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Tips 1 - 10 of 34 Ireland Off The Beaten Path
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Off The Beaten Path: The Grand Canal
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The Grand Canal was built as an important waterway connecting Dublin with the Shannon but unfortnately it cannot be used any more for privat shipping INSIDE of Ireland's capital. Private yachts have to stay outside of the city but at least there are plenty of great hiking-paths along these canals with many cosy places . At some places you are able to rent house-boats in order to explore the Grand Canal and in general you will NOT need a boat-licence for any of these house-boats in Ireland !!
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Off The Beaten Path: Tacumshane Windmill
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Tacumshane Windmill is one of the very few windmills that you will see in Ireland and it is hidden in a small village just a few miles south of Wexford. I found it accidentally on the way to Kilmore Quai.
This windmill is privately owned and it can be visited by the tourists. You pay a fee of 2 Euros directely to the owner, who has a small window at the entrance to his farm, where you have to ring the bell. Then you may enter the ground and also the interior of the windmill. Sometimes - especially in the high tourist-season - a few explantions are given by the mill-owners.
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Off The Beaten Path: see the palmtrees in Kilmore Quai
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It is because of the mild climate and the Golf-stream that you can see palmtrees in Ireland and Kilmore Quai, just a few miles south-west of Wexford, is one of them.
There is a sandy beach, a small maritime museum and lots of houses, thatched be straw in the oldfashioned way: bundles of straw fixed to the roof with strings - it almost looks like made with a sewing-machine, see my last picture !
Lots of these thatched houses are to rent by tourists, all of them have a small garden around them, and the sandy and quiet beach is just a few minutes away.
And there will be NO crowds of people on the beach, you rather have it all for your own.
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Website: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1ffe4/48150/
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Off The Beaten Path: Lady's Island Lake
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Lady's Island Lake is another interesting castle-ruin that I found accidentally while driving some side-roads in the south-west of Wexford. These ruins of an old monastery with a leaning castle-tower are dating back to the 12th century.
You can drive directely to that tower by your own car and park there in front of it. There is not a lot more that you can do than to take a walk or take some photographs. The building itself is just a ruin that you cannot enter, but I think it is a lovely and interesting landmark and a good excample of such an old building that was burned down by british troops once, so the wooden roof was totally destroyed and just the stones were left over !
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Off The Beaten Path: Ardmore
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Ardmore has one of the typical celtic round towers and the ruins of an old church that still shows not only simple old stones, but also a few great reliefs in the facade and in interesting graveyard around the church-ruins.
Ardmore is just a tiny village on the southcoast, hidden a few miles off the main-traficroad from Wexford to Cork, just a few miles south-east of the town of Youghal.
You may go there and enter freely any time - that might be important many times in summer, when sun shines untill 10.00 p.m. and you want to take pics in the evening-sun, and do not have to stick to opening-times.
When you click on my 3rd pic, you might see the famous reliefs on the churchwalls.
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Website: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Ireland/County_Waterford/Ardmore-297342/TravelGuide-Ardmore.html
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Off The Beaten Path: Youghal
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Youghal is a typical small town in Ireland, nothing special for the ordinary tourist, except a tower of the medieval townwall (see my last picture). But Youghal might be a great place to visit, when you intend to see old shop-fronts and drink your beer in a typical Irish pub far away from the tourist-places. Youghal is on the southcoast of Ireland and you will pass through it on your way from Waterford to Cork.
Right in the middle of town I even found a great parking, where I stayed the night in my motorhome, free of charge and without any problem. In general the local people will try to get rid of the "tinckers" (gypsies with their camping-wagons, living on the road) BUT they never care a lot about tourists in their motorhomes !
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Off The Beaten Path: Jerpoint Abbey
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Jerpoint Abbey dates back to the 12th century and you will see great remains of the old monastery including some rare sculptured sarcophages, gothic arades and one of the famous celtic high Crosses. The roof of the monastery is missing, but most of the walls and the great arcades give you an idea, what Jerpoint abbey once looked like during medieval times.
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Off The Beaten Path: Leamaneagh Castle
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Leamaneagh Castle is quite a unique ruin that stands alone as a giant building without a roof and no other house closeby,just meadows, cows, sheep and the lovely landscape of the closeby Burren.
The castle ruins are dating back to the 17th century and the are uninhabited today, in fact the ruins are in the middle of a meadow and you cannot get any closer to the building than just 40 meters. Leamaneagh Castle is more of a landmark today at the crossing of the roads R480 and R476 and you can use it when driving from Aillwee-cave in order to remember to turn right and drive to Kilfenora.
Leamaneagh Castle is about 5km east of Kilfenora and ca. 6km south of the Poulnabrone Dolmen.
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Off The Beaten Path: Tintern Abbey
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Tintern Abbey is just a ruin nowadays, but quite impressive :
This Cistercian abbey was founded by William, Earl Marshall and he named it after Tintern, a village in Wales.
The Abbey was inhabited by the Colclough family from the 16th century until 1960s. You will find this interesting ruin 16km south of New Ross off the R734 road or 29km from Wexford off the Wexford to Ballyhack road R733.
Tintern Abbey is open for visitors :
Mid June - Late September: Daily 10.00am - 6.00pm
October: Daily 10.00am - 5.00pm
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Off The Beaten Path: Johnston castle
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Johnston castle is an interesting castle in a distance of about 6km west of Wexford. You will pass by it, when driving along the main road to the west towards Waterford. You can park your car in the giant castle-park. I did not go inside the castle, but I had a nice walk in the park in order to take my photographs.
Johnston castle houses the Irish Agricultural Museum and it has a large park around it. There is an entrance fee for the park, and that fee includes the parking of your car as well.
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 Comments for globetrott about Ireland | | | | |
WStat Sat Jul 5, 2008 07:39 UTC
Congratulations, Michael, those are really great tips! Compared to your expertise I've seen absolutely nothing in Ireland. Want to go there again and see the Aran Islands, the Burren and its vegetation... Hopefully soon! | cpiers47 Sun Jun 8, 2008 18:12 UTC
Great tips - I envy all your days in Ireland! | Babaleanne Wed Feb 13, 2008 09:56 UTC
Have you ever been on Irish Ferries from Cherbourg to Rosslare? Could you tell me what it is like? | Kuznetsov_Sergey Sat Feb 9, 2008 20:26 UTC
Fundamental page, Michael! After having read your tips it seems to me you know about Ireland more than Irishmen themselves! Thanks for sharing! I wish I saw even a little part of this country. May be one day... |
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on Jan 4, 2008
