Back in 2018, I published this post on 10 Ireland Must-See Sights – and while it is still certainly true that these 10 locations are 10 amazing sights to see in Ireland, for this month of Irish Wanderlusting, as it’s certainly on my bucket list as well as many others, I thought I’d expand the list a bit for you!
In my previous post, I listed these 10 sites which are absolutely still some huge must visit spots – and we’ll cover some again here today, but just to review those, they were:
- Belfast City in Northern Ireland
- Cliffs of Moher
- Cobh Heritage Centre
- Dromoland Castle
- Durty Nelly’s
- Killarney
- Kissing the Blarney Stone
- Giant’s Causeway
- Guinness Storehouse in Dublin
- Teeling Distillery
#1 Guinness Storehouse, County Dublin
Everyone who’s ever thought about going to Dublin has heard – probably – about the Guinness Storehouse. I’d recommend the VIP tour! Check out what they offer on their website here.
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#2 The Ring of Kerry, County Kerry
Quite very possibly the most scenic drive in Ireland, the Ring of Kerry is another very well known bucket list item for many of Ireland’s visitors. Just look how beautiful! Click here to read all about why it’s good to drive in circles here!
#3 The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare
While the Ring of Kerry is very popular, the Cliffs of Moher are easily Ireland’s most well known natural attraction worldwide. Learn more at their site here.
#4 Spike Island, County Cork
While not nearly as well known, Spike Island in Country Cork is maybe most akin to our USA’s Alcatraz – an island prison. Check it out here.
#5 Titanic Belfast, County Antrim
Everyone’s surely heard of the Titanic – and here’s the best place to learn about the world’s most-famous shipwreck. You can see their website information for visitors here.
#6 Sean’s Bar, Athlone, County Westmeath
Care to enjoy a pint in the oldest bar in the world? If so, you’ll want to go here! Their website is here.
#7 Carrick-a-Rede, County Antrim
Ireland’s famous rope bridge! Would you cross? I would! Learn more about this location by clicking here.
#8 Leap Castle, County Offaly
Leap Castle is the world’s most-haunted castle – learn more about Leap Castle’s history and more by clicking here to visit their website.
#9 Glenoe Waterfall, County Antrim
There are many waterfalls in Ireland, but Glenoe Waterfall is the most beautiful! Nestled in the hills just outside the little village of Gleno, to get here, you must find the parking for cars on Waterfall Rd. Once you arrive, follow a path through the trees to the stunning waterfall. It takes about 2 minutes. This is a great stop around Belfast, and Giant’s Causeway. Learn more here.
#10 Glendalough, County Wicklow
This could possible be one of the most scenic places to visit in Ireland and can be seen in a day trip from Dublin. It is the focal point of the nearby Wicklow Mountains is the lake of Glendalough is likely Ireland’s most-beautiful lake. Glendalough means ‘Valley of Two Lakes’, and is one of Ireland’s most well known monastic sites. This 6th-century Christian settlement area offers a lot of impressive remains and is often called ‘the garden of Ireland’, because Wicklow is a nature-lover’s dream of meadows, lakes, and hills carpeted in purple heather! Check out their site here for more.
Click here to check out this great tour from Viator – You’ll get to see the Glendalough monastic settlement, the Wicklow Mountains National Park, and the city of Kilkenny. Avoid the hassle of navigating country roads with this tour that includes free time to explore landmarks like Kilkenny Castle.
#11 A black taxi tour, County Antrim
If you want to understand life in Northern Ireland, then there’s no avoiding this type of tour to give you a unique insight into Belfast’s troubled past. Quite possibly the best way to start to understand Northern Ireland’s history and how it got to today is by taking a black taxi tour through Belfast. A knowledgeable taxi tour guide & driver takes small groups in London-style black cabs. Most tours last 90 minutes & take you to most of the city’s most well known murals, peace walls, & areas which were hugely affected by the turmoil of the past. Check our Black Cab experience by clicking here.
#12 Murder Hole Beach, County Donegal
Murder Hole Beach is often called Ireland’s most mysterious beach, and if you love beautiful beaches, definitely check this one out. Though not easy to get to, it’s worth the journey (but is not swimmable). You’ll see beautiful caves, surrounding cliffs, this rugged and beautiful area is not to be missed! Know there’s nothing to fear – its name is from Irish legend and there’s nothing scary about it.
#13 Carrauntoohil, County Kerry
This is of the best places to visit in Ireland if you’re into hiking and stunning, high up mountaintop views! It’s the highest peak in Ireland at 3406 feet and is the central peak of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks range. There’s a great tour company here that you can consider if you’d like a guide to take this hike.
#14 The Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim
Giant’s Causeway is Ireland’s most stunning rock formation, and if you are into in stunning beauty as well as Irish mythology, you’ll want to check out the Giant’s Causeway on the north coast of Ireland. Almost 60 million years old, it’s made up of huge basalt columns. World renowned, people come from all corners of the world to see it. Giant’s Causeway gets the odd name from Irish mythology. According to the story, which the Irish love to tell, it was set up by the Irish giant named Finn McCool. When visiting, you are sure to feel intrigued and inspired by this natural phenomenon. It’s also located near some of the top Game of Thrones attractions in Northern Ireland, so if you’re looking to see more on that, you can certainly find locations where more was filmed. Learn more about Giant’s Causeway here.
#15 Dingle, County Kerry
Don’t miss out on exploring the incredible Dingle Peninsula! Located on Ireland’s southwest Atlantic coast, you’ll realize this is a stunning area of beautiful beaches, cliffs, and green hills. In fact, it once described by National Geographic as “the most beautiful place on earth”!
There’s great eateries, coffee, seafood, a distillery, dolphin tours, an aquarium, pub crawls, and of course, more scenic drives, like Sea Head Drive!
#16 Riverdance
If you ready to check out Irish music and dance, then The Riverdance in Dublin should be #1 on your bucket list! It’s a theatrical entertainment experience featuring mostly traditional Irish music & dance, made famous by Michael Flatley and co. in 1994. Famous worldwide, they have performances annually in Dublin. So, if you’re in the city, make sure you keep your eye out for tickets!
#17 The Old Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim
If you want to visit the world’s oldest whiskey distillery, then visiting The Old Bushmills Distillery is right up your alley! This distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, is the oldest operating distillery in the world! Some of the best whiskey worldwide is produced here, it’s open for tourists, with about 120,000 visitors per year. Check out their site here for more information.
#18 Kilmainham Gaol, County Dublin
This – Ireland’s most famous prison – has held some of Ireland’s most well known leaders & many who started political change throughout Irish history. The prison has also been used in many movies such as the original Italian Job and In the Name of the Father. Irish history enthusiasts will enjoy this the most of all! Learn more here.
#19 Slieve League Cliffs, County Donegal
If you want to see some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe – at 3x the height of the well known Cliffs of Moher, these cliffs are dramatic and crazy – these cliffs are ranked #1 for the county of Donegal on TripAdvisor! Enough said? Learn more here.
#20 Croagh Patrick, County Mayo
Does following in the footsteps of Ireland’s patron saint interest you? If so, you’ll want to do this one too! Croagh Patrick comes from the Irish Cruach Phádraig meaning “(Saint) Patrick’s stack”. On the final July Sunday each year, 1000s of pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick in honor of St. Patrick who, as the story goes, fasted & prayed on the summit for 40 days. On a lovely and clear day, you can enjoy stunning views of Clew Bay & the south Mayo countryside from the top of the mountain. It takes most folks 2 hours or so to go up, 1.5 hours to come back down. Should you accept this adventure, wear sturdy footwear, pack some rainwear, & of course bring drinking water!
#21 The Blarney Stone, County Cork
For the gift of the gab, you’ll want to visit the Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney Stone! The old Irish legend says that kissing the stone gives the kisser the ‘gift of the gab’ (great eloquence or skill at flattery). It was placed into the tower at the castle in 1446. It is a popular tourist site, welcoming visitors from all over the world and as such, the queues for kissing this stone can be long!
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