If you're someone who prefers to visit hidden gems, rather than the typical and often over-crowded tourist sites in Ireland, then I have just the place for you to visit - De La Poer Tower in County Waterford.
De La Poer Tower really is a must-see hidden gem, and I focus on the word 'hidden' as it's situated in the heart of woodland. We used Google Maps to find a near-enough place to park by the tower and had some adventure climbing up the hilly woods and through the trees to get to the tower. I'm sure there's probably a place to park nearer to the tower, but Google Maps left us by a gate at the side of the road, but it made for great adventure, so no harm done. I would suggest putting 'Portlaw Wood' into Google Maps to perhaps find an easier way to get to the tower - or did what we did if you're an adventure seeker! We had three kids with us (a 12, 8 and 2 year old and we managed fine).
The tower was built in 1785 for the second Earl of Tyrone, George de la Poer, who the tower is named after, in memory of his eldest son Marcus. It's amazing that something so historic and generally unattended to, is still standing almost perfectly in tact to this day. Just goes to show how well built things used to be!
De La Poer Tower is obviously free to visit. Ireland is dotted with so many historic places that are free for you to explore to your hearts content and at your own pace and I love that. We call these little trips of ours to historic places in Ireland as 'side of the road' places, because that's literally where you usually find them and they make for the best and most interesting places to visit. We love visiting historic places and ruins like this and they really are amazing hidden gems to discover.
You can climb all the way to the top of the tower - just be careful as the top isn't enclosed, where you'll be greeted by the most beautiful views of the stunning Waterford countryside. We visited on a bright and sunny day and the views were amazing! I didn't stay up the tower too long as my legs turned to jelly - probably a combination of the steep climb up the steps and the dizzying height I was at, but it was an amazing and fairytale-like experience.
If you're looking for a fairytale-like experience in Ireland then a visit to De La Poer Tower should be top of your list! You can see a video from our visit below, to really get a feel of the experience and to hopefully show you why you should visit.
Make the most of your visit by taking a stroll through the woods, packing a picnic (there's a bench just a short walk away from the woods) and a visit to one of the neighbouring amazing destinations in Waterford, such as Curraghmore House and Gardens or Mount Congreve Gardens, which are both a short drive from De La Poer Tower.
For more suggestions on hidden gems to visit and unmissable experiences in Ireland, check out my Ireland section for lots of inspiration.
