15 Monuments to Explore in Munster

This is a medieval ecclesiastical site and National Monument located in County Kerry, Ireland. It is traditionally associated with Saint Brendan (c. AD 484 – c. 577), but also with a local saint, Maolcethair. The surviving church dates to the mid-12th century, with the chancel extended c. 1200.

The Daniel O’Connell statue in Dublin is widely regarded as one of the finest pieces of work by John Henry Foley. This monument was designed and sculpted by John Henry Foley and finished up by his assistant, Thomas Brock. It is often believed to be Foley’s greatest work. Situated on the south side of O’Connell Street, the monument consists of three bronze sections separated by a granite plinth.

Derreenataggart Stone Circle is about 1.5km west of Castletown Bere, close to the road and open to the public. It is about 8m in diameter and twelve stones of a probable fifteen survive. Thirty metres south-west of the circle, site CO115-011001 is "a raised sub-circular area of rough ground with a recent rectangular depression at its western edge".

Drombeg Stone Circle is a circle of 17 standing stones which on excavation showed that there had been an urn burial in the centre. Although not an especially significant example, Drombeg is one of the most visited megalithic sites in Ireland, and is protected under the National Monuments Act.

The Gaulstown Dolmen dates to c.3000-4000 BC and is regarded as one of the finest portal tombs in Ireland. The east-facing portal stones stand eight feet high and the capstone is 14-feet long and possibly weighs over 40 tonnes. It is likely that the structure was once enclosed by a mound or cairn, which has since been removed or eroded away. There is evidence that some of the upright stones may have moved over time, as the shape of the chamber has been impacted.

The Graves of the Leinstermen has arguably the most evocative name of all the sites in the Adopt a Monument Scheme. Mystery surrounds this megalithic monument on the slopes of the Arra Mountains overlooking Lough Derg in Co. Tipperary. The monument, however, is thought to date back to prehistory, with the general consensus being that it is some form of megalithic tomb.

Killone is a National Monument situated in a secluded and picturesque valley on the shore of Killone Lake, near Ennis Co. Clare. The ruins of the abbey, accessible through land used for grazing cattle, are located in the grounds of Newhall House, and include substantial remains of the abbey church together with a crypt.

This is one of the largest and finest stone forts in Ireland and was probably built in the early centuries AD before Christianity came. Approximately 29 metres in diameter the fort has thick walls some 3 metres wide and standing almost 2 metres high. Access to the fort is through a narrow entrance on the north eastern side of the walls. The site is owned by the Irish Government which has declared it a national monument.

Lackeen Castle, built in the 12th century is a fine example of an Irish tower house. Standing in a bawn, four stories high and featuring fine fireplaces.Standing in a bawn, four stories high and featuring fine fireplaces. A straight stair runs up to the first floor and a spiral staircase runs to higher levels, the third storey is vaulted. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and attracts a lot of tourists.

Loughmoe Castle is a ruined castle at Loughmore Village, near Templemore in County Tipperary, Ireland. The oldest part of the castle was built in the thirteenth century, and consists of a four-storey tower-house. Additions were made by the Purcell family in the seventeenth century. The house was the seat of the Purcell and Butler families and home of the Barony of Loughmoe. The Purcells were an Anglo-Irish family who originally arrived in Ireland during the Norman invasion in the 12th century.

The Lusitania Memorial is a tribute monument located in the town centre of Cobh, Ireland. It commemorates the 1200 victims of the Lusitania, a ship torpedoed by a submarine in 1915. Now, it is a popular tourist destination, largely because it offers cruises into the edges of the Atlantic Ocean, where passengers can see whales, but also because of its growing reputation in the field of gourmet food.

The Main Guard situated on Sarsfield Street is one of Clonmel’s most recognisable landmarks. It was built at the behest of James Butler the 1st Duke of Ormonde in 1674 to provide the town with a courthouse. The previous building which had served as a courthouse had been destroyed during the Siege of Clonmel in 1650.

This megalithic monument is all it promised to be, the wedge-shaped remains of a passage tomb. There are five orthostats on each side of the passage with three large roofstones, there are four more stones at the western end which may be part of the kerb, very little remains of a cairn. I left feeling rather pleased that the tomb was actually on this farm and with no worries about its survival.

The Nenagh Heritage Centre is located in two stone Georgian buildings, built in 1840-1842 as the Governor's House and Gatehouse of an extensive Gaol complex for North Tipperary, which held thousands of prisoner's until its closure in 1887. It historically housed those sentenced to death by public hanging. Between 1842 and 1858, 17 Tipperary men were executed here. After its closure, the property was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy for educational purposes.

The historic well of San Patrizio is a structure built by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger in Orvieto , between 1527 and 1537 , at the behest of Pope Clement VII , a veteran of the Sack of Rome and eager to protect himself in the event of a siege of the city in which he had withdrawn. During Antonio da Sangallo's absences the works were entrusted to Giovanni Battista da Cortona, while the decorative parts are by Simone Mosca.