155 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Ireland - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

The Long Room Library at Trinity College

The gorgeous library at Trinity College is home to remarkable treasures of Irish identity.

Skellig Michael

Perfectly preserved ancient monastery in an impossibly dramatic location on a rocky island in the Atlantic.

The Glen

A tiny microvalley etched into the side of Knocknarea Mountain hides another world.

Dublin, Ireland

St. Michan's Mummies

An Irish church where you can shake hands with an 800 year old mummy.

Kilkenny, Ireland

Dunmore Cave

This Irish show cave is said to have been the site of a Viking massacre that claimed 1,000 lives.

Skibbereen, Ireland

Irish Sky Garden

This floating garden in the sky is straight out of a fairy tale, but the real thing is nothing short of magical.

Newgrange

The ancient tomb acts as a calendar that keeps perfect time.

Galway, Ireland

Brigit's Celtic Garden

The world of the ancient Celtic civilization explained through a bewitching 11 acre garden.

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Unique Food & Drink in Ireland

Stinging Nettles

Boil away this plant's poisonous hairs, and you're left with a tasty, spinach-like leaf.

Blaa Bread

This adaption of French refugee bread is now a protected Irish specialty.

Carrageen Moss Pudding

This sweet, silky Irish pudding has a secret ingredient: seaweed.

Bog Butter

Unearthed after centuries in peat bogs, these blocks of aged dairy have an incredibly funky flavor.

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Community Forums / U.K. & Ireland / Republic of Ireland

Top Discussions in the Republic of Ireland Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Kilbrittain Whale	2 June 28, 2019	1062	June 28, 2019
Rathcroghan	1 July 9, 2019	1129	July 9, 2019
Ringfinnan Garden of Remembrance	1 June 25, 2019	748	June 25, 2019
Gap of Dunloe	1 June 28, 2019	1163	June 28, 2019
Rindoon	1 June 26, 2019	1025	June 26, 2019

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Stories About Ireland

The púca is a shapeshifter that may take the form of a domestic animal.

The Púca Is Ireland's Supernatural Pastoral Trickster

They can turn a drunken walk home into a wild ride.

by Kaleb Horton

October 26, 2020

All indications are that the coast was mapped from the sea, in secret.

How a Secret Map Brought Down a Pirate Alliance on the Irish Coast

Now archaeologists are using it to search for evidence of clandestine activity.

by Erin Mullally

September 29, 2020

Don't forget to visit the Tapestry Room.

For Sale: The Most Haunted Mansion in Ireland

Loftus Hall holds tales of Satan, colonialism, and getting stood up by the Queen.

by Matthew Taub

In 1832, cholera killed more than 10 percent of Sligo's population.

The Deadly Irish Epidemic That Helped Bring Dracula to Life

Forget Vlad the Impaler. A 19th-century cholera outbreak in Sligo may have been Bram Stoker's chief inspiration.

by Ronan O'Connell

Jasper McCarthy outside of the pub established by his great-great-grandfather, Michael, in 1840.

Why Ireland's Pub Owners Have Long Moonlighted as Undertakers

It helps to have cold storage and room to hold a wake.

by Jessica Gingrich

October 29, 2019

Scottish Singles Used to Spend Halloween Picking Kale

The leafy green once foretold the future.

October 23, 2019

A 15th-century medical manuscript in Gaelic. No spaces here!

The Merriam-Webster of Medieval Irish Just Got a Major Update

A tiny group of scholars added 500 words and made 5,000 revisions to the Dictionary of the Irish Language.

by Sabrina Imbler

September 19, 2019

Fruitcake—something everyone gives, and no one wants.

The Fruitcake Prison Break That Reshaped Irish History

You'll never guess this dessert's key ingredient.

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