To the untrained eye, Skellig Michael—a small, rocky island in Ireland which rises dramatically from the sea—appears to be uninviting and uninhabitable. Irish historians will happily tell you that Skellig Michael is in fact the site of one of Ireland‘s most celebrated monasteries. Beginning in the 6th century, austere Irish monks risked everything to painstakingly…
When most people dream up a wish list of mysterious ancient structures to visit and explore, the pyramids of Egypt and the mystical rock sculptures of Stonehenge in England tend to top the list. Most travelers are unaware that Ireland is home to Newgrange—one of the world’s most impressive ancient stone structures—-which was constructed prior…
Ireland‘s Bull Rock Island simply doesn’t look real. Bull Rock Island features a defunct lighthouse and a large abandoned stone building that looks like a natural outcropping of the jagged rocks that surround it. Bull Rock Island’s most stunning attribute is a natural arch large enough for boats to pass through. Irish folklore states that…
In the late 1970s, Henry Conyngham’s family estate in Ireland was on the brink of financial ruin. Henry Conyngham was next in line to inherit Slane Castle—a stately castle situated in the fertile Boyne Valley in Ireland. Conyngham’s father advised him to come up with a plan to fund the castle’s upkeep. Maintaining the castle…
The Dark Hedges are truly the stuff that nightmares are made of. A lane of densely packed beech trees which have grown together to form an ominous tunnel appears as though it may be the entrance to the underworld. Local legend says that the spirit of a Grey Lady frequents the Dark Hedges—weaving from tree…
Since the beginning of the 18th Century, visitors flock to the coast of Northern Ireland to admire this bizarre landscape in the area of Antrim. Before science and technology could offer an explanation for how the site appeared beautiful myths and stories made the place even more appealing. In 1986 UNESCO declared it a World…
In the Irish town-land of Knockaun, 80 meters off Downpatrick Head stands a colossal, 50 meters in height, sea-stack called Dun Briste (The Broken Fort). The surrounding cliffs, including the rock formation, were formed about c. 350 million years ago, when the sea temperatures were much higher than today. Every year, Downpatrick Head is visited…
The Wonderful Barn, located on the edge of the Castletown House Estate of the Conolly family in Ireland, is a unique spiral-shaped structure built in 1743. The barn, which is located on the Leixlip side of the estate, is flanked by two smaller towers, and features an ascending staircase on the exterior. The purpose of…
