Glin —County Limerick

Seat of one of the great Irish noble families, the Fitzgeralds for 700 years, the 29th Knight of Glin resides at the eye-catching Glin Castle dating from the 1780s. Open to the public the mansion houses fine collections of Irish furniture, Irish landscapes and family portraits. The old castle of the Knights of Glin dynasty, which fell in 1600 after a two-day defence, stands near the Glencorbry stream beside the village. In previous centuries local fields were flooded in winter to provide ice for a big salmon export trade through the Shannon estuary port. A stone 'ice house' has been restored and the old village schoolhouse converted to use as a visitor centre.