20 Attractions to Explore Near Ballysaggartmore Lodges

Lismore Castle is a luxury exclusive use castle, built by King John in 1185. It sleeps up to 27 guests and is perfect for family gatherings and celebrations. Spread over seven acres, the historic gardens at Lismore Castle in County Waterford are divided into two very distinct and different halves. The Upper Garden is a complete example of the 17th-century walled garden first constructed here by Richard Boyle, the First Earl of Cork, in about 1605.

Lady Louisa’s walk is a gentle and picturesque walk which takes you, for the most part, on a woodland walk along the river bank. Along the walk one can expect to find plants such as beech, ash, ferns, spindle tree, holly and ivy as well as wood sorrel, golden saxifrage and wild garlic. Make sure to look back along the riverbank as you walk to catch views of Lismore Castle.

St. Carthage Cathedral, Lismore is a Church of Ireland cathedral in Lismore, County Waterford. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Formerly the cathedral of the Diocese of Lismore, it is now one of six cathedrals in the United Dioceses of Cashel and Ossory. The medieval cathedral was in ruins after a fire in the 17th century.

Lismore Castle Gardens are situated on the outskirts of Lismore town, Spread over seven acres, the historic gardens at Lismore Castle in County Waterford are divided into two very distinct and different halves. The Upper Garden is a complete example of the 17th-century walled garden first constructed here by Richard Boyle, the First Earl of Cork, in about 1605. The Gardens are open 7 days a week from 10.30 am – 5.30 pm.

Tourin Gardens and woodland, created by countless generations since the tower house was first built in 1560 extends over 15 acres to the banks of the Blackwater river. Fine collections of trees, shrubs and plants give colourful displays at all times of the year. The gardens at Tourin House extend over 2 hectares and include a walled garden. A fine collection of camellias, rhododendrons, magnolias and other shrubs give a beautiful seasonal display of colour.

Cappoquin House is an 18th century Georgian mansion built on the site of an old Fitzgerald castle with a large south facing hillside garden. The gardens are not wheelchair friendly being on a slope. 5 acres, south facing on acid soil. Wide range of interesting herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees.

The Cistercian Order finds its historical origin in Cîteaux, a French monastery founded in 1098 by a group of monks under the leadership of St. Robert of Molesme. Having left behind the Abbey of Molesme to found a new monastery, the community set out intending to live a life faithful to the simplicity of the Rule of St. Benedict. Inspired

Dromana Gate is a striking Hindu-Gothic gate lodge and was the entrance to Villierstown and the Dromana estate. Henry Villiers Stuart inherited the estate in the early part of the 18th century and in 1826 married an Austrian widow known as Theresia Pauline Ott of Vienna.The Gate-Lodge comprises of a central pointed archway topped with an onion dome and two side chambers, each with four windows and a fireplace.

Knockmealdown is the highest peak of the Knockmealdown Range of mountains, located on the border between Co Tipperary and Co Waterford. The peak is easily accessed from the west, via the layby overlooking Bay Lough on the Vee Gap. The route we intended to walk up to the top of Knockmealdown is a basic straight up and down and should be done within 3 hours with good weather conditions permitting.

The Vee is predominantly famous because of the breathtaking panoramic views afforded to travellers and sight seers going through the pass. A spectacularly beautiful drive, where the scenery climbs and dips and changes constantly to delight the eye at every turn in the road.

A beautiful mountain peak located in the Knockmealdown Mountains on the border between County Tipperary and County Waterford. It offers a beautiful trek in the middle of nature and also there are so many beautiful views from here.

Ogham stones are stones on which short marks were made in groups of between one and five notches, strokes or diagonal lines, usually on the edge of the stone. Each group signifies a sound in Old Irish, and they are the oldest surviving written form of the language which is still spoken in this area. The greatest concentration of Ogham stones in Ireland is to be found here in Corca Dhuibhne, with over 60 known examples.

A small Augustinian monastery near Youghal. It is now a dreary and lonely spot, on the banks of that beautiful Munster river- the Blackwater: although it was at one time, the home of pious monks, whose graves can still be discerned beneath the tall oaktrees which form a long body-guard around the Abbey ruins.

The Colligan walk takes the walker through woodland that grows along the valley of the River Colligan, where is a wide range of tree species. Deciduous trees such as Spanish chestnut, oak and beech grow here. The views are expansive and include the surrounding woodland and farmland with Dungarvan Harbour and Helvick Head in the distance.

Ardfinnan Castle, is the sister castle of Lismore Castle and was built circa 1185 to guard the river crossing at Ardfinnan in County Tipperary, Ireland. The Anglo-Norman castle is positioned on a large rocky incline and it looks out over the Suir valley with the Knockmealdown Mountains to the south, and the Galtee Mountains to the northwest. The castle is a parallelogram in shape with square battlements at the corners and a fortified entrance gateway.

Burncourt Castle is situated near Burncourt off the M8 five miles south west of Cahir. It is a fortified house and a National Monument. The castle comprises a rectangular central block with a four storey square tower at each corner. The interior was lit by mullioned windows. It is one of the iconic attractions in this area and there are so many opportunities to study about the history.

This is one of the most spectacular caves in Europe. It is situated on the Cork-Tipperary border. Mitchelstown Cave is a world without sun, without time, a world where man almost feels an intruder, stumbling on a past age, and an era where nature reigns supreme. Take a stroll through three massive caverns in which you are surrounded by indescribable dripstone formations, stalactites, stalagmites, graceful calcite curtains hang from sloping roofs.

This is a mixed woodland in Ireland. It is situated on Old Red Sandstone on the southern slopes of the Galtee Mountains. It is mainly a coniferous forest with Sitka Spruce being the main species. The area also contains approximately 50 hectares of native Oak, Birch and Alder. Animals present include fallow deer, foxes, badgers, hares and red squirrels. Birds include pheasants, hawks, kestrels, ravens, herons and many song birds.

Built in 1777, the tower in the centre of Youghal is nowadays the city’s landmark. But its history is rather frightening. The Clock Tower, which was used as a prison for a long time. As the most visible landmark in the centre of Youghal Main Street, the tower is inextricably linked with the surrounding landscape and community across more than 700 years of history. Today visitors can move through the inner stairs of the four storey, 24 metre high tower.

Swiss Cottage, a delightful ornamental cottage,built in the early 1800s by Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Glengall. Inside, there is a graceful spiral staircase and some exquisitely decorated rooms. The wallpaper is partly original and partly the fruit of a 1980s restoration project.