Ireland is such a beautiful country and I feel absolutely privileged to be born and bred here. I never tire of discovering new and stunning places in this country and I love sharing all my finds with my followers.
As a family, we regularly go on road trips around the country, looking for the most historical, beautiful, interesting and photo opportunity worthy (it's all about the photography!) places to visit in this gorgeous Emerald Isle.
If you're looking to visit a country that's small enough to navigate, filled with stunning historic places and the most beautiful nature you'll ever see - how cherished we are here in Ireland to witness the four seasons in all their glory, then Ireland is the perfect place for you to visit.
Here are hidden gems that I've discovered on my own travels. These are places that aren't filled with tourists and are perfect for adding to you itinerary of Ireland.
Oh my goodness, this place, it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited in Ireland and I can't believe that it's such a hidden gem! When Lovin.ie shared my image of Bantry House on their Instagram and Facebook pages the amount of people who had never heard of it was astounding!
This is a privately owned house that is open for tours. We didn't do the tour but the gardens were enough to entertain us. You can climb 100 steps to see the most stunning view (shown in the picture above) of Bantry Harbour.
Nestled just beyond Lismore Castle, these towers are nothing short of a fairy tale. The towers are part of a loop walk of a woodland are and are the remnants of a manor house that were never built.
The towers themselves are located above a stream, which is lovely for having a picnic by on a sunny day. There's also a mini waterfall which you can climb up to. It's such a gorgeous place with a real feel of being otherworldly and it's a definite 'must-see' if you find yourself in the Blackwater Valley.
This is such a gorgeous place, located in gorgeous East Cork. Just a short drive from the famous Ballymaloe House, the cookery school gardens are home to lots of beautiful gardens, all with something different to look at.
You definitely have to visit if you're in the East Cork area. It's a gorgeous place and so quiet! We were the only ones there during our mid-week visit, which you can read more about here.
This is a little bit of a different hidden gem as it's not a place as such, but it's the most perfect way to see the place, if you get me.
We stayed in the beautiful area of Lough Ree - a stunning lake which is in between County Roscommon and County Westmeath and took a Viking boat tour from Hodson Bay into the centre of Athlone town.
If you're looking for a place to pick your own fruit in Ireland then The Apple Farm is a great place to visit. The apples here are like gorgeous bright baubles hanging off the trees!
This is a huge family farm, filled with hundred of apple trees and polytunnels of berries, all ripe for picking through the summer months. The farm is open for apple picking during weekends in September and is free to visit and explore all year round.
Oh this place is like a dream! We stumbled upon here while visiting the Blackwater Valley area and we were so delighted we found it.
It's a stunning privately owned house which gives informal tours - the owners are very friendly! However, it was the gardens which we really fell in love with, especially the walled garden. They were filled with the most beautiful flowers and fruit that was ripe for picking (€5 per punnet).
What a beautiful little island this is! You catch the little ferry from Glengarriff, passing seals on your way, before reaching this stunning island which almost has a Mediterranean feel to it.
The most famous feature of Garnish Island is this pond garden and it's a perfect place to sit and have a bit of quiet reflection.
If you want to come to Ireland and experience a place that's quite unique to the usual green fields you usually find in Ireland then The Burren is the place to visit!
Located in charming and rural County Clare, this is a true taste of Ireland. The Poulnabrone Dolmen dates to approximately 4200BC to 2900BC and is set upon limestone that was laid down about 350 million years ago so this really is an amazing historical site within Ireland!
Probably the most 'touristy' area of my list, but still a bit of a hidden gem as it was so quiet when we visited! Not as famous as neighbouring Muckross House, Killarney National Park is still absolutely beautiful and the perfect place to go for a bike ride or walk.
If you fancy it, you can take a boat tour around the Killarney Lakes, or if you fancy just viewing them from the shore line that's fine too. There's little strand beaches where you can enjoy a paddle on warmer days and lots of shaded areas to hide from the sun and enjoy a picnic.
A fairy tale garden if ever there was one, Lismore Castle Gardens are the most beautiful place to visit any time of year and feature a whole host of flowers, plants and even a beautiful rope swing under bowed trees for people of all ages to enjoy!
The castle is a private residence and is not open to the public, but the gardens themselves (there's an upper and a lower garden), are enough to keep you busy. There's so much to see and there's even picnic blankets available for people to enjoy their own picnics on the lawn.
10. Spike Island, Co. CorkNot as famous as the town of Cobh just across from it, but Spike Island is an interesting place to visit when in the Cork area. Located in the middle of the second largest natural harbour in the world, Spike Island is a former prison site that holds a 200 year old star-shaped fortress that is open for visitors - now all the prisoners have left of course!
The island is steeped in history and in the last 1300 years has held a 6th century monastery, the largest convict depot in Victorian times and centuries of island homes. Boats are available daily from Kennedy Pier, Cobh and you're able to explore the island freely for three and half hours.
Thanks for the tips! Wonderful blog!
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