# Ireland360: Hidden Gems

> Lesser-known places locals love, off the main tourist trail. 176 listings, ordered by editorial ranking (Top rated, then Featured, then popularity). Generated 2026-10-20.

Each listing has a full page at the linked URL and a Markdown version at the same URL with `.md` appended (for example https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/cahir-castle.md).
- [Cahir Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/cahir-castle) ★ Featured: Co. Tipperary — One of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved medieval castles, dramatically sited on an island in the River Suir.
- [Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/carrowmore-megalithic-cemetery) ★ Featured: Co. Sligo — Ireland’s largest collection of megalithic tombs, a cluster of over 30 passage and dolmen tombs west of Sligo town.
- [Clonmacnoise Monastic Site](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/clonmacnoise-monastic-site) ★ Featured: Co. Offaly — A 6th-century monastic settlement on the banks of the Shannon, with three high crosses, round towers and churches.
- [Glendalough Monastic Site and Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/glendalough-monastic-site-and-visitor-centre) ★ Featured: Co. Wicklow — A 6th-century monastic city founded by St Kevin in a glaciated valley, with a round tower and churches among the lakes.
- [Hill of Tara](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/hill-of-tara) ★ Featured: Co. Meath — The ceremonial seat of the High Kings of Ireland, a complex of Neolithic monuments and earthworks in the Boyne Valley.
- [Jerpoint Cistercian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/jerpoint-cistercian-abbey) ★ Featured: Co. Kilkenny — A 12th-century Cistercian abbey with fine Romanesque carving and a sculpted cloister near Thomastown.
- [Kilkenny Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilkenny-castle) ★ Featured: Co. Kilkenny — A 12th-century castle on the River Nore, seat of the Butler family for 500 years and the symbol of medieval Kilkenny.
- [Kilmainham Gaol Museum](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilmainham-gaol-museum) ★ Featured: Co. Dublin — The prison where leaders of the 1916 Rising were executed, now a museum of Irish political history.
- [Pollock Holes Sea Cave](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/pollock-holes-sea-cave) ★ Featured: Co. Clare — A hidden turquoise swimming spot and sea cave near Kilkee, revealed only at low tide.
- [Ross Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ross-castle) ★ Featured: Co. Kerry — A 15th-century O’Donoghue tower house on the shore of Lough Leane in Killarney National Park.
- [The Rock of Cashel](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/the-rock-of-cashel) ★ Featured: Co. Tipperary — A spectacular group of medieval buildings on a limestone outcrop, the traditional seat of the kings of Munster.
- [Trim Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/trim-castle) ★ Featured: Co. Meath — Ireland’s largest Anglo-Norman castle, a vast three-storey keep on the River Boyne used in the film Braveheart.
- [Abbeyknockmoy Cistercian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/abbeyknockmoy-cistercian-abbey): Co. Galway — A 12th-century Cistercian abbey founded by Cathal Crovderg O’Conor, with rare medieval wall paintings.
- [Adare Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/adare-castle): Co. Limerick — A 13th-century riverside castle on the banks of the River Maigue, ringed by a strong curtain wall in the heart of Adare village.
- [Aghagower Round Tower and Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/aghagower-round-tower-and-church): Co. Mayo — A monastic site founded by St Patrick, with a 9th-century round tower and medieval church near Westport.
- [Aghaviller Round Tower and Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/aghaviller-round-tower-and-church): Co. Kilkenny — An early monastic site with an unfinished round tower and church in south Kilkenny.
- [Altamont Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/altamont-gardens): Co. Carlow — A romantic 40-acre garden of sweeping lawns, ornamental lakes and a riverside walk, often called the jewel in Ireland’s gardening crown.
- [Annagh Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/annagh-church): Co. Kerry — A small medieval church in the Killarney area, a quiet relic of the early Christian landscape.
- [Annes Grove Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/annes-grove-gardens): Co. Cork — A hidden 18th-century estate garden on the Awbeg River, celebrated for its wild woodland valley and rare Himalayan planting.
- [Áras an Uachtaráin](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ras-an-uachtar-in): Co. Dublin — The official residence of the President of Ireland, a Palladian house set in Phoenix Park with guided summer tours.
- [Arbour Hill Cemetery](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/arbour-hill-cemetery): Co. Dublin — A military cemetery and the burial place of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, marked by a moving memorial wall.
- [Ardfert Cathedral](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ardfert-cathedral): Co. Kerry — A complex of three medieval churches and an early cathedral founded by St Brendan, in the village of Ardfert.
- [Ardfert Franciscan Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ardfert-franciscan-friary): Co. Kerry — A 15th-century Franciscan friary in the village of Ardfert, with a fine sedilia and carved windows.
- [Askeaton Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/askeaton-castle): Co. Limerick — A 15th-century castle of the Earl of Desmond with a rare banqueting hall on an island in the River Deel.
- [Askeaton Franciscan Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/askeaton-franciscan-friary): Co. Limerick — A 15th-century Franciscan friary founded by the Earl of Desmond beside Askeaton Castle.
- [Athcarne White Cross](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/athcarne-white-cross): Co. Meath — A high cross and holy well in the Boyne Valley, a quiet early medieval devotional site.
- [Athenry Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/athenry-castle): Co. Galway — A 13th-century Anglo-Norman castle with a fine decorated doorway and banqueting hall, in the medieval town of Athenry.
- [Athenry Dominican Priory](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/athenry-dominican-priory): Co. Galway — A 13th-century Dominican priory with a fine carved doorway and tomb in Athenry.
- [Athlone Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/athlone-castle): Co. Westmeath — A 13th-century castle on the Shannon, with a museum telling the story of the 1691 siege of Athlone.
- [Aughnanure Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/aughnanure-castle): Co. Galway — A well-preserved 16th-century O’Flaherty tower house on the shores of Lough Corrib near Oughterard.
- [Ballinskelligs Augustinian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ballinskelligs-augustinian-abbey): Co. Kerry — A 12th-century Augustinian priory on the Skelligs coast, linked to the monks of Skellig Michael.
- [Ballyhack Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ballyhack-castle): Co. Wexford — A 15th-century tower house commanding the entrance to Waterford Harbour at Ballyhack.
- [Barryscourt Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/barryscourt-castle): Co. Cork — A 15th-century tower house of the Earl of Barrymore, restored with a recreated medieval garden near Carrigtwohill.
- [Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre – Oldbridge Estate](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/battle-of-the-boyne-visitor-centre-oldbridge-estate): Co. Louth — The site of the 1690 battle between King William and King James, with a restored Georgian house and battlefield walks.
- [Boyle Cistercian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/boyle-cistercian-abbey): Co. Roscommon — A 12th-century Cistercian abbey with a remarkably intact church and fine Romanesque carving in Boyle.
- [Brian Boru’s Fort](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/brian-boru-s-fort): Co. Clare — A ringfort associated with the high king Brian Boru, overlooking Lough Derg at Killaloe.
- [Brownshill Portal Dolmen](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/brownshill-portal-dolmen): Co. Carlow — A Neolithic portal tomb with a 100-tonne capstone, one of the largest in Europe, near Carlow town.
- [Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre: Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/br-na-b-inne-visitor-centre-newgrange-knowth-and-dowth): Co. Meath — A UNESCO World Heritage Neolithic complex of passage tombs older than the pyramids, crowned by Newgrange.
- [Bunratty Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/bunratty-castle): Co. Clare — A 15th-century tower house with a recreated medieval banquet and adjoining folk park near Shannon.
- [Burnchurch Castle and Turret](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/burnchurch-castle-and-turret): Co. Kilkenny — A well-preserved 16th-century tower house with a rare bawn and turret near Kilkenny city.
- [Cahergall Stone Fort](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/cahergall-stone-fort): Co. Kerry — A 1,000-year-old dry-stone ring fort on the Kerry coast, free to wander and rarely busy.
- [Cahervagliar Ringfort](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/cahervagliar-ringfort): Co. Cork — A stone ringfort in the Burren, a fortified farmstead of the early medieval period.
- [Cahir Castle Cottage](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/cahir-castle-cottage): Co. Tipperary — A picturesque gatehouse cottage at the entrance to Cahir Castle, restored by the OPW.
- [Carlingford Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/carlingford-castle): Co. Louth — A 13th-century royal fortress overlooking Carlingford Lough, with sweeping views across to the Mourne Mountains.
- [Carlingford Dominican Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/carlingford-dominican-friary): Co. Louth — A 14th-century Dominican friary in the medieval village of Carlingford.
- [Carlow Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/carlow-castle): Co. Carlow — A 13th-century castle built by William Marshal, of which the west wall and towers survive in Carlow town.
- [Carrigafoyle Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/carrigafoyle-castle): Co. Kerry — A 15th-century tower house of the O’Connors on a rock in Carrigafoyle Bay near Ballylongford.
- [Casino Marino](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/casino-marino): Co. Dublin — An exquisite 18th-century miniature pleasure palace, considered the finest neo-classical building in Ireland.
- [Castlelyons Carmelite Priory](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/castlelyons-carmelite-priory): Co. Cork — A 14th-century Carmelite friary in the village of Castlelyons, with a fine surviving tower.
- [Castletown House and Parklands](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/castletown-house-and-parklands): Co. Kildare — Ireland’s largest Palladian house, built in the 1720s with magnificent interiors and a sweeping estate in Celbridge.
- [Céide Fields Neolithic Site and Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/c-ide-fields-neolithic-site-and-visitor-centre): Co. Mayo — The world’s most extensive Stone Age monument — a 5,000-year-old landscape of fields and tombs preserved beneath bog.
- [Charles Fort Military Fortress](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/charles-fort-military-fortress): Co. Cork — A vast 17th-century star-shaped fort guarding Kinsale harbour, one of the largest military forts in Ireland.
- [Clare Augustinian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/clare-augustinian-abbey): Co. Clare — An Augustinian abbey founded in 1194 on the Fergus estuary, just south of Ennis.
- [Clare Island Cistercian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/clare-island-cistercian-abbey): Co. Mayo — A 12th-century abbey on Clare Island with rare medieval wall paintings of knights and animals.
- [Clones Round Tower, Church and High Cross](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/clones-round-tower-church-and-high-cross): Co. Monaghan — An early monastic site with a round tower, a high cross and a shrine in the border town of Clones.
- [Clonkeen Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/clonkeen-church): Co. Laois — A small medieval parish church in the Laois countryside.
- [Collegiate Church of SS Peter and Paul](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/collegiate-church-of-ss-peter-and-paul): Co. Limerick — A medieval collegiate church in the walled town of Kilmallock.
- [Corcomroe Cistercian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/corcomroe-cistercian-abbey): Co. Clare — A 12th-century Cistercian abbey in the Burren, with fine Romanesque carving and the tomb of an O’Brien king.
- [Corlea Iron Age Roadway and Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/corlea-iron-age-roadway-and-visitor-centre): Co. Longford — An Iron Age oak road dating to 148 BC, preserved in a purpose-built centre and once stretching for kilometres across bog.
- [Creevelea Franciscan Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/creevelea-franciscan-friary): Co. Sligo — A 16th-century Franciscan friary in Dromahair, one of the last friaries founded before the Reformation.
- [Creevykeel Court Tomb](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/creevykeel-court-tomb): Co. Sligo — A well-preserved Neolithic court tomb, one of the finest of its type on the Sligo coast.
- [Cush Earthworks](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/cush-earthworks): Co. Limerick — A complex of prehistoric ringforts and earthworks in the Laois countryside.
- [Custom House Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/custom-house-visitor-centre): Co. Dublin — James Gandon’s 18th-century masterpiece on the Liffey, housing an exhibition on its architecture and history.
- [Daniel O’Connell House – Derrynane House](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/daniel-o-connell-house-derrynane-house): Co. Kerry — The home of the Liberator Daniel O’Connell on the Kerry coast, with a museum and wild gardens on Derrynane Bay.
- [De Valera’s Cottage](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/de-valera-s-cottage): Co. Limerick — The boyhood home of Éamon de Valera near Bruree, a simple thatched cottage.
- [Desmond Castle Kinsale](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/desmond-castle-kinsale): Co. Cork — A 16th-century custom house turned wine museum in the historic port of Kinsale.
- [Desmond Castle Newcastlewest](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/desmond-castle-newcastlewest): Co. Limerick — A 15th-century castle with a great banqueting hall of the Earls of Desmond in Newcastle West.
- [Doe Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/doe-castle): Co. Donegal — A 16th-century tower house on Sheep Haven Bay, the stronghold of the MacSweeneys in north Donegal.
- [Donegal Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/donegal-castle): Co. Donegal — A 15th-century O’Donnell castle rebuilt in the 17th century, sitting on the River Eske in Donegal town.
- [Doneraile Court and Estate](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/doneraile-court-and-estate): Co. Limerick — A Georgian estate with 166 hectares of parkland, formal gardens and herds of deer, in north County Cork.
- [Dromiskin Church, High Cross, and Round Tower](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/dromiskin-church-high-cross-and-round-tower): Co. Louth — An early monastic site founded by St Ronan, with a round tower, high cross and a Romanesque church.
- [Drumcliff Round Tower and High Crosses](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/drumcliff-round-tower-and-high-crosses): Co. Sligo — A 6th-century monastery founded by St Colmcille, with a high cross and round tower in the shadow of Benbulben.
- [Dublin Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/dublin-castle): Co. Dublin — A former Viking stronghold and seat of English rule for over 700 years, now a major government complex and visitor attraction in the heart…
- [Dún Aonghasa – Ancient Stone Fort and Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/d-n-aonghasa-ancient-stone-fort-and-visitor-centre): Co. Galway — A dramatic prehistoric stone fort perched on a 100-metre cliff edge on Inis Mór in the Aran Islands.
- [Dungarvan Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/dungarvan-castle): Co. Waterford — A 12th-century Anglo-Norman castle guarding the mouth of the River Colligan in Dungarvan.
- [Dunmore Cave](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/dunmore-cave): Co. Kilkenny — A limestone cave with a Viking massacre legend and impressive calcite formations, north of Kilkenny city.
- [Dwyer McAllister Cottage](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/dwyer-mcallister-cottage): Co. Carlow — A remote mountain cottage where 1798 rebel Michael Dwyer hid from crown forces in the Wicklow hills.
- [Dysert O’Dea Church, High Cross, and Round Tower](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/dysert-o-dea-church-high-cross-and-round-tower): Co. Clare — A 12th-century monastic site with a richly carved high cross and round tower near Corofin.
- [Emo Court and Estate](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/emo-court-and-estate): Co. Offaly — A neoclassical mansion designed by James Gandon with formal gardens and woodland walks near Portarlington.
- [Ennis Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ennis-friary): Co. Clare — A 13th-century Franciscan friary in the centre of Ennis, with fine medieval sculpture and carved tombs.
- [Famine Warhouse 1848](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/famine-warhouse-1848): Co. Mayo — The farmhouse where the Young Irelanders made their last stand in 1848, now a memorial to the Famine and rebellion.
- [Farmleigh House and Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/farmleigh-house-and-gardens): Co. Dublin — A Victorian estate in Phoenix Park used for state guests, with fine interiors, walled gardens and a boathouse.
- [Fenagh Churches](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/fenagh-churches): Co. Leitrim — The ruins of two medieval churches on the site of a 5th-century monastery founded by St Caillin.
- [Ferns Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ferns-castle): Co. Wexford — A 13th-century castle built by William Marshal in the medieval capital of Leinster.
- [Fore Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/fore-abbey): Co. Westmeath — A 7th-century Benedictine monastery founded by St Feichin, with a ruined church and cloister in a green valley.
- [Fota Arboretum and Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/fota-arboretum-and-gardens): Co. Cork — A world-renowned arboretum of rare trees and shrubs laid out in the 1840s on Fota Island near Cork.
- [Gallarus Oratory](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/gallarus-oratory): Co. Kerry — A remarkably intact 9th-century dry-stone church on the Dingle Peninsula, shaped like an upturned boat.
- [Garden of Remembrance](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/garden-of-remembrance): Co. Dublin — A memorial garden in Parnell Square dedicated to those who died in the cause of Irish freedom.
- [Glebe Gallery and Garden – Derek Hill House](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/glebe-gallery-and-garden-derek-hill-house): Co. Donegal — The former home of artist Derek Hill on Lough Gartan, now a gallery of his collection and a walled garden.
- [Glenquin Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/glenquin-castle): Co. Limerick — A 16th-century tower house of the O’Hallinans near Newcastle West.
- [Government Buildings](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/government-buildings): Co. Dublin — The neoclassical headquarters of the Irish government, with guided tours of the Taoiseach’s offices.
- [Grallagh Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/grallagh-castle): Co. Tipperary — A 15th-century tower house of the Butlers near Holycross.
- [Grangegorman Military Cemetery](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/grangegorman-military-cemetery): Co. Dublin — Ireland’s largest military cemetery, holding the dead of two world wars from across the island.
- [Greyfriars/French Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/greyfriars-french-church): Co. Waterford — A 13th-century Franciscan friary later used by French Huguenot refugees, in the heart of Waterford’s Viking Triangle.
- [Heywood Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/heywood-gardens): Co. Laois — A formal garden designed by Lutyens with a sunken pool and lakeside walks on the Heywood estate near Ballinakill.
- [Howth Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/howth-church): Co. Dublin — The medieval collegiate church of Howth, with the tomb of the 4th Baron Howth and a ruined abbey nearby.
- [Ilnacullin – Garinish Island](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ilnacullin-garinish-island): Co. Cork — An island garden of Italianate terraces and rare plants in Bantry Bay, reached by a short boat trip.
- [Ionad an Bhlascaoid – The Blasket Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ionad-an-bhlascaoid-the-blasket-centre): Co. Kerry — A heritage centre on the Dingle Peninsula telling the story of the Blasket Island community and its writers.
- [Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh Conamara – Pearse’s Cottage and Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ionad-cult-rtha-an-phiarsaigh-conamara-pearse-s-cottage-and-visitor-centre): Co. Galway — The small cottage where Patrick Pearse spent summers in the Connemara Gaeltacht, now a cultural centre.
- [Irish National War Memorial Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/irish-national-war-memorial-gardens): Co. Dublin — Lutyens’ memorial garden on the Liffey commemorating the 49,000 Irish dead of the First World War.
- [Iveagh Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/iveagh-gardens): Co. Dublin — A secret Victorian garden of cascades, fountains and a rustic grotto behind Dublin’s Harcourt Street.
- [Kells Priory](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kells-priory): Co. Kilkenny — One of the largest medieval walled priories in Ireland, a fortified Augustinian complex on the King’s River.
- [Kilbennan Ecclesiastical Site](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilbennan-ecclesiastical-site): Co. Galway — An early monastic site founded by St Benan, with a round tower stump and medieval church near Tuam.
- [Kilcash Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilcash-church): Co. Tipperary — A medieval church and castle associated with the song ‘Aisling Gheal’ and the Butler family.
- [Killamery High Cross](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/killamery-high-cross): Co. Kilkenny — A 9th-century high cross with fine carving in the churchyard at Killamery.
- [Killeshin Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/killeshin-church): Co. Laois — A 12th-century church with a celebrated Romanesque doorway near Carlow.
- [Killone Augustinian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/killone-augustinian-abbey): Co. Clare — A 12th-century Augustinian nunnery founded by the O’Briens on the shore of Killone Lake.
- [Kilmacduagh Augustinian Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilmacduagh-augustinian-friary): Co. Clare — A 13th-century friary with a famously leaning round tower in the Burren of south Galway.
- [Kilmacduagh Monastic Site](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilmacduagh-monastic-site): Co. Clare — A 7th-century monastic site founded by St Colman, with a leaning round tower and several churches.
- [Kilmalkedar Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilmalkedar-church): Co. Kerry — A 12th-century Romanesque church on the Dingle Peninsula, part of an early monastic site founded by St Brendan.
- [Kilmallock Dominican Priory](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilmallock-dominican-priory): Co. Limerick — A 13th-century Dominican priory in the medieval walled town of Kilmallock.
- [Kilmogue Portal Tomb](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/kilmogue-portal-tomb): Co. Kilkenny — A Neolithic portal tomb, the largest in Munster, near Harristown in south Kilkenny.
- [Knocknarea – Queen Medb’s Tomb](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/knocknarea-queen-medb-s-tomb): Co. Sligo — A striking flat-topped mountain west of Sligo, topped by the great cairn reputedly of Queen Medb.
- [Knocktopher Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/knocktopher-church): Co. Kilkenny — A medieval church in the village of Knocktopher in south Kilkenny.
- [Lislaughtin Franciscan Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/lislaughtin-franciscan-abbey): Co. Kerry — A 15th-century Franciscan friary near Ballylongford, with a fine carved doorway and tower.
- [Listowel Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/listowel-castle): Co. Kerry — A 15th-century castle of the FitzMaurices on the River Feale, with two imposing towers in Listowel.
- [Loher Ringfort](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/loher-ringfort): Co. Kerry — A well-preserved stone ringfort near Waterville on the Ring of Kerry.
- [Lorrha Augustinian Priory](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/lorrha-augustinian-priory): Co. Tipperary — A 12th-century Augustinian priory in the village of Lorrha, with a rich medieval heritage.
- [Lorrha Church and High Crosses](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/lorrha-church-and-high-crosses): Co. Tipperary — An early monastic site with two high crosses and a Romanesque church at Lorrha.
- [Lorrha Dominican Priory](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/lorrha-dominican-priory): Co. Tipperary — A 15th-century Dominican priory, the last friary founded in medieval Ireland, at Lorrha.
- [Lough Gur Visitor Centre and Lakeshore Park](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/lough-gur-visitor-centre-and-lakeshore-park): Co. Limerick — A lakeside Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement site, one of Ireland’s most important prehistoric landscapes.
- [Loughcrew Megalithic Cemetery](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/loughcrew-megalithic-cemetery): Co. Meath — A cluster of Neolithic passage tombs on hilltops, famed for their back-of-cairn equinox alignments.
- [Lusk Round Tower and Belfry](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/lusk-round-tower-and-belfry): Co. Dublin — A 9th-century round tower attached to a medieval church, with a later belfry in the village of Lusk.
- [Maughanasilly Stone Row](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/maughanasilly-stone-row): Co. Cork — A Bronze Age stone row alignment in the Shehy Mountains of west Cork.
- [Maynooth Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/maynooth-castle): Co. Kildare — A 13th-century castle of the Fitzgerald earls of Kildare, a ruined keep in the centre of Maynooth.
- [Michael Collins Birthplace](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/michael-collins-birthplace): Co. Cork — The farmhouse near Clonakilty where revolutionary leader Michael Collins was born in 1890.
- [Mooghaun Hillfort](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/mooghaun-hillfort): Co. Clare — One of the largest Bronze Age hillforts in Ireland, a 27-acre enclosure near Newmarket-on-Fergus.
- [Mungret Churches](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/mungret-churches): Co. Limerick — The ruins of four early medieval churches on the site of a 6th-century monastery west of Limerick city.
- [National Botanic Garden of Ireland – Glasnevin](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/national-botanic-garden-of-ireland-glasnevin): Co. Dublin — Ireland’s premier botanic garden, with historic glasshouses, a rose garden and a herbarium in Glasnevin.
- [National Botanic Garden of Ireland – Kilmacurragh](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/national-botanic-garden-of-ireland-kilmacurragh): Co. Wicklow — A satellite of Glasnevin set in an 18th-century estate, famed for its rhododendrons and rare conifers.
- [Nenagh Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/nenagh-castle): Co. Tipperary — A 13th-century castle of the Butlers with a fine cylindrical keep in Nenagh.
- [Newmills Corn and Flax Mills](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/newmills-corn-and-flax-mills): Co. Donegal — A working complex of historic corn and flax mills powered by the River Swilly near Letterkenny.
- [Old Mellifont Cistercian Abbey Monastic Site](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/old-mellifont-cistercian-abbey-monastic-site): Co. Louth — Ireland’s first Cistercian abbey, founded in 1142, with a rare 13th-century octagonal lavabo.
- [Ormond Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ormond-castle): Co. Tipperary — The best-preserved Elizabethan manor house in Ireland, with a long gallery and ornate plasterwork in Carrick-on-Suir.
- [Parke’s Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/parke-s-castle): Co. Leitrim — A 17th-century plantation castle on the shore of Lough Gill, restored with a traditional Irish oak shingle roof.
- [Pearse Museum – St. Enda’s Park](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/pearse-museum-st-enda-s-park): Co. Dublin — The former school of Patrick Pearse in Rathfarnham, now a museum of his educational and cultural work.
- [Phoenix Park](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/phoenix-park): Co. Dublin — One of Europe’s largest enclosed parks, home to wild deer, Áras an Uachtaráin and Dublin Zoo.
- [Phoenix Park – People’s Flower Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/phoenix-park-people-s-flower-gardens): Co. Dublin — A 19th-century ornamental garden of Victorian bedding, fountains and a lake at the Parkgate Street end of Phoenix Park.
- [Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, Ashtown Castle and Biodiversity Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/phoenix-park-visitor-centre-ashtown-castle-and-biodiversity-centre): Co. Dublin — A restored 17th-century tower house with an exhibition on Phoenix Park’s history and biodiversity.
- [Portumna Castle and Gardens](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/portumna-castle-and-gardens): Co. Tipperary — A semi-fortified 17th-century house of the Earls of Clanricarde on Lough Derg, with a restored walled garden.
- [Quin Franciscan Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/quin-franciscan-friary): Co. Clare — A 15th-century Franciscan friary built into the cloisters of an earlier castle near Quin.
- [Raheen-a-Cluig Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/raheen-a-cluig-church): Co. Wicklow — A medieval church ruin on the cliff path at Bray Head, the smallest of the Wicklow monastic sites.
- [Ratass Church and Ogham Stone](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ratass-church-and-ogham-stone): Co. Kerry — An early medieval church with an ogham stone on the outskirts of Tralee.
- [Rathcroghan Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/rathcroghan-visitor-centre): Co. Roscommon — The ancient royal complex of Connacht, a landscape of burial mounds and ringforts linked to Queen Medb.
- [Rathfarnham Castle](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/rathfarnham-castle): Co. Dublin — A 16th-century fortified house built for Archbishop Loftus, with fine plasterwork and a tearoom in south Dublin.
- [Rathfran Dominican Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/rathfran-dominican-friary): Co. Mayo — A 13th-century Dominican friary on the shore of Killala Bay in north Mayo.
- [Rathgall Ringfort](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/rathgall-ringfort): Co. Carlow — A large multi-vallate hillfort of the Bronze Age, with a later ringfort, near Shillelagh.
- [Reask Ecclesiastical Site](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/reask-ecclesiastical-site): Co. Kerry — An early medieval monastic site on the Dingle Peninsula, with an inscribed cross and beehive huts.
- [Reginald’s Tower](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/reginald-s-tower): Co. Waterford — A 12th-century stone tower on the Waterford quays, the oldest civic urban building in Ireland.
- [Rínn an Chaisleáin](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/r-nn-an-chaisle-in): Co. Kerry — A promontory fort on the Great Blasket Island, with sweeping views across the Atlantic.
- [Rock Abbey Dominican House, Glanworth](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/rock-abbey-dominican-house-glanworth): Co. Cork — A 13th-century Dominican priory in the village of Glanworth in north Cork.
- [Roscommon Castle-South West Tower](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/roscommon-castle-south-west-tower): Co. Roscommon — A 13th-century royal castle built by the Normans, a dramatic lakeside ruin in Roscommon town.
- [Roscrea Castle, Gardens and Damer House/Black Mills](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/roscrea-castle-gardens-and-damer-house-black-mills): Co. Tipperary — A 13th-century castle with a Damer House museum and a walled garden in the heritage town of Roscrea.
- [Rosserk Franciscan Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/rosserk-franciscan-friary): Co. Mayo — A 15th-century Franciscan friary on the Moy estuary, with a fine carved window and altar.
- [Royal Hospital Kilmainham](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/royal-hospital-kilmainham): Co. Dublin — A 17th-century classical building, the oldest of its kind in Ireland, now home to the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
- [Saint Mullins Ecclesiastical Village](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/saint-mullins-ecclesiastical-village): Co. Kilkenny — An early monastic settlement founded by St Moling, with a church, holy well and high cross by the Barrow.
- [Scattery Island Monastic Site and Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/scattery-island-monastic-site-and-visitor-centre): Co. Clare — A monastic island in the Shannon estuary, with a round tower, cathedral and the oratory of St Senan.
- [Sceilg Mhichíl UNESCO World Heritage Property](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/sceilg-mhich-l-unesco-world-heritage-property): Co. Kerry — A UNESCO World Heritage early Christian monastic settlement perched on a sheer rock in the Atlantic.
- [Seán Mac Diarmada Cottage](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/se-n-mac-diarmada-cottage): Co. Leitrim — The restored cottage of 1916 leader Seán Mac Diarmada in Corranmore, County Leitrim.
- [Sheepstown Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/sheepstown-church): Co. Kilkenny — A small medieval church in the countryside of north Kilkenny.
- [Sherkin Franciscan Friary](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/sherkin-franciscan-friary): Co. Cork — A 15th-century Franciscan friary on Sherkin Island, with a church and cloister overlooking the sea.
- [Sligo Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/sligo-abbey): Co. Sligo — A 13th-century Dominican friary in Sligo town, with a fine carved cloister and a hidden sculptured altar.
- [St Audoen’s Church and Visitor Centre](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/st-audoen-s-church-and-visitor-centre): Co. Dublin — Dublin’s only surviving medieval parish church, with a Norman gateway and the city’s last bell-ringing bells.
- [St Stephen’s Green](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/st-stephen-s-green): Co. Dublin — A 22-acre Victorian park of formal gardens, lakes and sculptures in the centre of Dublin.
- [St. Mary’s Abbey – Chapter House – Cistercian Monastery](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/st-mary-s-abbey-chapter-house-cistercian-monastery): Co. Dublin — A 12th-century Cistercian abbey of which only the chapter house survives, where ‘Silken Thomas’ began his 1534 rebellion.
- [St. Mary’s Church Gowran](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/st-mary-s-church-gowran): Co. Kilkenny — A medieval church with a fine collection of early Christian and medieval carved stones in Gowran.
- [Taghadoe Round Tower and Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/taghadoe-round-tower-and-church):  — A 10th-century round tower, one of the tallest in Ireland, with a ruined church near Maynooth.
- [Termonfeckin Tower House](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/termonfeckin-tower-house): Co. Louth — A 15th-century tower house and a high cross in the village of Termonfeckin.
- [The John F. Kennedy Arboretum](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/the-john-f-kennedy-arboretum): Co. Wexford — A 252-acre arboretum dedicated to US President Kennedy, with over 4,500 tree species near New Ross.
- [The Main Guard](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/the-main-guard): Co. Tipperary — A 17th-century courthouse and market house in Clonmel, one of the finest civic buildings of its period.
- [The Swiss Cottage](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/the-swiss-cottage): Co. Tipperary — An ornamental thatched cottage orné built for the Earl of Glengall in the 1810s near Cahir.
- [Tintern Cistercian Abbey](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/tintern-cistercian-abbey): Co. Wexford — A 13th-century Cistercian abbey founded by the Earl of Pembroke, set in wooded valleys above Bannow Bay.
- [Torc Waterfall](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/torc-waterfall): Co. Kerry — A cascading 20-metre waterfall tucked into the ancient woodlands of Killarney National Park.
- [Tuam High Cross](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/tuam-high-cross): Co. Galway — A 12th-century high cross of the kings of Connacht, now sheltered in the centre of Tuam.
- [Tullaroan Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/tullaroan-church): Co. Kilkenny — A medieval church with a fine Romanesque doorway in the village of Tullaroan.
- [Ullard Church](https://ireland360.ie/hidden-gems/ullard-church): Co. Kilkenny — An early medieval church with a high cross in the village of Ullard in south Kilkenny.