20 Attractions to Explore Near Castledermot Abbey

This ancient church at Castledermot was formerly known as Díseart Diarmada, meaning Dermot’s hermitage. The monastery was raided by the Vikings in the 9th century, but continued its existence at least until the 12th century. All that is left today is a splendidly reconstructed Romanesque doorway, which came from a church that has since vanished.

Duckett's Grove was originally a three-storey over basement Georgian country house built circa 1745.The interior of the house was destroyed by a major fire in the 1930s and is now inaccessible. Even in ruin, the surviving towers and turrets of Duckett’s Grove Walled Gardens and Pleasure Grounds form a romantic profile making it one of the most photogenic historic buildings in the country and a castle in Ireland to visit.

It is classified as a portal tomb by archaeologists and there are approximately 174 of these monuments in the country. The tombs generally consist of two large portal-stones defining the entrance and a back-stone, all of which support the cap-stone. The tomb is listed as a National Monument. Known as the Kernanstown Cromlech, sometimes spelled as Browneshill Dolmen, it is sited on the former estate house of the Browne family from which it takes its name.

The Abbey is situated on the east bank of the River Slaney on the North side of Baltinglass town.The Abbey was founded in 1148 by Dermot McMurrogh. Dermot McMurrogh brought Cistercian monks from Mellifont. It was established for the Cistercians which was called “The Valley of Salvation”.The six beautiful Gothic arches on either side of the nave, supported by alternate round and square pillars, are a noteworthy feature of the ruins.

A majestic military museum housed in a late 19th century Church in Carlow Town. The museum has a wide range of exhibits relating to Carlow's military history. A large proportion of the museum's collections comprises material related to the Irish Defence Forces, with a number of uniforms displayed from the Defence Forces starting from the foundation of the state and ending with uniforms currently in use.

The Cathedral of the Assumption is both the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin and the parish church for the cathedral parish. Located in Carlow town, the cathedral was dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1833. It is known for its beautifully detailed 151 ft spire which is one of the highest points in the town.

Carlow County Museum is a museum documenting the history of County Carlow. Located on College Street in Carlow town, the building was originally the Presentation Convent; it also houses the County Library and Archives. It contains a growing collection of over 5,000 artefacts which represents a wide range of periods and topics.

This is one of the most important Anglo-Norman castles in Ireland situated beside the banks of trivers Barrow and Burrin near the centre of Carlow Town. It was thought to have been built by William de Marshal. At one time Carlow was an important and strong military fortress, strategically sited at the confluence of the rivers, and the castle withstood repeated attacks in 1494 and 1641.

Mullaghmast is a very large standing stone, and is located about 3km west of Ballitore in County Kildare. The site includes earthworks, ringforts, barrows. The overall site is dominated by Rath Mor, or ancient fort. This site includes earthworks, ringforts, barrows and a standing stone, with the overall site being dominated by Rath Mor. A rath in Irish means an ancient fort.

White Castle was built in 1417 by Sir John Talbot the Viceroy of Ireland to protect the newly built bridge over the River Barrow. It is located in the centre of Athy, on the east bank of the River Barrow, overlooking Crom Abú Bridge.It is three-storey tower house with a battered base. On the right of the main doorway is a depiction of coat-of-arms of the Earl of Kildare.

This is an impressive portal tomb, located on the banks of the Dereen River, close to the Acaun bridge. Constructed around 2500 BC, legend has it that marks on the capstone were the hand prints of a giant. Local folklore also recounts that the chamber was used as a makeshift family house in the 1840s. Although on private land, it is visible from the roadside.

A well preserved ceremonial circle stands four and half km south of Donard village in Castleruddery Lower. This site consists of an inner circle of twenty nine large stones, some standing erect, others lying surrounded by a flat earthen bank. Two extremely large quartz boulders on the eastern side, possibly mark the entrance. Locally, the circle is thought to have special healing properties.

One of the most hidden of castles that dot the landscape of Ireland, right close to my aunt's house in Ballyadams, and seat to The O'Mores. According to Keating, the O'Mores have St. Fintan as their protector. Of thirteen families of Moore recorded in Burke's Landed Gentry.

Milford Mills is an 18th-century watermill which sits on the banks of the River Barrow at Milford, County Carlow. Originally built as a flour mill and malting house, it was later employed as a hydroelectric power station. Originally the mill consisted of three large buildings, two for grinding wheat and corn and the third for malting barley. The fire in the 1860s left just the malting house extant. The main mill is an eleven-bay 7 storey structure, and has a crenellated parapet.

Rathgall is a multivallate hillfort, on the edge of a ridge with four concentric stone walls and extensive panoramic views. It is an imposing monument covering a total area of 7.5ha. This was a site of quite exceptional importance in the centuries spanning the birth of Christ, an importance that was clearly pan-European. A number of gold items have been found at the site also, as well as a burial site linked with later use of the site.

The River Dinan, is a river in Ireland, flowing through County Kilkenny and County Laois. It rises in the southeast corner of County Laois, flowing westwards under the N78 at Ormond Bridge. It is also home to many white trout, as recorded by Tim Pat Coogan in his memoir.

Clonmore Castle is a 13th century Anglo-Norman castle located in Clonmore, County Carlow, Ireland. The castle is roughly square in plan with rectangular towers at the southern sides of the courtyard. Due to a lack of heritage preservation, most of the castle is now covered in ivy, and large gaps have appeared in the north and west walls. The building is now entirely empty with no trace of a stone floor.

This romantic 16-hectare estate, features a mix of native and exotic plants and makes a great destination for a family outing. You will have a wonderful experience at any time of the year, as different plants flourish throughout the spring, summer and autumn, and the trees show off their striking silhouettes during the winter. From the Altamont Garden, there are spectacular views of the Blackstairs Mountains, Wicklow Mountains and Mount Leinster.

Sugarloaf is a 552 metres peak in west Wicklow, Ireland that lies on the northern edge of the Glen of Imaal. With a prominence of only 14 metres, it is not listed in any of the recognised categories of mountains in Ireland, and is a subsidiary summit of Lobawn 636 metres (2,087 ft), to the north. A good trekking destination and also there are so many things to see and feel in this nature.

Oughaval Wood, about 1.5 kilometres out of Stradbally on the Carlow road, is a mixed woodland of some one hundred and fifty hectares of broadleaved trees, with more than twenty kilometres of paths to walk. It forms part of the Natural Heritage Area (NHA) of Stradbally Hill. The wood was once part of the Cosby Estate. Evidence of this is apparent in the form of old estate stone walls that run through the property and a folly called Cobbler’s Castle.