Welcome to another blog post to help you Chase the blues away in January! We are almost half way through the month, Dancing with the Stars and Operation Transformation are back on our screens while the whole country seems to be on a get moving fix! Growing up, 90% of the time our holidays were spent exploring Ireland. For every one ‘fun’ thing in the eyes of most kids was met with one historical thing. For myself and my siblings we soon fell in love with our history. The educational side of our holiday quickly became the side we planned the rest of our holidays around! I like to think I can cut it down to a handful of favourites which, will probably appear on the blog once the Summer season starts but for now…
This blog post is dedicated to some lovely sites, walks and days out around Ireland that I highly recommend for January and beyond!
*I would also like to say we aren’t paid to suggest any of these sites. This is just Niamh being her nerdy ‘I adore Irish history, sites and scenic views’ self! *
Historical Sites
At this stage I should probably run my own tours around Ireland with how much time I spend at historical sites and the amount of knowledge I have of them. To any friends who decided 2020 was the year to travel at home if you need a tour guide for a day or two or; need suggestions let me know! For now here are five suggestions:
· Muckross House, Gardens and traditional Farms, Killarney, co. Kerry: My all time favourite historical house in the entire of Ireland. Honestly, if anyone wanted to go on a day trip to anywhere in Ireland Muckross House would always be my first choice! For January it is open 9.00-17.00 for the House; unfortunately, the farm aspect won’t be opened until March. The house itself is recent in Irish history dating back to 1839, has seen a visit from Queen Victoria and the preservation of the house itself leaves me awestruck everytime. More information can be found here.
· Birr Castle: I have lost count of the amount of times I have been here with my family. It is such a great walking area, the playground/treehouse aspect for the kids is to die for (spoiler alert the tree house is shaped like a castle) and their tour of the castle itself is incredibly informative! Located in co. Offaly it is a bit of a spin if you are not located in the Midlands but trust me; it is well worth the trip. More information can be found here.
· Athenry Castle, Athenry, Co. Galway: I haven’t been in a number of years but, Athenry Castle is one of my favourite Castles and tours in Ireland. From the rich history, the dressing up in historical outfits and the gorgeous grounds; there is something for everyone here.
· National History Museum, Archaeology, Dublin: The one beside the Dáil, the one beside the Dáil and did I say the one beside the Dáil? It is my favourite museum in Dublin. If it was a day out in Dublin for historical sites you would find me here. Some people may argue, depending on the era of history they prefer but, for me it is the pre 1200A.D but, the older the better (unless you are Celt related aka my degree). Highlights include the Bog Bodies – Kingship and Sacrifice Exhibit , Egpytian artifacts and all of the Chalices! More information here.
· The Irish National Heritage Park, Wexford: The place that inspired a ten year old Niamh that early Irish History was the place she wanted to be! If you haven’t visited The Irish National Heritage Park make sure you add it to your list of places to visit in 2020. Take a step through 9,000 years of Irish History. Keep an eye out on their additional activities and events throughout the year. All information can be found here.
Gardens and Walks
· Altamount Gardens, co. Carlow: We go at least twice a year to see the snowdrops, daffodils and foxgloves. Admission is free unless you opt for a guided tour. You could easily spend an entire day here! Lots of lakes which I love and the variety of plant life is incredible. My top walk with a view recommendation always.
· Woodstock House and Gardens, co. Kilkenny: It’s a restored Victorian Garden and Arboretum. Famously known for it Monkey Trees Trail to anyone who grew up spending at least one Summer’s day here. Again, you could spend an entire day here during warmer weather but, during January you could easily spend a number of hours here.
· Barna Wood, co. Galway: This will forever be known as the site where we lost feeling in our feet. During my undergraduate, it was used as the field trip site for our Fluvial Geomorphology trip aka standing in the river for hours on end recording data. The walk around the area itself it great for anyone who just wants to get away from the busy town. Many evenings during my time in Galway was spent walking around this park and I loved picking different tree shapes to match them to animals. Have a look for yourself here.
· Phoenix Park: The safe haven in Dublin. If you were just to go to see the deer I’d highly recommend a walk in Phoenix Park. I don’t spend enough time here when we do make it up to Dublin, but when we do spend some time here I fall in love with the park all over again.
Caves and Cliffs
Caves and Cliffs are not for everyone in the wise words of my sister “If you are claustrophobic why would you willingly put yourself into that situation!” or if you are like me and have vertigo you should probably stay away from heights! Having said this I have three landmarks that I always go back to.
· Aillwee Caves: This cave system is my favourite in the entire of Ireland. All I can say is you need to see them to truly experience them! I have goosebumps the entire time I am in these caves and I enjoy being in a sense of awe as we travel through them. In recent years they also started a Birds of Prey exhibit. More information can be found here.
· The Cliffs of Moher: Tourist season is all year round here but, I’d highly recommend to go at least once just for the view. It is one of our highest tourist attractions but, you cannot appreciate how breathtaking that view is until you have seen it yourself!
· Dunmore Caves, Dunmore, co. Kilkenny: The cave system that shows Viking activity in Kilkenny hundreds of years ago. One warning in advance though, there are a lot of steep steps but it is worth the visit. It has one of the highest ceilings in a cave system I have seen. It may be on the smaller scale of Irish caves but, it is my second favourite.
My Oasis
It really doesn’t take a genius to see that all of my oasis areas revolve around water. I honestly think it comes down to my star sign being a water sign, but I feel my calmest at water.
· Kilkenny Park by the lake: The castle grounds and parks in the centre of Kilkenny are great to walk around. You may even forget you are in the middle of the town. My favourite place is sitting by the lake watching the ducks mess around. Yes, it tops the rose garden and, yes, there is a man-made lake make sure you go find it!
· Tullamore Park: As some of you may be aware my partner in crime for Our Muchness Guide lives near Tullamore because of this a lot of downtime is spent in Tullamore. The park itself is nice and my cousins approve of the playground but it is by the water feature where you will find me. Situated in the middle of the park itself it is a great spot for a picnic with lots of benches beside the feature itself.
· The Spanish Arch, Galway: Once the weather is not terrible make sure you stop at the Spanish Arch to take in the view. Yes, it is at its best during the summer when hundreds of people flock to spend some time basking in the sun while dangling their feet over the walls edge. But, later winter into early Spring has always been my favourite time to enjoy the view once the winds are safe and the rain holds off for more than an hour!
· Sitting at the docks by the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin: One area of Dublin we don’t visit enough. I usually only visit here when we are heading to the Bord Gais Theatre itself to see a musical. When I do visit though I spend at least half an hour just chilling by the waters edge by the dock.
· Castlecomer Discovery Park, Woodland: If the woodland where I work wasn’t on the list there would be something seriously wrong right? If you ever get the chance to visit Castlecomer Discovery Park, Castlecomer, co.Kilkenny and go for a walk around the woodland: head on the green trail past the lake and turn left. There is a picnic bench tucked away with some of the most stunning views looking over the lake area and some of the 80 acre woodland under the Discovery Park.
Niamh’s list of 4 places to visit in 2020
· The National Reptile Zoo, Kilkenny: This one may be surprising to many people who know me but, thanks to my 2 Summers in Wildwood, Florida I got over my fear of snakes and spiders. Due to my work now, I have met the lovely Education Team in the National Reptile Zoo and asked them a tonne of questions before visiting! It is a place you really need to see for yourself! With the Reptile Zoo moving to a lager premises this month, I cannot wait to go visit their new site (which is planned for this weekend). You truly learn a lot about reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates that many do not know. They also hold animal encounters to come face to face with these fantastic creatures! Anyone who would like to learn more about the National Reptile Zoo more information can be found here.
· The National Botanic Gardens, Dublin: Honestly, with all of the places I have visited with my family… we have never visited here! For that alone it is on the list. I’ll be able to write more about it after visiting there, but for now it is on the list to tick off of places I have been.
· Emo Court House: All the years to and from Portarlington to catch a train to Galway saw many trips past Emo; I have never been to Emo Court House. It’s a neo-classical mansion in co. Laois and was built in 1790. It might sound familiar and it should if you were tuned into RTE last week. As it appeared on the TV with the news that renovations have been finished. This quickly turned into my mam and I trying to plan when we were going to visit. More information can be found here.
Our Muchness Guide 
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