Time-Travelling and Soaking Up Culture
The Irish are proud of their tales whether it’s about the Titanic, the Vikings, Civil War or the Potato Famine (also known as The Great Hunger and The Great Famine). And there’s so much more packed into Ireland’s collection of history. Wherever you go, the locals have their charismatic stories; and most of the places’ names and music are related to a time in history. The Irish have stayed true to their Gaelic language too, you’ll see it everywhere.
Museums & Cultures
Dublin
- The Little Museum of Dublin is the perfect place to learn Ireland’s timeline over the years. It also has a fun room dedicated to the band, U2, to check out.
- The Kilmainham Gaol prison has become a popular museum; a home to more interesting history, especially the Civil War. A tour guide will lead you through the dark stone passages while telling stories of some well-known prisoners. Be sure to book your tour online before heading to visit the prison.
The The Little Museum of Dublin and Kilmainham Gaol can be visited via the DoDublin Hop-on Hop-off bus tour (Affiliated Link), that also provides passengers with a free entry ticket to The Little Museum of Dublin.
Fun Facts:
- The youngest person to be arrested for begging during the Civil War was a 3 year old boy.
- There’s an underground river in the city.
Cobh
There is a short train trip from Cork to Cobh. Here, is the Titanic Experience to visit. It is a small museum with a quick tour packed with information and factual stories. I found it to be fun and worth visiting.
Fun Fact: There were only two bath tubs for the 700 people to share in the third class.
Kerry
- Kerry Bog Village – I came across this interesting museum while on my Ring of Kerry Day Tour from Cork : Including Killarney National Park (Affiliated Link). It gives great insight on how people once lived back in the mid 1800’s.
- Killorglin – The smaller towns that are steeped in history have cultural traditions that are still kept alive, no matter how funny and eccentric. The Puck Fair is one of the oldest fairs in Europe, dating back to 1613. Every August a puck goat is crowned King while the harvest season is being celebrated. There is even a statue to represent the King Goat!
Wexford
Dunbrody boasts a museum called The Dunbrody Famine Ship. During the infamous potato famine, families were losing members on a daily basis to the disease. Survivors were fleeing Ireland to other countries, such as America, in the hope for a better life. Small ships such as the Dunbrody were crammed full of people with their children and their few possessions. The tiny living spaces became incredibly unhygienic, causing all sorts of illness and deaths. The journeys in these conditions would take as long as 8 weeks.
Castles & Cathedrals
The castles and cathedrals always reflect years of history and changes a country has gone through. In Ireland, it is no different.
Dublin
- Dublin Castle
- St Patrick’s Cathedral – Fun fact: Taken 50 years to build, and renovated in the 1860’s. With the exception of Swift and Stella, bodies were buried in the walls because the cathedral was built over an underground river, which occasionally flooded. Jonathan Swift and Stella (Esther) Johnson had an arrangement for their coffins lifted out of the floor whenever the river flooded the cathedral. At times it was too late and some bones had either been lost or gotten mixed up, therefore it is believed they are now both in one coffin.
- Christ Church Cathedral
Cork
Blarney Castle – Set aside at least a good half of your day to appreciate the gorgeous grounds and the cliff-sitting castle itself. There were so many beautifully-themed, lush gardens along with streams, waterfalls and pathways leading through thick forests…It was such quality time being outdoors exploring this estate.
Carlow (And Surrounding Areas)
While I stayed with family for a few days, they very kindly took me to surrounding towns where we visited the castles and cathedrals. We also took scenic routes along beautiful, country lanes tightly lined with hedges.
- Roscrea is one of the oldest towns in Ireland. The Roscrea Castle comes with quite a history of its own and had been through many changes over the years. It was owned by the royal Butler family before the English soldiers took it over. They removed all the furniture and changed the interior, but left the staircase banister untouched. This decision to not remove this original feature was what much later saved the grounds from being demolished. After the occupancy of the English soldiers, the castle was used as a school for boys. When the castle was restored years later, furniture pieces were found to recreate the rooms relating to its era when the Butler family first lived there. Now being a museum, one can appreciate the history this castle embodies.
- Dunamase Castle/Rock of Dunamase – I was so excited to visit this castle as it it featured in one of my favourite movies, Leap Year. It didn’t disappoint. Stepping back into history among the ancient ruins lead to such fun imagining of how it may have looked so many years ago. Even the pouring rain couldn’t take away the pleasure I was feeling in being there. It really was one of my favourites. There were even wild blackberries washed by the rain to nibble on.
- Duckett’s Grove was an enormous and spread out castle. A quick visit to admire the size.
- A full, long day where we visited the ever-popular medieval Kilkenny town. I couldn’t believe the crowds here. The Kilkenny Castle is a fully restored piece of history with elaborate and luxurious decor. One can appreciate the impressive hand-painted wallpapers. The castle was first inhabited by Edward 7th and then later by Queen Anne.
- In Carlow itself, there is the majestic Cathedral of the Assumption. There are also beautiful parks and a stream in the town. It’s a great location to branch out from to surrounding areas.
Let’s return to the current day and explore my choice of the many tour options Ireland has to offer…
Other Options:
“Live to Love ~ Love to Live”
Earth’s Wildflower,
Food Convenience while on the Move (Affiliated Link to Forever Fresh):
Vegan Curious (Affiliated Link to Brownble) :
