Nestled in the heart of the country is a haven of picturesque villages, stunning tracks, trails and waterways and brilliant bars and restaurants. Ireland's rural heartland, which stretches outwards from the banks of the Shannon bisecting the island into its various provinces and counties, has something for every visitor – it’s yours to uncover.
From Europe’s largest green space to the longest defined coastal touring route in the world, Ireland is a country brimming with fun and fascinating ways to spend your days. Discover just the right mountain to climb, painting to pore over, sports team to cheer on, or whatever else takes your fancy.
Sweet dreams await no matter how you like to lodge. From chic to boutique, budget to B&B, on the coast or in the heart of town, find an accommodation option to suit your individual travel style when you visit Ireland.
From a jam-packed national concert calendar to breathtaking gallery exhibitions, world-class food and drink events, cultural celebrations and superb marathons and races in some of the most scenic locations in the world, there’s always something going on in Ireland.
County Clare
Quiet and unassuming, Clare secretly holds many Irish treasures. Home to not only the dramatic and beloved Cliffs of Moher - one of the most popular natural attractions in the world - Clare also lays claim to the rocky karst landscape of The Burren and is bounded to the east and south by the River Shannon.
The Shannon Estuary flows along the south coast of Clare and offers an endless number of recreational activities, including golf (at Dromoland Castle or at world class links courses in Doonbeg and Lahinch), water sports (try Windsurfing, Sailing, Kayaking, Canoeing, Surfing and Scuba Diving at Kilkee – its magnificent horse-shoe bay, nearly one mile in length, has long been recognised as the best and safest bathing place on the western coast of Ireland) and dolphin watching (with daily dolphin watch tours from the modern marina in the West Clare market down of Kilrush).
The town of Shannon houses the Republic of Ireland's second largest airport, Shannon Airport, and built next door is the Shannon Free Zone, a 2-square-kilometre business park that has drawn numerous multinational corporations with its promise of attractive tax packages. This has led to an inordinate number of international expats, especially North Americans, being settled in what would otherwise be a tiny, non-descript village.
County Kilkenny
Kilkenny is Ireland's party county. Famous for two beers: Smithwicks and Kilkenny, the former of which is an Irish red ale that was first brewed at St. Francis Abbey Brewery in the 14th century. Located in Kilkenny City, the abbey's "Smithwicks Experience" is now a popular tourist attraction.
Kilkenny City also has more than its share of friendly pubs, which contribute heavily to the county's reputation as a great place to go out drinking. The locals' cheerful demeanours don't hurt, either. And with all that drinking going on in Kilkenny, it is also no surprise that the county is positively stocked with artists, craftspeople and comics, hosting the likes of the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Rhythm and Roots Festival and Kilkenny Arts Week every year.
Among Kilkenny's most popular attractions are the 12th century Jerpoint Abbey and Kilkenny Castle, and the 13th century St.Canice's Cathedral, named for Kilkenny's namesake, Saint Canice.
This mild, southeast county is one of the few Irish counties with no sea coasts, although Kilkenny enjoys plenty of water thanks to its "Three Sisters" The rivers Nore, Barrow and Suir, which flow through Kilkenny, the latter two forming its east and west borders respectively. Much of Kilkenny's landscape is marked by lumbering, green hills and low valleys that offer fantastic walks, including the South Leinster Way, which follows the River Barrow through forests, beside ancient abbeys and over historic stone bridges. Kilkenny's highest peak, Brandon Hill, ascends more than 500 metres above sea level, offering stunning views.
County Mayo
Ruggedly beautiful Co. Mayo is one of the most overlooked places in Ireland, despite being the third largest of the 32 counties. Often sidestepped by visitors who head, instead, to the lumbering mountains of Connemara in Co. Galway, Mayo is the picture-perfect version of the west of Ireland, with its craggy coasts and soft bluffs. Even the people of Mayo have a soft, warm and quiet demeanour to match their landscape.
Co. Mayo is a great place for superlatives. It has the highest point in Connacht – Mweelrea at 814 metres – and Ireland's largest island, Achill Island, which is also home to the country’s highest cliffs, Croaghaun. As well, Mayo is home to Ireland's most spiritual mountain, Croagh Patrick, where St. Patrick is said to have fasted for forty days and nights, and the most extensive stone monument in the world at Ceide Fields. And if all of that isn't enough, Mayo is also home to the Knock Shrine, one of the most important Marian shrines in Catholicism, where Mary, St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph supposedly appeared in 1879.
Visiting Mayo is mostly about its vast emptiness and beautiful landscapes, which were the inspirational setting for the John Wayne film, The Quiet Man (there is a visitor's centre in Cong, a prominent filming location), as well as countless Irish plays and stories, including John Millington Synge's The Playboy of the Western World, and the Lady Gregory/WB Yeats collaboration Cathleen Ni Houlihan. It's possible that the county is so revered in literature because it was among the counties most badly affected by the Great Famine.
County Wexford
Outside of Dublin, Co. Wexford is undoubtedly the best place in Ireland to explore Viking history. Because of its location along the sunny southeast coast of the island, Wexford was the target of many invaders, including the Normans in 1169 and the English led by Oliver Cromwell in 1649. Co. Wexford was also the site of a huge concentration of fighting during the failed Irish Rebellion of 1798, including significant battles at New Ross and Vinegar Hill in Enniscorthy. The National 1978 Centre there offers a historical exhibition about the uprising.
Co. Wexford is arguably the most popular domestic holiday spot in Ireland. In fact, you are likely to hear more Dublin accents around Co. Wexford than locals ones, and it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the working class North Side Dubs on holiday in Wexford and the locals, for they all sound the same.
Because of its south-east coastal locale, Wexford sees an inordinate amount of sunshine and has a much more tolerable climate than any other Irish county, enjoying a whopping six hours of sunshine everyday in May (virtually unheard of in Ireland).
