authorcarlottahughes's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Louth, Ireland

Proleek Dolmen

A mysterious Neolithic tomb is perched along the edge of a modern golf course.
Snugborough, Ireland

Darby's Bed

A Neolithic passage tomb said to have sheltered two legendary Irish lovers.
Midleton, Ireland

Punishment Book at Jameson Distillery

The whiskey producer's archives includes a historical list of infractions committed by and associated penalties exacted upon employees.
Killea, Ireland

Secret Celtic Tree Cross

A massive Celtic cross secretly growing in an Irish forest.
Galway, Ireland

Thoor Ballylee

This 14th century tower house was once the home of Irish poet W.B. Yeats.
Dublin, Ireland

The Irish Elk Collection

These gigantic skeletons tower over visitors and provide insight into the creatures that once ruled over Ireland.
Kerry, Ireland

Saint Brendan’s Well

An ancient holy well said to be used by the patron saint of sailors and travelers, lost in the boggy west of Valentia Island.
Dublin, Ireland

Táin Bó Cúailnge Mosaic

This colorful and fiery mural depicts the Irish folk story of the beloved hero Cuchulain.
Dublin, Ireland

Relics of St. Valentine at Whitefriar Street Church

Some of the saint's blood and bones are said to reside in Dublin.
Dublin, Ireland

Ancient Bog Butter

The block of aged dairy is probably still edible after 2,300 years in a peat bog.
Carlow, Ireland

Brownshill Dolmen

The largest portal tomb in Europe has a capstone weighing around 150 tons.
Ireland

The Dry Stone Walls of the Aran Islands

Mortarless walls that stretch for miles are a lovely solution for creating grazing land in the harsh terrain of the Aran Islands.
Dublin, Ireland

Francis Bacon's Preserved Art Studio

The chaotic studio of one of the 20th century's most important artists has been preserved down to the dust.
Ballyedmonduff, Ireland

Ballyedmonduff Wedge Tomb

This Bronze Age tomb is the centerpiece of a clearing within a beautiful Irish forest.
Kerry, Ireland

King Puck

A proud bronze billy stands as an eternal symbol of Ireland's oldest festival, where a goat is made king.
Stamullen, Ireland

Fourknocks Passage Tomb

An ancient chamber filled with wonderful rock art and a Neolithic carving of a human face.
Glendalough, Ireland

Writers' Room at The Wicklow Heather

A restaurant with an extensive Irish whiskey bar also has several first editions of famous works by Irish authors.
Kilkenny, Ireland

Cantwell Fada

A standing relief of a Norman knight whose posture marks him as a Crusader.
Galway, Ireland

Áras na nGael

At this cozy bar tucked down a hidden Galway backroad, Guinness makes the Gaelic come out.
Wicklow, Ireland

Seefin Passage Tomb

This 5,300-year-old tomb with mysterious carvings crowns an Irish mountain.
County Donegal, Ireland

Grianán of Aileach

You can see three Irish counties from this Neolithic hillside fort, once the seat of the Kingdom of Ailech.
Kerry, Ireland

Cathair Crobh Dearg

An important pilgrimage site for pagans and early Christians, named for a Celtic goddess-turned-saint.
Dublin, Ireland

John Kavanagh ('The Gravediggers')

This pub built its reputation pouring post-shift pints for employees of the cemetery with which it shares a wall.
Kilkenny, Ireland

Kells Priory

These imposing walls and towers look more like the ruins of a fortress than a monastery.