In the south east of Ireland standing alone among the rocks lies one of the oldest functional lighthouses in the world today. Hook Lighthouse is on the hook peninsula on the south coast of county Wexford and has been alerting sea fares to the dangers of the coast line for an incredible 800 years. Originally built by renowned Knight William Marshal, Hook Lighthouse has a long tradition in all things maritime from the original build, to the monk’s settlement through to the high times of sea trade in the eighteenth and nineteenth centauries the hook is well worth a visit. I took the family for a day out and this is what we discovered.
Failte Ireland has recently released the visitor numbers for Ireland's top 10 most visited paid and free attractions in 2018. Here are the top 10 most visited free attractions in 2018 (and their visitor numbers), 4 of which feature on Scratchable Map Ireland. 1. Kilkenny Castle Parklands – 799,0322. The National Gallery of Ireland – 775,4913. Glendalough Site – 732,8244. National Botanic Gardens – 655,6095. Castletown House Parklands – 642,2786. Irish Museum of Modern Art – 505,8917. Doneraile Park – 490,0008. National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, 466,0389. Farmleigh House Estate – 389,93210. Battle of the Boyne / Oldbridge Est – 355,608 Here is some info about visiting the top free attractions on Scratchable Map Ireland. Kilkenny Castle Parklands 1st - 799,000 visitors Before...
Failte Ireland have just published the visitor numbers for Irelands most visited attractions in 2018. 7 of the top 10 paid attractions feature on Scratchable Map Ireland. We'd have had all of the top 10 if Dublin and Wicklow weren't such small counties with so many brilliant attractions! Here's the top 10 and how many visitors they had in 2018; 1. Guinness Storehouse - 1,736,156 2. Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience – 1,580,0003. Dublin Zoo – 1,230,1454. Book of Kells – 1,057,6425. Tayto Park – 700,0006. St Patrick’s Cathedral – 627,1997. Kylemore Abbey & Garden – 561,6578. Muckrose House – 550,6499. Powerscourt House Gardens and Waterfall – 472,52310. Blarney Castle & Gardens – 460,000 1. Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 1,736,156 visitors The...
The Grounds There is a lot more to Blarney Castle and Gardens than the name suggests. The grounds contain acres upon acres of fields, forests, gardens and waterways. It's hard to know where to start. Blarney House was built in 1874 and is the current home of the Colthurst family. It is open to the public 60 days of the year. Their walled gardens are closed to visitors. Walks The shortest walk - The Riverside Walk - runs alongside the River Blarney and takes around 20 minutes. Walk the Forest Trail and see the waterfall, witches kitchen, druids cave and dolmen among other things. The longer Woodland Walk takes about 90 minutes. It takes in the lake, the icehouse, the...
Once you've gotten those steps in, it's always lovely to stop by the tea room in the main house. They have a beautiful courtyard with seats out the front that are exactly what you need after your walk.
If it's something more substantial you're after, then there's a lovely country house called Springfort Hall that's a 5 minute drive away.It's a family run hotel and the owners take great pride in it.You can choose between bar food and a formal dinner, with most food sourced from local suppliers. The flourless chocolate brownie is to die for!
