East & Dublin

Resounding with legends and folk tales about giants, the fascinating Cooley Peninsula has been inhabited for thousands of years and is rich in prehistoric sites.

Glendalough has a mystical beauty that seduces everyone that visits. The valley is misty and verdant, the lakes are glassy and the Visitor Centre contains a good exhibition on the story of St Kevin and his sixth-century monastic settlement.

These beautiful gardens have been in the Madden family for over 250 years and extend to 500 acres of woodland, pasture and a lake that offers rowing, fishing and swimming.

Around five kilometres from Cavan town, Killykeen Forest Park is a delightful 600-acre haven for birds and wildlife. It also contains historical sites including an Iron Age ring fort, and is an ideal spot for outdoor activities, such as sailing, canoeing and orienteering.

Take the opportunity to explore remote lakes and rivers, including the tranquil Shannon-Erne waterway with some of the most breathtaking scenery in the country, and an atmosphere of pure tranquility.

The Midland Lakes are justly famous for the quality of their brown trout fishing and are a must for all “lock style” enthusiasts.

Occupying a beautiful 48-acre site on the banks of the Tolka River, the gardens are a favourite with Dubliners and contain over 20,000 different plant species.

Dublin's playground and the largest urban enclosed park in Europe with a total area of 1,760 acres. Livestock graze peacefully on pasturelands, deer roam the forested areas and horses settle scores on polo fields. Bliss…

The west of Longford is bordered by the Upper River Shannon. Rising in County Cavan, the river flows 250km to the sea at Limerick, making it the longest river in the British Isles.

Sally Gap is one of the two east-to-west passes across the Wicklow Mountains and offers both drivers and walkers truly spectacular views across mountains and glens.

The Slieve Bloom Mountains are beautifully scenic with quiet roads and a labyrinth of walking trails and forest tracks plus miles of rivers and a number of lakes.

An impressive sight built on 150ft-high limestone outcrop situated on the Portlaoise-Stradbally Road. The Rock of Dunamaise is one of the great fortifications of Ireland and Vikings, Normans, English and Irish have fought over its possession.

With its compact size, Dublin is ideally suited for exploration on foot. Try a traditional music or a historical walking tour.

Sweeping and spectacular, the National Park covers a total area of around 20,000 hectares and is filled with dipping valleys, verdant scenery, pretty lakes and misty forest.