20 Attractions to Explore Near Rock of Dunamase

This is Ireland's oldest volunteer-run heritage railway.This narrow gauge railway is the oldest established heritage railway in Ireland. They operate predominantly steam and occasionally diesel hauled trains on a 1km line through the forest on the Stradbally Hall estate. The line is open to the public on all Bank Holiday week-end Sundays and Mondays from Easter to October and on selected other days in connection with other local events.

A majestic building which dates from the middle of the 19th century. It is an enlargement in classical style of a Georgian House, which had been built in 1772 to replace a yet older residence. It is an enlargement in classical style of a Georgian House, which had been built in 1772 to replace a yet older residence.

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.

Emo Court is a quintessential neo-classical mansion, set in the midst of the ancient Slieve Bloom Mountains. Designed by noted architect James Gandon, it features magnificent gardens and is located just 2.5 km from Emo village and 7 km from Portarlington Railway Station. Architectural features of the building include sash-style windows, pavilions, a balustrade, a hipped roof, and large dome. It is one of the few houses to have been designed by Gandon.

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.

The Barrow Way is a 114km long distance walking trail along the River Barrow in the South East of Ireland. It rises in the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the southern midlands, and flows to join its two ‘sisters’, the Nore and the Suir, before flowing into the Celtic Sea at Waterford Harbour. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Waterways Ireland.

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.

A walled garden by Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll, completed in 1912. There is an elliptical garden with a central oval pool and so more.The gardens are composed of elements linked by a terrace that originally ran along the front of the house. One of the site’s most unusual featureas is a sunken garden containing an elongated pool, at whose centre stands a grand fountain.

The Abbey of Aghaboe is one of the most important of the abbeys and priories in County Laois. It was founded in the kingdom of Osraige by St. Canice in the 6th century. The abbey grew into a major centre of learning, commerce and agriculture. Among the monks from the abbey was St. Virgilius, a noted geometer and astronomer who was abbot before he left Ireland and built the cathedral at Salzburg in Austria in the 8th century.

Grey Abbey is a ruined abbey in County Kildare, Ireland. It was run by Franciscan friars. It was founded in 1260 by William de Vesci, however it was completed by Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Offaly. Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare was buried here.

The Irish National Stud is a Thoroughbred horse breeding facility in Tully, Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland. It was formally established by incorporation on 11 April 1946 under the National Stud Act, 1945 and is owned by the Irish Government. The gardens at Tully are a living monument to the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures in a Western setting. The symbolism of life the garden portrays traces the journey of a soul from Oblivion to Eternity

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.

St Brigid’s Cathedral stands on the site where Saint Brigid founded a nunnery in the 5th century. The entire site is steeped in important religious history; it’s believed to be the location at which Saint Brigid, one of Ireland’s patron saints, founded a nunnery in the 5th century.

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.

The Slieve Bloom Mountains is a mountain range in Ireland. They rise from the central plain of Ireland to a height of 527 metres. While not very high, they are extensive by local standards. The terrain is too steep for farming so the slopes are forested with commercial conifers, with lanes for truck access that are firm going but with views closed in by the trees. The tops are open heath and bog.

This is an outdoor activity park set in 80 acres of woodland with a river, two lakes and imaginative indoor spaces. There are so many activities here and also it is flourished with natural beauty.

This is a river that flows through the counties of Cavan and Meath in Ireland. It is a tributary of the River Boyne which flows into the Irish Sea at Drogheda. It has its source in the south of County Cavan, near the town of Bailieborough. It flows through Lough Ramor at Virginia, County Cavan, past Kells, County Meath, before joining the River Boyne in Navan, County Meath.

Poet's Cottage is located in the picturesque village of Camross, County Laois. It is named after Patrick Ryan, a poet who lived in Camross between 1750 and 1825. He wrote about the natural beauty and the people of this community. This is a replica thatched cottage that gives visitors a sense of what daily life must have been like for most people in rural Ireland in the 1800s.

Brittas Lake, is located in a Coillte forest setting in the grounds of the Old Dunne Estate at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. This beautiful 5 acre lake is now fully restored and access to the lake is gained from the Brittas Road via the Coillte forest road.

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.