The City of Drumshanbo and the surrounding County Leitrim area, is a beautiful conversion of what…read moreuse to be Ireland's coal mining area. Today there are many lakes now used for water sports and the nearby Carrick on Shannon is a major Stags & Hens destination. My extended family has lived in this area for centuries and it was fun visiting, "where it all began, so to speak".

A MUST SEE! The Jackie Clarke Collection is an absolute hidden gem in Ballina. A perfect way to…read morespend your afternoon. I could not recommend it higher! They put a lot of thought into this collection and it is amazing to see the historical significance in each letter, picture, map, etc. they hold in this exclusive collection. It is interesting for tourists to see the history of Ireland unfold in each room of the collection. It is also of interest to the locals with the collection of maps which show how the county boarders have changed overtime. It is well worth the trip to beautiful town of Ballina to check it out. And if this collection isn't already enough to grab your attention, the collection is actually hosted in an old bank! The bank's old vault is now home to one of the rare original copies of the Proclimation of the Irish Republic printed before the 1916 rising. The good news is you don't need to know much Irish history to enjoy The Jackie Clarke Collection.

Really love the easy drive from Sligo to this waterfall. Very easy to walk off the road and to see…read moreit the goats everywhere make it so charmed also easy to get an Uber from Sligo to here. And a cute café makes it easy trip. The café makes it nice for a coffee and snack . If just going here I'll plan only an hour to see the sites not much else to do unless you walk to the devil's chimney then plan three hours for everything.

I'd thought, wrongly, that this waterfall was in county Sligo; nope, wrong again matey, the sign…read moresays it's inside county Leitrim and only just. It's a beautiful place and designed for walks and picnics. It has toilets and you can potter around the lake area to the coffee bar, but you'll need a fair level of fitness to go to the top of the waterfall as it's quite steep. The water is so clean with a peaty hue given Ireland has wonderful peat bogs - an incredible eco system of its own. Now it ain't the falls of Angel, it ain't Niagara nor Dunn's River; this waterfall reaches 50ft high and is situated at Glencar Lough, and it inspired perhaps Ireland's greatest poet William Butler Yeats who put it much better than me in his poem 'The Stolen Child' 'Where the wandering water gushes From the hills above Glen-Car, In pools among the rushes That scarce could bathe a star' Glad we went, once. Paradise Ireland style.

Fore Abbey is a 7th century abbey spread across the valley of ancient structures. The abbey complex…read moreincludes several notable features, such as the remains of the Benedictine monastery, St. Feichin's church, and the famous Fore Crosses. There are several ruins to explore on this stop.

For a ruin, this place was really in good shape. Most here are a pile of rocks that vaguely…read moreresembles a building. This one had rooms and working stairs. If you go, there is a big parking lot on the main road. You don't have to park on the street.

First off, a visit here is FREE! There is no charge to enter and walk around the beautiful abbey,…read moreall outdoors. We came on a rainy day and it was still super fun. We used the laminated guide cards and took ourselves on a tour, then bought a few postcards. We spent about 45 minutes here. There was someone playing tunes on a ukulele for guests, too, which was nice. Clean bathroom facilities.

Place is amazing. Built in 1253, torched a few times and rebuilt. Last time it was torched was in…read more1641 during the Ulster Uprising when the Irish were fighting the English oppressors. The monks moved out in the 18th century. Its like walking through history and great photos can be taken from any angle. Give yourself at least half an hour to see this place...

We enjoyed our tour of the caves. The water was too high to take the boats so this was only a…read morewalking tour. We heard that the high water is a fairly common occurrence in these caves. The tour itself was very interesting. You walk down 150 steps an then tour the cave on crushed stone walkways. There is nothing really rigorous about this tour except the 150 steps down and 150 steps up at the end. The views are beautiful although not as spectacular as the views in other caves.

The Marble Arch Caves are a series of natural limestone caves located near the village of…read moreFlorencecourt in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Very interesting - visit equals about 70 minutes We have visited caves all over the US and Marble Arch Caves are worth a visit Recommend

If you enjoy history that involves the burning of a fortress by design to keep it out of the hands…read moreof the 15th century English, put this castle on your itinerary! My family and I visited here during our stay in Donegal and probably walked less than a quarter of a mile from the town square to reach this historical site. With no prior knowledge of the castle's background story, I was taken in by the remnant and the restored portions. Information panels inside provide interesting stories of the varied history of the original and successive owners. I appreciated the craftsmanship and engineering of the trusses and beams of the restored roof. The massive fireplaces and large rooms permitted me to imagine, just a little, what life was like in the castle a long time ago. Additional tidbits: I found the price of admission fair for a family. Guided tours are available. The castle has plenty of steps and no elevators. Bathrooms are available on the lower level.

Rather small but well staffed and well maintained. It takes maybe 30-45 minutes to see the entire…read morecastle. Not the biggest castle in Ireland but Donegal isn't the biggest town either.

Standing on the banks of the River Shannon in Athlone, the castle dates back to the 12th century…read morewith multiple updates and fortifications. Despite its age, there has been tremendous effort to restore it to its original glory with the installation of an interactive visitor experience. Exhibits and displays give history and what it was like to be here during the Williamite War and beyond to the modern Irish Republic. Lots of artifacts and historical presentations. Great views of the town of Athlone and the Athlone Bridge. It's worth a stop. [Review 1969 of 2024 - 150 in Republic of Ireland - 22991 overall]

A lovely treasure along the Shannon River. Very helpful information desk -- try to get on a tour…read moreto get the full story, so much more informative to get an explanation of the different costumes and time periods. The lobby has some vintage artifacts that are interesting to see and ponder.