20 Attractions to Explore Near Rathgall Hillfort

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.

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.

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.

The Wicklow Way is around 130km long and crosses the Wicklow Mountains from Marley Park in Dublin, to Clonegal in County Carlow. It is one of the most popular walk in Ireland, and is usually split in 6 or 7 sections. There are a variety of accommodation. It is one of the busiest of Ireland's National Waymarked Trails, with up to 24,000 people a year walking the most popular sections. The Way is also used regularly by a number of mountain running competitions.

This is the ancient seat of the Esmonde family is today one of Irelands historical treasures. The original tower house, which served as a garrison, was built in the 15th century as a stronghold for the Caviness family, an old Irish clan. It is now a private house open to the public for guided tours throughout June, July, August and September.

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.

Castledermot Abbey is a ruined Franciscan friary in Castledermot, County Kildare, in the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in about the year 1300. A previous monastery was founded on the same site by Diarmait, a son of Áed Róin, King of Ulster, in the ninth century AD. The solid stonework is well preserved, seeming as secure and strong as the day it was first constructed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ballymoon Castle is a National Monument situated 2 miles east of Muine Bheag, County Carlow, Ireland. The castle is thought to date from the 13th century. It comprises a courtyard about 80 feet square, surrounded by granite walls, 8 feet thick and 20 feet high. Square towers project from three sides while a formidable gatehouse is the feature of the fourth.

Slieveboy is a mountain located in north County Wexford, Ireland. The mountain rises directly above the village of Ballyduff, midway between Carnew and Camolin. The mountain is, except for the area around the summit, completely covered in forest. There is a network of forest roads on the hill, and two communication masts on the summit.

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.

Annagh Hill is a mountain summit in the region in the county of Wexford, Ireland. Annagh Hill is 454 metres high with a prominence of 230 metres. It overlooks the villages of Monaseed and Hollyfort to the south, across the valley of the Blackwater stream.

Slievebawn is a Hill in County Roscommon, Ireland. It lies between Strokestown and Ballyleague. It is the third-highest point in the county, after Kilronan Mountain and Seltannasaggart. A good viewpoint and also a nice trekking destination.

Black Rock Mountain is in the Blackstairs Mountains which are located on the Carlow-Wexford border.The Blackstairs are divided into two massifs, to the north Mount Leinster and to the south Blackstairs Mountain. Black Rock is the terminal peak of the eastern shoulder of Mount Leinster. A good greenish trekking destination and also there are so many things to see and do here.