Loftus House or Hall is a beautiful mansion located on the Hook peninsula in Ireland. The current…read moreMansion as I recently visited it, was built about the year 1350, and the prior castle stucture was built about the year 1170. The story goes, that the current mansion is haunted by the Devil and the ghost of a young woman named Anne Tottenham. Outside of being supposedly haunted, the Loftus Hall also has a very colorful history as it was attacked by the English during the Irish Confederate war in 1642. It was first attacked by Captain Thomas Aston serving King Charles the 1st of England. The mansion as it was defended by Irish loyalist is quite amazing. At Loftus Hall today, you can take a tour of the house and learn about its amazing and sometimes dark history. The house architecturally is beautiful! The custom floors that were hand cut and laid by Italian Masons is just breath taking! I will add, that the Italian Masons had their hands cut off by an English Lord at the time of floor completion so the floor could not be replicated (Creepy). The master entry staircase in Loftus Mansion (hand carved wood) is one of only three that were made by the original wood master craftsman. The other two staircases, one is located on the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean, and the 3rd located at present in the Vatican City. The tour is amazing, creepy, and fun! They have a wonderful little cafe and coffee shop where you can sit and enjoy a cup of tea, and the location of the Mansion is just beautiful. The Loftus Hall is also not far from the Hook Light House (One of the oldest light houses in the world built in the year 1172). Standing in front of the Loftus Mansion on the Hook Peninsula, looking out over the bay towards St. Georges Channel, is very mystical. If I could, I'd have a little getaway Irish cottage here it is so beautiful. I definitely recommend you visit Loftus Mansion and the area overall. You will not be let down by the history, and the beauty of the environment.

Very cool old house but the majority hasn't been restored yet so you only get to see a small…read moreportion. The history is fun and interesting but the way they take you through it is geared more towards families.

Wife wanted to visit some castles while we were in Ireland, and while this isn't really a castle,…read moreit's a home that has been built to look like a castle. Took the guided tour which was very nice, house is large and was the site of an agricultural college, there are some exhibits before the guided tour that you can go through that will give you a sense of the history of the area and what Irish farmers endured. Surrounded by beautiful grounds and gardens this trip is well worth 3 or 4 hours of your time. Gift shop and small cafe with reasonable prices and good food.

Was a beautiful place in 2015 and it was even more beautiful in 2019. They totally improved the…read moreexperience with new entry and dining facility. The grounds are even more impressive than I remember. Nice quiet place to visit and full of peacocks and swans

This was the spot that the tender from the ship dropped us for our excursion. When we returned, we…read moregot a great workout climbing the stairs up to the street level. Went in search of a public toilet, not knowing there was one right here! On the way back from town, passed a lovely anchor and memorial to those lost at sea. By the way, I liked the mural at the Fish Hatchery nearby.

Anchored by its famous lighthouse, Dunmore East harbour is a fully working harbour (as is very…read moreapparent if the wind is from a certain direction) and is home to dozens of fishing trawlers, a fish factory, boatyard and even a fish auction. It's a great place to bring kids - they love the brightly coloured boats, the raucous gulls and the lobster pots littering the quay. Blow away the cobwebs (and the kids?) with a walk along the high harbour wall. Check out the daily evening auction, where you can bid for the catch of the day with the local restauranteurs, fish factory or fish brokers. When I was last there, a shark was up for grabs. It was 'this big". It's a fun way to kill an hour working up an appetite for supper, or to catch a glimpse into one of the toughest professions around.

We were in the area(ish), heard this was the world's oldest, intact, operational lighthouse and…read moreknew we had to take the detour to see it. Hook Lighthouse has 800 years of history and is found on Hook Head, a rocky blustery bluff jutting out into the harbor on the Atlantic. The history is cool but you definitely feel the necessity of the lighthouse when you're there as it must have saved many ships from rocky fates during the frequent spring storms. We didn't go in the lighthouse but have heard such good things about the tour. We came a little later in the day. There are beautiful overlooks and the view of the lighthouse is pretty splendid regardless. Get to it!

This was really a highlight on our trip! We wandered the grounds for a bit, viewing the free…read moreexhibits, enjoying the day, taking in the amenities. Our tour guide was charismatic, knowledgeable and patient. Our group of about 10 included young and old requiring some time on the stairs. We had plenty of time to explore the lighthouse and learned so much more than we could have imagined. The tour includes some quick films based on persons who worked in the lighthouse as well as information provided by our guide. I just can't say enough good things about this tour. All together, this is a must do if you find yourself any where near by. Bring the kids, bring mom & dad, bring your friends, just go!