Soak up the stories of the past in this region of lush landscapes and idyllic towns. Ireland’s Ancient East is home to historic rocks, fortified castles, monumental tombs and majestic gardens – all with a tale to tell
1 Visit the historic Rock of Cashel
Venture to Tipperary and the Rock of Cashel, one of Ireland’s most famous historic sites. The ‘rock’ sits above the Golden Vale and is a collection of ancient fortifications, including a 13th-century Gothic cathedral and 15th-century castle at the summit.
Visitors can explore the site independently or join one of the guided tours, taking in St Patrick’s Cathedral, a 12th-century round tower standing 28 metres high, the high cross and the Romanesque St Cormac’s Chapel.
Pictured: Monument of Newgrange
2 Explore Powerscourt House & Gardens
This 18th-century mansion was designed to evoke the splendour of a Renaissance villa. Voted one of the top-three gardens in the world by National Geographic, Powerscourt Gardens were designed from 1731 onwards.
Guests can take tours of the various gardens and visit the nearby Powerscourt Waterfall, Ireland’s highest waterfall at 121 metres, in the Wicklow Mountains.
3 Get lost in charming Kilkenny
Kilkenny is famous for many things: its majestic creeper-clad castle; a bustling crafts industry; cobbled lanes and secret passages; 1,000 years of history; and cracking festivals.
It’s a magical combination of culture and entertainment that attracts many people to this captivating heritage city, right in the centre of Ireland’s Ancient East and just 90 minutes south of Dublin. Kilkenny Castle is a must-visit in this charming, picturesque town.
4 Tour the famous Hook Lighthouse
Hook Lighthouse in Wexford is the oldest operational lighthouse in the world. Built 800 years ago by the knight William Marshal, it has been voted one of Ireland’s favourite attractions.
The lighthouse is truly one of a kind and visitors can take a step back in time and enjoy hearing tales of medieval times as well as finding out what life was like as a lighthouse keeper.
5 Tour the monument of Newgrange
Newgrange is a prehistoric monument in County Meath, five miles west of Drogheda. It’s an exceptionally grand passage tomb built around 32,000BC during the Neolithic period, making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.
Visitors can take tours year-round of both the Newgrange Passage Tomb at the Unesco World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne and of the Hill of Tara, the ancient capital of Ireland.
Getting to Ireland will remain as easy as ever
The Common Travel Area, which allows the free movement of people between the United Kingdom and Ireland, will remain in place post-Brexit. Therefore, there will be no travel restrictions between the UK and Ireland.
For more information on Tourism Ireland’s trade activities, contact the trade team
In London:
David Wood dwood@tourismireland.com 020 7518 2810
Juno Thompson jthompson@tourismireland.com 020 7518 2812
In Scotland:
Amy Riddell ariddell@tourismireland.com 0141 572 2912