Castles & Culture
The Anne Valley Walk is a simply wonderful example of an amenity developed by local landowners and the community. The walk is fully accessible to those with reduced mobility including buggies, wheelchairs etc. The route which winds its way through the scenic Anne Valley wetland and woodland area, connecting Dunhill with the seaside village of Annestown, is brought to life with information on the flora and fauna, as well as picnic and seating areas to relax and enjoy your surroundings. Stunning views of Dunhill Castle overlooking the trail are afforded about half way between Dunhill and reaching the coast at Annestown. Click on the image for more information.
Kilkenny Castle
Few buildings in Ireland can boast a longer history of continuous occupation than Kilkenny Castle. Founded soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland, the Castle has been rebuilt, extended and adapted to suit changing circumstances and uses over a period of 800 years.
Today, Kilkenny Castle is open to visitors all year round and is largely a Victorian remodelling of the thirteenth century defensive Castle. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to see this grand country house and walk through its fifty acres of rolling parkland with mature trees and an abundance of wildlife. Other features include a formal terraced rose garden, woodlands and a man-made lake, which were added in the nineteenth century. There is also a tearoom, playground and several orienteering trails for visitors to enjoy.
Blarney Castle
Built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland's greatest chieftans,
Cormac MacCarthym and has been attracting attention ever since. Over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney making it a world landmark and one of Ireland's greatest
treasures.
Now that might have something to do with the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of our tower. Kiss it, and you'll never again be lost for words.
Lismore Castle
King John originally built Lismore Castle in 1185. Lismore Castle was owned in turn by Sir Walter Raleigh and Richard Boyle, before passing to the Fourth Duke of Devonshire in 1753.
The gardens are said to be the oldest continually cultivated gardens in Ireland and they offer spectacular views of both Lismore Castle and the surrounding countryside of the Blackwater valley.
Visitors are invited to wander in the historic gardens which contain a fine collection of magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons, and herbaceous borders, arranged over seven acres within the 17th century outer defensive castle walls.
27 Magical Castles in Ireland.