The castle and estate at Birr, Co. Offaly in Ireland, has been owned by the Parsons family for over 300 years. In this time, Birr castle demense has seen a host of scientific and technological achievement, much of which has changed the world. To help preserve this...

great semi-fortified house at Portumna was built before 1618 by Richard Burke or de Burgo, 4th Earl of Clanricarde. It was the main seat of the de Burgo family for over 200 years, until it was gutted by fire in 1826. The ground floor of the house is now open to the...

An Early Christian site founded by St. Ciarán in the mid-6th century on the eastern bank of the River Shannon. The site includes the ruins of a cathedral, seven churches (10th -13th century), two round towers, three high crosses and the largest collection of Early...

The main focus of the Museum is to conserve and display original pieces of Mountmellick Work (Embroidery) and to protect the memory of Mountmellick’s rich Quaker industrial past. The Museum is situated on the banks of the river Owenass giving visitors a chance to...

Locke's Distillery is the last remaining example of a small pot still whiskey distillery in Ireland. It was licensed in 1757 and whiskey production continued until for 200 years until 1957, when the distillery closed its doors. For more information head straight to...

The only fishing and hunting museum of its kind in Europe. Over four thousand exhibits with many rare artefacts tracing the development of hunting, shooting and fishing through the ages.

Housed in the Old North National School, our Heritage Centre interprets the Planned Estate Town of the de Vesci Landlords, once home to the Abbeyleix Carpet Factory, where a number of hand-tufted carpets were made for the state rooms of the Titanic

For those with an interest in the lifestyle of bygone days, the Museum hosts laundry memorabilia, old and rare washing machines, 1930’s old-style thatched bar & grocery, old-style sheep shears, radios, gramophones and a large collection of 78rpm records, shop...

The Oldest Intact Operational Lighthouses in the World. When the Tower of Hook became fully automated in 1996 and no longer needed resident lighthouse keepers, it was decided to celebrate its uniqueness by opening it to the public. The Visitor centre at Hook is...

Athenry is one of the most notable medieval walled towns surviving in Ireland, owing its foundation to Meiler de Bermingham who built his castle there c.1250. The oldest part of the castle is the hall-keep. It is a large rectangular building originally containing...