397 Old Ruins to Explore in Ireland

Achill-henge is a concrete structure on Achill Island off the northwest coast of County Mayo, Ireland. It consists of a circle of 30 concrete columns topped by a ring of stone. No care was taken to replicate or reference genuine stone circles in the region or the country. The term Achill-henge can be interpreted as a reference to the cultural inaccuracy of the structure in local context as typically henges are simply referred to as stone circles in Ireland.

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.

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.

A majestic castle in Antrim, on the banks of the Sixmilewater River. It was erected in stages between 1613 and 1662. It was destroyed by fire in 1922 and finally demolished in the 1970s. All that remain are a slightly raised grassed platform as well as a freestanding Italian stair tower which was built in 1887 and a gatehouse, which was built around 1818 with twin neo-Tudor towers, with older connecting walls. The gardens are a popular tourist attraction on the Randalstown Road, Antrim.

Antrim Round Tower was built around the 10th century and is one of the finest towers of its kind in Ireland. It is 28 metres tall and was built as part of a Monastic settlement. It is impressive reminders of Antrim’s ancient monastic settlement. The monastic site was burned in 1147.

The Archbishop’s Palace, Armagh, Northern Ireland, is a landmark Neo-Classical building located on 300 acres of parkland just south of the centre of the city. The building served as primary residence of the Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh for over two hundred years, from 1770 to 1975, and thereafter as headquarters of Armagh City and District Council from then until April 2015 when that local authority was replaced following the reform of local government.

Ardee Castle is significant for being the largest fortified medieval Tower House in Ireland.The Castle was built in the 15th century by John St. Leger and served as a stronghold for the defence of the Pale. Ardee Castle is the largest fortified medieval Tower House in Ireland or Britain. The castle was originally built by Roger de Peppard in 1207, but not much is left from the original walls.

Ardfert Cathedral is the site of a monastery founded by St. Brendan The Navigator in the 6th century. It was the seat of the Diocese of Ardfert from 1117. It is now a heritage tourism site.Today, visitors can see three medieval churches, an ogham stone, and a number of early Christian and medieval grave slabs.

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.

The Ardmore Round Tower is one of the best-preserved examples in Ireland. Situated in the middle of a still-used Cemetery. It is a complete tower but the conical cap is not the original. The 12th century tower has three clearly visible string courses and each course is offset, this plus the inclination or batter of the walls give the tower it's distinctive tapered shape. The sandstone blocks are dressed to the curve. The tower has a total of 7 windows and a decorated.

This is an Elizabethan castle now in ruins, located near Duleek in County Meath. It was constructed by William Bathe in 1590 and was then rebuilt in 1830. The castle was abandoned in the 1950s and is now in a sorry state of repair. It is claimed that King James II once owned the castle and that he stayed there in 1690 when en route to the Battle of the Boyne. Some say that his ghost returns to the castle on occasions and appears dumbfounded.

Athclare Castle is typical of defensive residential architecture of the period. This sixteenth-century tower house was built by the Barnewell family and later extended in the seventeenth century, the plain extension is distinguished by the stocky tower to the east. Athclare has been extended and adapted in the centuries since its construction and is classified as a site of National social historical importance by the Irish National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

Athenry Heritage Centre is the ideal starting point to discover the best preserved medieval town in Ireland. Its exhibits include the torture dungeon, models of the medieval town, storyboards and a replica street of medieval crafts. You can experience this history with interactive exhibits of weaponry, armour, dressing up in medieval costume and Have-A-Go Archery.

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.

Athlumney Castle is a tower house and fortified house and a National Monument in Navan, Ireland. The motte at Athlumney was built in the years after 1172 when Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath granted the title of Baron Skryne to his ally Adam de Feypo; he in turn granted Athlumney to a relative Amauri de Feipo, who built the motte. The older part of Athlumney Castle is a tower house built in the 15th century.

Audley's Castle lies in the grounds of the Castle Ward estate, north west of the village of Strangford, in County Down, in Northern Ireland. It is named after its late 16th-century owners, the Audleys, an Anglo-Norman family who held land in the area in the 13th century. It consists of a tower set within a yard which is enclosed by a thin wall, with a simple gate.

Aughnanure Castle was built in the 16th century as a stronghold of the O'Flaherty clan, and is renowned for its unusual double bawn. The castle was built by the O'Flaherty family in the 16th century, one of Connacht's most notable lord families. Aughnanure is one of over 200 tower houses in County Galway, constructed mainly by Gaelic and Anglo-Norman land owning families. The tower lies close to the shores of Lough Corrib, and translates to "the field of the yews" in Irish.

Avondale House,is the birthplace and home of Charles Stewart Parnell. It is set in the Avondale Forest Park, approximately 1.5 km from the nearby town of Rathdrum. The House is now a museum open to visitors, who are introduced to the house by an audio visual presentation. Other facilities include a restaurant, book shop, picnic areas, children's play area, two orienteering courses. In the surrounding parkland are tree trails and walks ranging in duration from one to five hours.

Ballinafad Castle was built in 1590 and is also known as the ‘Castle of the Curlews’. The castle is in ruins and is accessible year round. There are no tours, guides, or fees. Visitors can park in a small lot at the foot of the hill where they will find an interpretive sign. Visitors cannot enter the castle, but the interior is visible through breaches in the walls that are closed off by iron fences.

Ballinalacken Castle is a two-stage tower house located in Killilagh parish of County Clare, Ireland. It is of uncertain date but most likely was built in the 15th or early 16th century. The current tower house resembles Leamaneh Castle in that it was constructed over a prolonged period. The oldest part is the tall eastern tower, likely built in the 15th century. It is located in the region known as the Burren on a limestone outcrop overlooking the roads from Lisdoonvarna to Fanore and Doolin.