Places to visit

Tyrone House

This is a ruined late eighteenth century house on a coastal promontory. This large three story building was burnt down by the IRA in the Irish War of Independence as it was used by the British Black and Tan units, who were notorious for their brutal attacks on the Irish civilian population.

Turoe Stone

This is a decorated carved stone near the village of Ballaun in County Galway. It is set in the front of Turoe House and stands about three feet in height. It has carved concentric spiral designs in Celtic style. It is thought to date to about the 100 BC to 100 AD. It was moved to its present site in the nineteenth century from the Rath of Freewore (Irish: Rath Férach Mhor).

Aran Islands - Oileáin Árann

Dún Chonchuir Stone Fort

This fort is located on the island of Inis Meáin and has a very big inner wall of almost eight meters in width and a smaller outer wall around the east, south and north of the structure and with a ditch to the west. The islands can be reached by boat from Galway City.

The Inchagoill Stone

This is an early Christian sculptured stone on Inchagoill Island (Irish:Inis an Ghaill Crabhthigh) on Lough Corrib in County Galway which is reached by boat from Oughterard in County Galway or Cong a village that is on the borders of County Galway and County Mayo. There are two ruined churches on the island, Tempall Phadraig and Tempall na Naoimh, each with Romanesque carvings. St Patrick was believed to have established a church on the island in the fifth century. The inscribed two feet four inch high stone at the front of Tempall Phadraig is thought to date to the beginning of the sixth century and is inscribed with the name of LIA LUGUAEDON MACCI MENUEH (the stone of Luguaedon son of Menueh). It is thought to be the earliest Christian inscriptions in Ireland.

Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle is on the border of County Mayo (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo) and County Galway (Irish: Contae na Gaillimhe) near the village of Cong at the northern end of Lough Corrib (Irish: Loch Coirib) in Ireland (Éire). It was built in 1228 by the de Búrca family on the outer edge of a monastic site. It has been extended in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and is and is now a luxury hotel.

Glebe Stone Circles - Ciorcal Liag na Gléibe

Glebe Stone Circles (Irish: Ciorcal Liag na Gléibe) are a group of four stone circles in Couty Mayo (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo). They are close to each other and about 1.6 km (1 mile) northeast of the village of Cong (Irish: Conga) on the border of County Galway and County Mayo. The Cong or Glebe north circle is about fifty four feet in diameter with eighteen remaining stones reaching to about four feet in height. A kerbed cairn and mound is within the circle.

Croagh Patrick - Cruach Phádraig

Croagh Patrick by Joseph William Carey (1859-1937)

Croagh Patrick is a mountain of 2,507 feet in height to the south of the R335 between Leckanvy and Murrisk in County Mayo. It is a pilgrimage site associated with St Patrick who is said to have fasted and built a church there. However it was a site of Pagan importance before the arrival of Celtic Christianity being then known as Cruachan Aigle and an importance site at the time of the summer solstice.

Westport House

This is an eighteenth century house designed by Richard Cassels and James Wyatt built on the site of previous castle owned by the O'Malley family. The chief of the O'Malley Clan was Gráinne Ní Mháille famously known as the Pirate Queen of Connaught and the dungeons of her castle can still be seen in the basement of the house. The house is privately owned but open to the public and sits in large attractive grounds with a campsite, Pirate Adventure Park and other attractions.

Céide Fields - Achaidh Chéide

It is the most extensive Stone Age monument in the world with dwelling houses, tombs and stone walled field systems. There is a visitor centre on site which is open from late April until late October and which is about eight kilometres west of Ballycastle (Irish: Baile an Chaisil) on the R314 in the north of County Mayo, Ireland (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo, Éire). This is an extremely important archaeological site. Ceide Fields is a field system and settlements site dating to 3000BC and before.

Ballymote Castle - Caisleán Bhaile an Mhóta

Ballymote Castle (Irish: Caisleán Bhaile an Mhóta) was built by Richard de Burgh in 1300. The walls are some ten feet thick and it has six towers. The castle is located at Ballymote/Bail an Mhota off the R296 road in southern County Sligo (Irish: Contae Shligigh).

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