20 Attractions to Explore Near Punchestown standing stone

Saint David's Castle is a 13th-century Norman castle located in Naas, Ireland. It dates from the early Hiberno-Norman era, perhaps as early as 1200. John visited Naas in 1206. He visited again in 1210, when he held a form of Parliament in the town. About this time County Kildare became a separate county.

Jigginstown Castle is a ruined 17th-century house and National Monument near Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. It was constructed in the late 1630s when Ireland was under the reign of Charles I. At the time it was one of the largest buildings in Ireland, and the first to be constructed of red brick: the plans provided for a pavement and columns of Kilkenny marble.

Russborough was built between 1741-1750 and is regarded as one of Ireland's most beautiful houses. It may be the longest house in Ireland. The interior contains ornate plasterwork on the ceilings by the Lafranchini brothers, who also collaborated with Castle on Carton House. Russborough contains a private collection of European fine and decorative arts, including furniture, silver, porcelain and paintings.

Poulaphouca Reservoir is an active reservoir and area of wild bird conservation in west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is also known locally as Blessington Lake. It has a surface area 22.26 km2, making it the largest artificial reservoir in Ireland by capacity and surface area. It has a 27.5-mile shoreline, and is 24.6 miles from the sea.

The tower is approximately 40 ft high and the top parts suffered a lot of damage in 1798. An account written in 1782 tells of there being four large windows in the upper part of the tower but only the semblance of one now remains. The present remains at the complex include small portions of a Romanesque church, two high-cross shafts and a round tower

Old Kilcullen is the site of a round tower and a decorated High Cross. Another, much older, historic site, Dun Ailinne, is located approximately one kilometre away to the north at Knockaulin. It was formerly the site of a walled town, and before that of an ecclesiastical settlement dating from the 5th century. The original settlement gave its name to the substantial surrounding civil parish and barony.

Kildare Castle is a ruined castle located at Kildare in County Kildare, Ireland. Built in the 12th century as a motte and bailey castle by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. The remains of a tower are the only above ground remains of the castle. This elegant and spacious Irish Castle is ideal for family gatherings, private weddings, civil partnerships and corporate events. The 11-bedroom castle also has a Drawing Room, Restaurant and of course its very own Castle Bar for you to enjoy.

The Dun Ailinne site is a large circular enclosure located on the hill of Knockaulin in County Kildare Ireland. Documentary sources traditionally refer to it as one of four Irish ‘royal’ sites–significant pre-Christian social and political centers. Excavations in the 1960s indicated that the site was an important center of ceremonial and ritual activity during the Irish Iron Age.

Athgreany is a picturesque circle of 16 grey granite stones and an outlier. Some of these pillars and boulders are up to two meters high and enclose an area of about twenty two meters across. Now the site is composed of 16 granite boulders, with 5 remaining in their original placements.

The Steam Museum & Lodge Park Walled Garden is a steam museum and tourist destination in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland.This fine Victorian gothic building once stood near Inchicore Railway Works. In the Model Hall the Collection consists of Early Inventor's models, Scientific Engineering Models, and Historic Works of Mechanical Art. The museum is open to visitors from Wednesdays to Sundays during the summer.

The historic Curragh Racecourse is the home of Flat racing in Ireland and the venue for all five Irish Classic races and the second day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend. It has a busy schedule of race meetings between March and October every year. It is also home to the Curragh Training ground which has seen many stars of the track including Sea The Stars, Vintage Crop, Hardy Eustace and Sinndar.

Pollardstown Fen is the largest remaining spring-fed fen in Ireland and is a very important site nationally and internationally. It is a post-glacial fen which began to develop approximately 10000 years ago when the area was covered by a large lake.

Seefin Passage Tomb is a passage grave and National Monument located atop Seefin Hill, County Wicklow, Ireland. The tomb was built circa 3,300 BC. It was excavated by R. A. Stewart Macalister in 1931, but no artefacts or human remains were found, suggesting that no-one was ever buried there, or that the remains were later removed. There are large kerb stones around the base of the tomb and the tomb has a passageway 7 mlong which opens into a chamber with five compartments.

The hill of Allen is situated four miles to the north-west of Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Also known as the hill of Almhuin "the Great Neck", it rises 676ft in height and is surrounded by the Bog of Allen. The site is currently part-owned by Roadstone Dublin Limited and extensive quarrying has noticeably changed the profile of the hill.

Tea Lane Graveyard is a Christian cemetery located in Celbridge, Ireland. The site is located 500 m northwest of the River Liffey and is the reputed burial site of Saint Mochua of Timahoe. Mochua built a wooden church on the site and was the first abbot of Clondalkin. It stood on the Slighe Mhor, an ancient roadway which ran from Dublin to Galway.

Mullaghcleevaun is a bulky mountain in NW Wicklow. It is in the central sector of the Wicklow Mountains range, in Wicklow, Ireland; it is the 2nd highest peak in Wicklow after Lugnaquilla. A common route to the summit of Mullaghcleevaun is from the south via an 8.5-kilometre 3-4 hour walk which starts from a small car-park in the forest below Carraigshouk 572 metres just off the R115 road.

A beautiful sandy beach which was located in the west of the harbour mouth and at higher tides consists largely of fairly unwelcoming pebbles. It is a fantastic beach to walk along with your beloved pooch. Castletown beach is within walking distance of local shops and caravan parks, which makes it a top pick among travellers.

The first Manor house was built by the Normans in the 12th Century and many castles were built on the site throughout the Middle Ages. The castle was extensively damaged in the 1641 rebellion, then rebuilt in 1773, and gothicised in 1827 by the architect Sir Richard Morrison. By the mid 1800s the Donadea estates were one of the largest in Co. Kildare, amounting to almost 16,000 acres.

A majestic country house set amongst beautiful eighteenth-century parklands on the banks of the Liffey in Celbridge, County Kildare.It formed the centrepiece of a 550-acre estate. Sold to developers in 1965, the estate is now divided between State and private ownership. It was home to a significant collection of paintings, furnishings and objets d’art. Highlights include three eighteenth-century Murano-glass chandeliers and the only fully intact eighteenth-century print room in the country.

St. Fiachra's Garden was created to celebrate the Millenium at the Irish National Stud. St Fiachra is the Patron Saint of Gardeners and the garden seeks to capture his love of nature. There is a strong focus on rock and water. A Waterford Crystal sculpture in the floor of the hermitage reflects the rocks, ferns and other natural elements of the surrounding garden.Water, trees and rocks are the basic natural elements within which the garden was created.