The 15 Most Beautiful Villages in Ireland Every Traveler Should See
If you want to see how real Irish people live, all you have to do is visit one of the many beautiful villages that dot the island. From County Sligo to County Kerry, every village on the Emerald Isle has a story. Here is our list of the best and most beautiful villages in Ireland that every traveler should see. These villages include places where the Spanish Armada attacked and places where famous writers and artists spent their summers.
Rosses Point is in the county of Sligo. It is both a village and a peninsula. It was the summer home of writer William Butler Yeats and his younger artist brother, Jack. From Elsinore House, they could see both Coney Island and Oyster Island. Rosses Point gets its name from the Irish word “Ros Cheide,” which means “promontory fort of the hill” in English. The Metal Man lighthouse, which was built in 1921, the Waiting on Shore sculpture, the Sligo Yacht Club, and the County Sligo Golf Club are all important places in the village. In 1985, archaeologists also found ships that had sunk in 1588 during the Spanish Armada. Rosses Point is well-known for its many sea-related activities, such as deep sea fishing, reef and shark fishing, and trips to nearby islands.
Cong is an island village on the border between County Galway and County Mayo. Several streams in the area come together at Cong, making the village’s land mass. The Irish name for the village is “Cnga Fheichn,” which means “Saint Feichin’s narrows.” This name comes from the fact that two rivers come together in the village. The two lakes are connected by these rivers. Sir William Wilde, the father of famous Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, lived in Cong. This makes the town famous in the world of literature. Ashford Castle, which the Guinness family turned into a hotel, and the medieval Cong Abbey, which once held the Cross of Cong, which is now in the National History Museum in Dublin, are two of the village’s most interesting places. The Quiet Man, which won an Oscar in 1952 and was made by John Ford, was also filmed in the town.
Villages in Ireland: #3 Derrynane, Kerry
Natural Feature
County Kerry – Derrynane House
Derrynane is in the county of Kerry. It is on the Iveragh Peninsula and has a long history. There is a Stone Age portal dolmen in the village. It was built around 3000BCE. Around the village, there are other pieces of history that date back to 2000 BCE. During the Bronze Age, copper was mined by the Beaker people. They made these old things. The village is also home to the famous politician and activist Daniel O’Connell’s house, which is called Staigue Ringfort. Around the house, there is now a national monument and a heritage park. Visitors to Derrynane can take boat trips to the Skellig Islands in the summer.
Baltimore in County Cork is a beautiful place on the south coast of Ireland. From there, you can see Sherkin Island, Cape Clear, and Roaringwater Bay. The Irish name for Baltimore is Baile a T Mhóir, which means “town of the big house” in English. This is a reference to the O’Driscoll Castle, which looks out over the village. In the early 1600s, English pirates used Baltimore as a base. In 1631, Barbary pirates from Algeria took over the city. Some of the pubs in the village are named after this event. Outdoor activities like sailing, fishing, scuba diving, and exploring are very popular in Baltimore. Nearby is Lough Hyne, which was Ireland’s first marine nature reserve. There are many shipwrecks in the bay, like a submarine from World War II and the Alondra from 1916.
Villages in Ireland: #5 Sneem, Kerry
Natural Feature
Gardens at Sneem, Ring of Kerry
Situated on the Ring of Kerry, Sneem is a charming village. It’s also known as the Knot, a translation from its Irish name. Sneem is famed for its art and sculpture, such as the work of Vivienne Roche, Alan Hall, James Scanlon and Tamara Rikman. The village is divided by the river and there are two green areas in Sneem, one to the north and one to the south. There is a great selection of restaurants, pubs and shops in the village. For those who love the great outdoors, Sneem has numerous walking and horse riding trails.
Villages in Ireland: #6 Adare, Limerick
Architectural Landmark
Castles of Munster, Adare, Limerick
Adare is near the city of Limerick. It is on the River Maigue. People often say that the village is one of the most beautiful in Ireland, and it has a long history. In the Middle Ages, it was a market, and then it became part of the Dunraven estate. So, the architecture is a mix of traditional Irish and more English styles. This makes the village look more planned than others in Ireland. The Adare Golf Club in the village has 18 holes for golfers to enjoy. The village also has a number of old abbeys and fortresses, which add to its architectural beauty.
Roundstone is a creative center in the west of Ireland. Its name, “Cloch na Rón,” means “seal’s rock,” and the town is in County Galway. Roundstone and its bay are in the Connemara area. Many Irish and international artists have come to the area and tried to capture the beauty of the area in their work. Paul Henry, Jack Butler Yeats, Nano Reid, and Gerard Dillon are just some of the well-known Irish artists who liked the village. Roundstone has an arts week every year to show how creative the people in the village are. There are also a number of galleries and studios in the village, like Roundstone Ceramics in Michael Killeen Park and the Stable Gallery at Errisbeg House.
Villages in Ireland: #8 Leighlinbridge, Carlow
Natural Feature
Castles of Leinster, Leighlinbridge, Carlow
Villages in Ireland: #9 Dunmore East, Waterford
Natural Feature
Dunmore East
Dunmore East is a popular place for tourists to visit in the southeast of Ireland. It is on the west side of Waterford harbor. The village is known for its fishing and is one of Ireland’s five National Fishery Harbors. There are also signs of Norman and Viking settlements in the area. A lot of people go sailing in Dunmore East every year, and yachts and dinghies are often seen in the harbor. On top of the cliff, there is a golf course that looks out over the bay. It may be one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country. For people who love to eat, there are a lot of seafood restaurants with dishes that will make your mouth water. In August, the Guinness International Bluegrass festival takes place, so music lovers in Dunmore East also have something to do.
The village of Killaloe is on the River Shannon in the east of County Clare. It is near the site of the 6th-century monastery of Saint Lua and the settlement of Brian Boru in the 10th century. Killaloe also has a literary connection: Phineas Finn, the main character in two of Anthony Trollope’s Palliser novels, grew up there. These are Phineas Finn and Phineas Redux. Killaloe and the area around it are popular places to go hill walking because there are a lot of trails to follow.
Villages in Ireland: #11 Aughrim, Wicklow
Natural Feature
Aughrim, County Wicklow, Ireland
Aughrim is known for its beauty in County Wicklow. The village is at the point where the Ow and Derry Rivers meet to form the Aughrim River. From 1996 to 2007, it won the Tidy Towns competition for the cleanest village. Aughrim means “horse ridge” in English. This may be a reference to the beautiful valley that surrounds the village. Aughrim used to be a village where people mined granite, and much of the architecture of the village shows this. For example, many of the terraced houses are made of granite. During the 1798 rebellion, rebels and forces from the Crown fought on the Rednagh Bridge in the village. Aughrim is also a well-known place for walkers and explorers because of where it is.
Villages in Ireland: #12 Moynalty, Meath
Natural Feature
Main Street, Moynalty, Co Meath
The village of Moynalty is near the border of Cavan and just north of Kells, which is where the Book of Kells is kept. Moynalty was built on the Owenroe River in the 1800s. It is thought that it was based on a Swiss plan. But the village was only built on one side of the river. It wasn’t until the next hundred years that it spread to the other side. The village of Moynalty is known for making lace. The wife of King George IV wore lace from the village. A steam thrashing festival is held every year in Moynalty. It started in 1975.
Villages in Ireland: #13 Killarney, County Kerry
Natural Feature
Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland
As the waves lap along the shores of Lough Leane, any Ring of Kerry traveller will be tempted to spend ages surrounded by Killarney’s serene landscape. The colourful village of Killarney is far from an undiscovered Irish gem – but there are ways to enjoy Ireland’s adventure capital aside from touring the 15th-century Ross Castle and Muckross Abbey. Make like the elusive red deer and hide away from the crowds in Killarney National Park – adventure lovers can hike to the top of Carrauntoohil, abseil down the Gap of Dunloe, and kayak the three Lakes of Killarney. Those who prefer to take it slow will love soaking up the lush greenery on a leisurely guided hawk walk with a local falconer.
Westport shows that you don’t have to go to the Mediterranean to fall in love with a seaside riviera. Along the rough Wild Atlantic Way, humpback whales and basking sharks splash around the Clew Bay islands while people kite surf, snorkel, and sail nearby. On land, the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail and the Great Western Greenway give you miles of space to walk or ride your bike alone. At the base of Croagh Patrick, there is a grave reminder of the country’s history: a monument to the Great Famine. But if the kids don’t want to learn about history, the Westport House is also a fun family amusement park inside a house from the 18th century.
Villages in Ireland: #15 Doolin, County Clare
Natural Feature
Bienenkorbhütte Doolin County Clare
Westport shows that you don’t have to go to the Mediterranean to fall in love with a seaside riviera. Along the rough Wild Atlantic Way, humpback whales and basking sharks splash around the Clew Bay islands while people kite surf, snorkel, and sail nearby. On land, the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail and the Great Western Greenway give you miles of space to walk or ride your bike alone. At the base of Croagh Patrick, there is a grave reminder of the country’s history: a monument to the Great Famine. But if the kids don’t want to learn about history, the Westport House is also a fun family amusement park inside a house from the 18th century.
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