Things to Do

Rising from the Atlantic like jagged stone pyramids, the Skellig Islands off the Kerry coast hold ancient monasteries, wild seabirds, and a journey you’ll never forget.

Just off the Galway coast, the Aran Islands offer stone forts older than Christ, dry-stone walls that stretch for miles, and a way of life that hasn’t rushed into the modern world. Here’s what makes them unforgettable.

While the Ring of Kerry draws the crowds, the Sheep’s Head Peninsula offers 88 kilometers of coastal walking through West Cork’s most unspoiled corner—where lighthouse views, stone circles, and harbor villages reward those who venture off the beaten path.

From Adare to Achill, Ireland’s thatched cottages are more than picturesque relics—they’re living traditions built with wheat straw, skill, and centuries of craft.

At Ashford Castle in County Galway, Ireland’s oldest field sport takes flight again. Meet the hawks, the handlers, and the centuries-old tradition that still soars.

From fuchsia hedgerows to wild roses scrambling over stone walls, Irish cottage gardens are a living tradition that blends beauty, practicality, and a connection to the land that goes back generations.

The Wicklow Way offers 81 miles of moorland, mountain, and valley just south of Dublin. Here’s what makes it Ireland’s most loved long-distance walking trail.

Rising from the Atlantic off the Kerry coast, Skellig Michael is one of Ireland’s most dramatic and sacred sites—a sixth-century monastery perched on a rocky pyramid where monks lived in stunning isolation.

From storm-watching on Clare’s coast to kayaking in Donegal’s sea caves, the world’s longest coastal touring route offers adventures you won’t find anywhere else.

From bog roads to mountain trails, stone-walled beaches to hidden loughs, Connemara offers some of Ireland’s most rewarding experiences. Here’s how to spend your time in the west’s wildest corner.