Ireland360
Dublin’s big sights are brilliant, but some of the best places are a short drive or train ride away and far less crowded.
In the city
Iveagh Gardens is a hidden Victorian garden behind St Stephen’s Green, with a waterfall and a maze. Casino Marino is an 18th-century pleasure house that is far bigger inside than it looks. The National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park are both free.
North: the Boyne Valley
Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange and Knowth) is older than the pyramids. Book ahead, because entry is by guided tour only. Combine it with the Hill of Tara, seat of the High Kings, and Trim Castle, Ireland’s largest Anglo-Norman castle. Carlingford Castle and its medieval village are about an hour north.
South: Wicklow
Glendalough‘s monastic city sits between two lakes in a glacial valley. Go early or late to beat the coaches. Kilmacurragh botanic garden is a quiet alternative to Powerscourt.
West: Kildare
Castletown House in Celbridge is Ireland’s largest Palladian house, with riverside parkland.
No car? Day tours cover Glendalough and the Boyne Valley from the city centre, and the DART reaches Howth in 30 minutes.
