Sitting just outside the capital county of Dublin is Kildare, with its strong horsey and golfing ties. However there’s more to the lily white county than just magnificent stud farms (deemed worth a visit by the Queen of England, no less) and award-winning links courses… I’m talking awe-inspiring landscapes, beautiful stately homes and a very [...]

Archaeologist Donal Fallon is an Irish version of Indiana Jones. Just without the whip. Oh and the hat. But he is known to wear a leather jacket from time to time and by golly does he know his history and archaeology. We got this pro in to give us the low-down on some of Ireland’s [...]

Soon we will all be tucking into that annual festive feast; the Christmas Day dinner. In Ireland, it’s all about the bird – the turkey with all the trimmings to be exact. We tracked down a recipe for a classic Irish roast turkey, complete with a delicious stuffing and the perfect gravy to pour over [...]

Ah yes. The grip of the steering wheel. A gust of country wind tousling your hair. Sheep staring at you from the roadside, munching grass in a slow, thoughtful way that says, ‘You sir, are so, so, so lucky’. Our recent post on the most scenic drives in Ireland was one of our most popular [...]

We’ve got castles, cemeteries, churches and pubs that stretch back centuries, so it’s no surprise that, every so often, things go bump in the night. Come to think of it, it’s a good thing we’re not easily scared! Tales of ghosts, ghouls, devils and gravediggers are ten-a-penny, so in the spirit of Samhain and all-things [...]

Don’t you just love the feeling of discovering a new little spot, off the beaten track? Dublin, Belfast and Kerry are big hitters on the tourist trail, but venture a little further onto a less-beaten path and you’ll find a hideaway of inviting countryside and twinkling adventure. The Northwest, that’s counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal, [...]

As you know readers, our blog keeps its ears constantly pinned to the ground listening out for the footsteps of unusual accommodations. Recently, those footsteps have been more a rumble then a gentle pitter-patter. That rumble is Ireland’s Blue Book, a directory for country homes, Georgian manors and stately castles. We’re pretty convinced if it was [...]

Who could resist the castle fantasy? Lording about in your own manor, swigging from goblets and feasting on, well, feasts! We’ve rounded up the finest former fortresses where you can eat like a king and sleep like one too. Lismore Castle, County Waterford Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of name-dropping? We’re talking old Hollywood, scientific [...]

Bumping along the lush, rugged landscape of Connemara in an air-conditioned coach, Kirsten Fruit can hardly contain her excitement. Each dip in the road brings her closer to a place she’s been dying to visit since seeing its magnificent photo: Kylemore Abbey. My enthusiasm is threatening to overwhelm my neighbour who, for the past half hour, [...]