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Overindulged (again) this Christmas? We hear ya. January is the perfect time to get outdoors and active. Here are some of our tips for places to visit this January.

Looking for someplace to go this St Patricks weekend? Here are our suggestions ... Croagh Patrick, County Mayo Ireland's Holy Mountain is just outside the beautiful town of Westport in County Mayo.  At 750 metres above sea level, getting to the top ain't simple. And many pilgrims do it barefoot! Views of Clew Bay from the top are stunning on a clear day.  Saint Patrick climbed to the top in 441AD, where he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Wrap up warm, regardless of the weather at the bottom, it'll be baltic at the top. Afterwards treat yourself to food and drinks in lovely Westport.

The best advice I can give you is to start with the busiest sites. If you're planning on doing those three sites on the one day, begin at Newgrange as it can get quite busy and tickets are on a first come first served basis. The other two sites are not as busy and can be visited in whichever order you prefer, just keep an eye on closing times .

We’re all very excited (and maybe a little cautious too) about Ireland ‘reopening’ at the end of June. Things have changed a lot over the last few months. Many of us have taken the time to appreciate the infinite, amazing and beautiful places that we have right here in Ireland. Like lots of others, we can’t wait to get outdoors and explore more of our wonderful island. Holidays abroad aren’t really on the cards this year, so people are starting to plan road trips and staycations in Ireland. We’ve put together a list of some brilliant places for you to explore with friends and family. With everyone having been cooped up inside for the last few months everyplace is sure to be really busy. Social distancing is likely to be part of our lives for the for the foreseeable future. For these reasons, we’ve chosen outdoorsy places that plenty of open space.

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 numb...

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 D...

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 fern garden and the bee observatory where Blarney Honey is produced.

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!

Did you know that many of the OPW managed Heritages Sites are free on the first Wednesday of every month? Here are 9 Heritage Sites on Scratchable Map Ireland, that you can visit for free.

The short answer is yes!  Let's find out a little more about the O.P.W. Heritage Sites and the Heritage Card. First of all - What is a heritage card? A heritage card allows free entry into all of the paid O....

The Kennedy Homestead and farm is the birthplace of John F Kennedy’s Great Grandfather and details the history of many generations of the Kennedy Family. When President Kennedy came to Ireland in 1963 he visited the Family Homestead to meet his cousins. The farm here is still farmed today by the descendants of the Kennedy family. There are lots of photographs, historical artefacts, audio-visual presentations and other pieces of memorabilia relating both to JF Kennedy as well as his extended family, both in Ireland and America. Expert guided tours, ample parking, souvenir and coffee shop and picnic facilities are available and it is open 7 days a week. Online booking is possible, but not a requirement and adult admission is €7.50, with discounts available for students/children/OAPs/groups. The Homestead is located about 15 minutes from the town of New Ross, but please do not be put off by the narrow, unmarked country roads! I would recommend this to everyone, it is suitable for families, couples, old and young.K