Irish Photo Album
Co. Dublin (Contae Átha Cliath)
Dublin (Baile Átha Cliath)
There are a lot of bridges across the Liffey. The most famous of these is called the Liffey Bridge. This bridge became known as the ha'penny bridge because those walking across it had to pay a toll of a half penny.
Other bridges that are very recognisable are:
Kilmainham Gaol is now a museum which many tourists visit each year. However, it used to be a prison. Many famous people were held in this prison. http://kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/ |
Dublinia is a museum that focuses on the Viking and Medieval history of Dublin. There are reconstructions of Viking and Medieval era homes and shops. http://www.dublinia.ie/ |
Dublin was raided by the Vikings in the 820ties and 830ties. In 841 they began building a settlement around the area in which the moored the ships. Some of those that came from Scandinavia were farmers looking for land, others were traders while others were pirates on raids.
Croke Park (Páirc an Chrócaigh) is the headquarters of the GAA. This is where the All-Ireland matches are played each year. To learn about Gaelic sports click on the picture. https://crokepark.ie/ |
There are a lot of statues around Dublin. Here are some of them:
Here are some more photographs from around Dublin.
Here are some photos of Dublin Zoo. You can also visit their website which where you can watch elephants, penguins, wolves, giraffes and zebras on webcams. http://www.dublinzoo.ie/ |
Co. Wicklow (Contae Chill Mhantáin)
Wicklow is known as the garden of Ireland. There are some lovely gardens to be seen. Here are some photographs:
Wexford (Loch Garman)
Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh)
Carlow (Ceatharlach)
Waterford (Port Láirge)
Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann)
Cork (Corcaigh)
Cork City Gaol is now a museum. It used to be a prison. Tourists visit it to learn what it was like to be imprisoned there. It is believed by some to be haunted! https://corkcitygaol.com/about/ |
Fota Wildlife Park is another zoo. This is slightly different to Dublin zoo as the animals have more room to roam. http://www.fotawildlife.ie/ |
Cobh was where many people in the country emigrated from. Most went to England and America. Others were deported to Van Diemens land. You can visit the Cobh Heritage Centre where you can learn about the emigration from Ireland. You can also learn about the Titanic. The Titanic's last port was Cobh. http://www.cobhheritage.com/ |
County Kerry (Contae Chiarraí)
Sceilig Mhichíl is an island off the coast of Kerry. An early Christian monastery was built on it. Some of the Star Wars movies were filmed on location here.
Limerick (Luimneach)
Co. Galway (Contae na Gaillimhe)
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Galway (Gaillimh) is on the west coast. It is built on the Corrib. It is a very popular tourist destination as there are many festivals held during the year. The king of Connaught had a fort here. |
However, it was captured during the Anglo-Norman. The city walls were built to protect the Anglo-Normans living inside the town. The merchants living in Galway at the time were rich and powerful. These families became known as the Tribes of Galway. It was forbiden for the native Irish (as opposed to Galway's Anglo-Norman citizens) to enter the city without permission. The law stated that "neither O’ nor Mac shall strutte nor swagger through the streets of Galway".
Many more homes have survived, however. Here you can see some of them. They have been resorted and are still in use to this day though they are now businesses rather than homes. If you look closely at them you can see that they still retain some of their ornamental features such as embellished carved windows and gargoyles. |
Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe is the national Irish language theatre. It was founded in 1928. Famous actors such as Siobhán McKenna, Mick Lally, Peadar Lambe and Micheál Mac Liammóir acted in plays by the likes of Beckett, Synge, O'Casey, Lorca, Friel and Pinter which were translated by translators such as Seán Ó Carra. Newly composed plays such as Gaeilgeoirí by Antaine Ó Flatharta, Cúigear Chonamara by Mícheál Ó Conghaíle, Scaoil leis an gCaid by Breandán M. Mac Gearailt, Lig Sinn i gCathú by Breandán Ó hEithir and Níor Mhaith Liom Do Thrioblóid by Joe Steve Ó Neachtain have also been performed in recent years.
Here you can see more pictures of the city:
Menlo castle was built by the Blakes on the bank of the Corrib. It could be accessed by boat or by road. It was destroyed in a fire in 1910. It was never rebuilt. This area is now very popular with people for picnics. |
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There are many picturesque little villages along the Irish coast. Some areas have sandy beaches while other beaches are covered in smooth rocks called clocha duirlinge.
Athenry (Baile Átha an Rí) was a walled town. Below are photographs of Athenry Castle. This castle changed over time. You can see the arrowslits where archers would have fired arrows at those attacking the castle. To enter the castle one climbed up a wooden staircase to the first floor. The walls would have been covered with tapestries and a fire would have burned in a brazier.
The garderobe was a small room that was attached to the main bedroom. This was used as a toilet. It was just a seat with a hole in it. The excrement fell into a pit below. Clothes were hung over the toilet as the fumes killed unwanted visitors that lived in people's clothes. Do you know what these were? Fleas!
Kinvara (Cinn Mhara) is another village in which there is a castle. Dunguaire Castle (Dún Guaire), another towerhouse. It is located at the edge of the village. Medieval banquets are held in Dunguaire Castle during the summer.
Here are some photographs of Dúnguaire Castle. It is a towerhouse.
Source: Craggaunowen
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Tower houses were decorated with tapestries and other items such as these. |
Connemara (Conamara)
Connemara is a region in County Galway. It is the largest Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) in the country.
Connemara is a region in County Galway. It is the largest Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) in the country.
Barna (Bearna) is a small village just outside Galway. There is a pier and a beach that are very popular with those that enjoy water sports. It is in the Gaeltacht but there is very little Irish spoken in this areas now.
An Spidéal is a small village outside of Galway city. It is in an Irish speaking area known as Cois Fharraige. People speak Irish here with their friends and families. The set of Ros na Rún, an Irish soap opera, is filmed here.
Brigit's Garden is a lovely garden. You can see native woodland and wildflower. There is also a nature trail where you can see a calendar sundial. There are sculptures around the park, a stone circle, a crannóg and a roundhouse. There are even swinging seats!
Source: Brigit's Garden
Street Art
There is a lot of street art to be found around Galway. Ugly walls were decorated with street art to make them beautiful.
There is a lot of street art to be found around Galway. Ugly walls were decorated with street art to make them beautiful.
Co. Clare (Contae an Cháir)
The Folk Park is a reconstruction of what a village would have looked like in the past. There is a school, post office, doctor's house, hardware shop and printers. http://www.shannonheritage.com/BunrattyCastleAndFolkPark/ |
Poulnabrone dolmen (Poll na mBrón) is a portal tomb. It is a type of megalithic tomb. It is in situated in the Burren. When the site was excavated it was discovered that 33 people, both adults and children, were buried under the monument. Other artifacts were also found: a stone axe, a bone pendant, quartz, weapons and pottery.
Craggaunowen Pre-historic Park. There are reconstructions of a crannóg, a ring fort and a fullacht fia. You can see how Celts lived over 1,000 years ago.
Source: Craggaunowen
Co. Meath (Contae na Mí)
Newgrange is the best known Irish passage tomb. It was built around 3,200BC which makes it more than 1000 years older than the pyramids in Giza. The entrance to the tomb is marked by a rock which is decorated with chevrons, lozenges, triangles, spirals, parallel lines and arcs.
Click on the picture below to take a tour inside Newgrange:
During the winter solstice a beam of light enters the inner chamber through the gap above the doorway. http://www.newgrange.com/winter_solstice.htm |
Dowth and Knowth are other, smaller, passage tombs in the area. These are photographs of Knowth.
Trim Castle is the biggest and best Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Part of the movie Braveheart was filmed in the castle.
County Louth (Contae Lú)
The site of the Battle of the Boyne is close to Drogheda. You can visit this museum to learn about it. http://www.battleoftheboyne.ie/ |
Source: Office of Public Works - Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre
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You can learn all about the battle at the museum. Here are some photographs of one of the displays. |
We learned about horses and how they were used during the Battle of the Boyne.
The horses that went into battle were very well trained and very expensive. It took about 5 years to train them. The horses had to be trained to move forward, stop and move sideways. They had to be able to do all this while the battle was going on around them.
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Source: Office of Public Works - Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre
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Source: Office of Public Works - Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre
So that the horses wouldn't be frightened by the noises of battle they had to eat their grain off drums. This got them used to the sound of drums. Muskets were also fired regularly so that they would get use to the sound and did not run away during the battle.
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Here you can see photographs of a man explaining how muskets worked. He has a matchlock musket and a flintlock musket. Keep your eyes open for the musket being shot. |
Source: Office of Public Works - Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre
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Source: Office of Public Works - Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre
Co. Offaly (Contae Uíbh Fhailí)
This miniature village was built so that local children could see how people lived and worked long ago.
Kinnitty Castle is a gothic revival castle. It is situated at the foothill of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in County Offaly. It is now a hotel.
Westmeath (Contae na hIarmhí)
Co. Laois (Contae Laoise)
Kildare (Cill Dara)
The Irish National Stud is where many champion horses were bred. You can also visit the horse museum and see champion horses such as Beef or Salmon and Kicking King. https://irishnationalstud.ie/ |
People also visit the Japanese Gardens while they are there. https://irishnationalstud.ie/attraction/japanese-gardens/ |
St. Fiachra’s Garden is another lovely garden. It commemorates St. Fiachra who is the patron saint of gardeners. https://irishnationalstud.ie/attraction/st-fiachras/ |
County Louth (Contae Lú)
County Longford (Contae an Longfoirt)
The Corlea Trackway is an Iron Age road that was made so that people could cross the bog safely. I was made from oak planks. It was perserved in the bog and only discovered in the 1980ties. http://www.longfordtourism.ie/see-do/attractions/corlea-trackway-visitor-centre/ |
There was a network of canals built around the country in the 18th century to transport goods and people from place to place. At the time it was a lot easier to travel by boat than by carriage. The Royal Canal was built to bring barges from Longford to Dublin.
County Roscommon (Contae Ros Comáin)
There are six royal sites in Ireland. This is where the kings of Ireland lived. Archaeologists found ancient burial mounds, standing stones and cairns there. Rathcroghan (Ráth Cruachan) was the original seat of the Kings of Connaught. Manannán Mac Lir was the God of Rathcoghan.
In the Arigna Mines you can learn what it was like to be a coal miner. http://www.arignaminingexperience.ie/ |
County Mayo (Contae Mhaigh Eo)
Sligo (Sligeach)
Surfing is very popular in Sligo.
County Leitrim (Contae Liatroma)
Dún a' Rí forest park is a very beautiful park. Caoilte take care of the foreset. If you click on the link below you can see some clips of parks run by Caoilte. https://www.coillte.ie/our-forests/explore/?id=171&rec_site=28&activity=&no_cache=1 |
Monaghan (Muineachán)
County Fermanagh (Fear Manach)
There are some megalithic tombs to be seen in Armagh. This is the Ballykeen Dolmen. http://www.megalithicireland.com/Ballykeel%20Dolmen,%20Armagh.html |
There is a visitor centre there where you can learn what skills were needed to survive in Ireland 2,000 years ago. You can see what their homes were like, how they cooked and what weapons they used when fighting.
https://visitarmagh.com/places-to-explore/navan-centre-fort/
https://visitarmagh.com/places-to-explore/navan-centre-fort/
Tyrone (Tír Eoghain)
The Ulster American Folk Park shows visitors what life was like in Ireland long ago. They can then board an emigrant ship which will bring them to "America" where they can see what life was like for emigrants who went to the American Frontier. https://www.nmni.com/our-museums/ulster-american-folk-park/Home.aspx |
When they arrived in America many stayed in the big cities and found jobs. Others looked for adventure by going west in wagon trains that consisted of covered wagons like this one. Some people built houses like these. If you would like to read about what life was like for the early settlers read the books written by Laura Ingallas Wilder.
Co. Antrim (Contae Aontroma)
The Giant's Causeway (Clochán an Aifir) is an area of about 40,000 interconnected basalt columns. They were formed during a volcanic eruption. Most of the columns have six sides but there are also some with five, seven or eight sides. There are identical basalt columns across the sea in Scotland.
There is only one way on and off Carrick-a-Rede island. You must use this rope bridge! Those who are brave enough walk across. The rope swings from side to side. http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Carrick-a-Rede-Rope-Bridge-Ballintoy-Ballycastle-P2829 |
Would you dare walk across the rope bridge?
The murals in Belfast (Béal Feiriste) are famous. There have been thousands of different murals since the 70ties. Here are pictures of some of them. Some of the murals are historical others are political. They are painted to convey a message or idea that is of importance to the community who live in that area. People from all over the world take tours now to see the murals. |
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Co. Derry (Contae Dhoire)
There are murals on the walls in Derry too. Some of the murals are historical while others are political. They are painted to convey a message or idea that is of importance to the community who live in that area. Tourists go on tours to see the murals.
There is a festival held in October each year which celebrates Hallowe'en.
County Down (An Dún)