and you'll unearth the hopes and dreams that fuelled the lives of high kings and heroes, saints and scholars. Here are some ideas to help your clients plan their trip to this ancient part of Ireland.
Ancient Ireland
History inhabits almost every corner of County Meath, an apt place to kickstart your journey. Here, over 5,000 years ago, Neolithic people cultivated land and created farms, but what they left behind are among the world's most astonishing monuments: curving softly from the green fields of the Boyne Valley is the passage tomb of Newgrange, dating back to 3,200BC. Enter the Brú na Boinne Visitor Centre and it's your key to 5,000 year-old ingenuity at Newgrange - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the passage tomb erected to line up with the first rays of sunlight on the winter solstice, and the equally fascinating burial mounds of Knowth and Dowth. County Meath also boasts the Loughcrew Cairns (4,000BC), which according to legend were made when a witch dropped an apronful of rocks as she leapt across mountains. Its 30 or so tombs make up what's said to be the world's oldest cemetery.
High Kings and Heroes
Everyone loves a good story, and in Ireland's Ancient East you can delve into some of the most fascinating around. Ireland's ancient kings ruled the landscape 2,000 years ago, and keeping the gods happy was a driving force in their lives, with sacrificial deaths a way of appeasing their deities. The history of these kings is wrapped in fabulous legends, such as the story of King Laoghaire who was buried upright on the Hill of Tara, the ancient captial of Ireland, with a sword in hand to keep his enemies at bay - even in death. Around 145 kings reigned at Tara, crowned on a coronation stone called the Lia Fáil, which is still standing today.
Sacred Ireland
The longest Viking ship ever recorded was built from the beams from Glendalough in 1042, but this idyllic Wicklow valley of the two lakes is best known for its early medieval monastic site. Although raided by marauding Norsemen, the remarkable cathedral, round tower and stone huts testify to the life of worship enjoyed here since the 6th century, when St. Kevin founded the site. Similar serenity can be found at Jerpoint Abbey, a 12th century church that was once the spiritual heart of a now vanished Irish province, the Kingdom of Osraige. In a time of saints and scholars in Ireland, women made their mark in County Kildare at the religious settlement now occupied by St. Brigid's Cathedral. The resident abbess held so much sway that even the bishop of the region used to bow to her will when visiting.
Tracing the Vikings
Bearing down on an unsuspecting Ireland from Scandanavia, hordes of Vikings first arrived in the 8th century. They looted Ireland's monasteries, battled kings and established cities that still exist today. Waterford, which dates back to 914, is one of the oldest cities in Ireland, and one of the most important for Viking history. Take a walking tour of the Viking triangle and step inside the trio of museums called Waterford Treasures to discover all about the Viking's effect on the city.
Castles and Conquests
Few castles are more fairytale-like than the spellbinding Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary. Traditionally the seat of the Kings of Munster and visited by St. Patrick in the 5th century, this remarkable place has one of the most impressive collections of medieval architecture and Celtic art in Europe. Over at the Rock of Dunamase in County Laois, you'll find another storybook sight. If it looks like an unlikely wedding present, that's because it is. History tells of how in 1170, the castle of Dunamase once formed part of the dowry of Aoife Rua, daughter of the King of Leinster. Equally impressive is Kilkenny Castle, the pride of the Medieval Mile and an ode to the glory days of epic architecture. As you stand in the beautifully kept grounds and look up at the castle, it's hard to imagine that it was nearly brought to its knees during a siege in 1922.
Big Houses and Hard Times
Hidden within quiet valleys are some of the island's most spectacular reminders of indulgent aristocratic life, including Russborough House in County Wicklow, Beaulieu House in County Louth, and Curraghmore House in County Waterford. One of the most beautiful is Castletown House in County Kildare - a Palladian Manor built by William Connolly, once the wealthiest commoner in Ireland. In stark contrast, life was very different for poverty-stricken locals. You can find out more about their experiences at the Dunbrody Famine Ship and Irish Emigrant Experience in New Ross, County Wexford.
Maritime Gateway
Ireland's relationship with the sea stretches back millenia. At the pretty port town of Cobh in County Cork, you'll find rows of multicoloured houses and the heartbreaking stories of emigrants. It's thought that over 2.5 million people departed from here between 1848 and 1950. Cobh was also the last port of call for the Titanic. Take a ticket in the name of a real-life passenger at the Titanic Experience to see how you would have fared on that tragic night.
Sport of Kings
From 3rd century kings racing their chariots to the lush landscapes ready for a countryside canter or a race for the finish line, nowhere is our love affair with the steed more clearly seen than County Kildare. Witness the spectacle of long lines of thoroughbreds training across miles of flat, rich plains at the Curragh, or visit the Curragh Military Museum and see how these grounds, in their time, were used for the Jacobites and their war horses in 1686, as well as British soldiers during WW1.
10 Great Experiences
- Hook Lighthouse. This County Wexford lighthouse boasts stunning views and is the oldest operational lightouse in the world.
- Cavan Burren Park: Walk through the world of prehistoric man in County Cavan - it's one of Ireland's most unusual landscapes.
- Corlea Trackway: Step back to 148BC with this Iron Age bog road in County Longford - the biggest of any found in Europe.
- Athlone Castle: Take a journey into the history of this riverside town in County Westmeath, where a brutal siege raged in 1691.
- Lough Gur: At Lough Gur in Limerick, a hoard of Viking spoils awaits. Iron knives, jet bracelets, spindle whorls and a store of Danish silver reward the visitor at this tranquil lake, along with the silent stone forts of Carraig Aille.
- St. Peter's Church Drogheda: After its owner was hung, drawn and quartered in 1681, St. Oliver Plunkett's head now sits in a vast gilded shrine in St. Peter's Church, County Louth.
- Battle of the Boyne: Head to County Meath to see where 60,000 troops fought in one of Ireland's most defining battles in 1690.
- Carrickmacross Famine Workhouse: Built in the 1840s, this County Monaghan Famine workhouse is one of only a few left in Ireland.
- Kennedy Homestead: The visitor centre in County Wexford showcases an exhibit examining the legacy of five generations of the famous Kennedy family.
- Carlingford: Take a medieval walking tour of this pretty County Louth town, with its castle, friary and 15th century mint.