Castles, Cathedrals & Gardens

Built upon the foundations of an ancient heritage, Ireland’s hundreds of castles and cathedrals are testament to an extraordinary bygone age spanning milleniums.

With thousands of earthen and stone forts, monasteries, dolmens, and over 100 megalithic tombs – a number of which are older than the pyramids of Egypt and England’s Stonehenge – Ireland’s landscape is a never-ending treasure trove of historical wonders. Western Ireland has so many historical sites that visiting them all would be quite a task for even the most dedicated history buff. We recommend a few to get you started:

• Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Bunratty, Co Clare

  Tour the 15th-century castle and its grounds then see the Folk Park which recreates rural life in 19th-century Victorian Ireland complete with vernacular buildings, examples of traditional crafts, and costumed characters. Stay for the evening to experience the four-course Medieval Banquet. Start the night with a goblet or two of mead and after the banquet sit back and enjoy the harp and fiddle performers. The Medieval Banquet can also be enjoyed at Knappogue Castle, Quin, a magnificent example of a medieval tower house. The castle is open from April to October. Take time before the banquet to stroll in the beautifully restored 19th-century walled garden.
  Contact Information:
  Shannon Heritage Centre
  Telephone:  +353.61.360788
  Web:  www.ShannonHeritage.com
  Journey Information:  From Doonbeg Golf Club, approximately 1 hour.

• Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara, Co Clare

  Dunguaire Castle is a small 17th-century castle built on a rocky promontory, an inspirational site commanding the shores of the majestic Galway Bay, and situated 300 yards outside Kinvara Village. The castle, famed in song and story, has been restored and now gives an insight into the lifestyle of the people who lived from 1520 to modern times. Open daily from mid-April through September.
  Contact Information:
  Shannon Heritage Centre
  Telephone:  +353.61.360788
  Web:  www.ShannonHeritage.com
  Journey Information:  From Doonbeg Golf Club, approximately 1 hour 40 minutes (53 miles).

• Coole Park and Gardens, Loughrea, Co Galway

  Coole Park was once the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, dramatist, folklorist, and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre with Edward Martyn of Tullira Castle and Nobel prize-winning poet William Butler Yeats. As the centre of the Irish Literary Revival in the early 20th century, Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, John Millington Synge, and Sean O’Casey all came to experience its magic. Although the house no longer stands, two trails guide visitors through the surroundings that originally drew so many here. "The Family Trail" is an easy 1.75 km walk, taking you past the deer pen, to the site of the house, and into the walled garden to see the Autograph Tree, an old beech where the poets carved their initials. The 4.5 km "Seven Woods Trail" connects the different woods made famous in poetry by Yeats. Depending on the season, you might see bluebells and violets, jays and tree creepers, red squirrels and stoats, butterflies and dragonflies, or swans and other wetland birds.
  Contact Information:
  Telephone:  +353.91.631804
  Web:  www.CoolePark.ie
  Journey Information:  From Doonbeg Golf Club, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

• Vandeleur Walled Gardens, Kilrush, Co Clare

  Beautifully constructed old stone walls contain this sheltered garden, once the garden of Kilrush House, home to the Vandeleur landlords. Set among 420 acres of native woodland, this "forgotten garden" hadn’t been cultivated for many years until restoration work began in 1997. The gardens include beautiful water features, a tree collection, a horizontal maze, and the Vandeleur Glasshouse, which provides for the propagation of unusual and tender plant species.
  Contact Information:
  Telephone:  +353.65.9051760
  Web:  www.Kilrush.ie
  Journey Information:  From Doonbeg Golf Club, approximately 20 minutes.

• Quin Abbey, Quin, Co Clare

  Just five miles from Ennis, the Abbey, which dates to the 15th century, is one of the best of its kind in Ireland. The structure of the well-preserved Abbey can be toured inside, as well as outside on the grounds.
  Journey Information:
  From Ennis to Quin Abbey, approximately 20 minutes.
  From Doonbeg Golf Club to Quin Abbey, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

• Scattery Island, from Kilrush, Co Clare

  The monastery on Scattery Island was founded by St. Senan in the early 6th century and consists of a round tower and several churches. There is a small visitor centre on the island and guided tours are available free of charge. Although the last of the Scattery islanders, who were river pilots and expert currach handlers, left for the mainland in 1978, the ruins of the island village and several churches remain.
  Contact Information:
  Telephone:  +353.65.9052072
  Web:  www.KilrushCreekAdventure.com
  Journey Information:
  Scattery Island is a 20 minute sailing from the Kilrush Creek Marina (April to October).
  From Doonbeg Golf Club to Kilrush, 20 minutes.