Dublin - Dramatic castles, Stone Age passage tombs, aristocratic mansions and lush green landscapes, Ireland’s Ancient East is a tour of epic proportions, delving deep into the past and sweeping through more than 5 000 years of history.
It’s a journey that will bring you through historic heartlands, peaceful gardens and lovely coastal villages.
The route takes approximately seven days, covers approximately 1115km and offers some of the following incredible highlights….
The Unesco-protected Neolithic passage at Newgrange in County Meath is older than the pyramids and a fascinating feat of Stone Age construction.
The tranquil setting of Clonmacnoise on the banks of the majestic River Shannon in County Offaly is reason enough to visit, but this Early Christian site, founded by St Ciaran in the mid-6th century has a captivating history.
There’s a cathedral, seven churches, round towers, high crosses, and tales of Viking attacks, plagues and celebrity monks.
A photo posted by Meaghan Geroux (@meg.runs) on Jul 28, 2016 at 1:29pm PDT
Kilkenny Castle offers history of a different kind. It was on a historic day in 1967 that the 6th Marquess of Ormonde handed over the keys to his ancestral home to the city of Kilkenny for a mere £50 (about R850). His family had been there since 1391. This grand Norman castle sits like a medieval jewel in the heart of Kilkenny City.
The Castle estate, overlooking the Nore River, boasts both formal and informal gardens and an ornamental lake.
Perched on a vast craggy outcrop, the Rock of Cashel doesn’t just loom over Tipperary’s Golden Vale but over Ireland’s history too. It’s where St Patrick is said to have said to have baptised, Aengus, King of Munster.
The colourful seaside town of Cobh in east Cork was the last port of call for the Titanic and the story of the “Ship of Dreams” is told at the Titanic Experience Cobh, situated in the original White Star Line’s offices. It’s a dramatic end to an incredible journey.
Adapted from a press release for IOL
www.irelandsancienteast.com