Ireland's Cities: Old and New

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Picturesque Killarney

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Cities: Old and New

From its Viking foundations to its 15th century castles and colorful buildings, Ireland offers a diverse blend of quaint and modern cities.

Getting Around Killarney

Jaunting cars are the best transportation for seeing the National Park.

Ross Castle, Killarney

15th century chieftain stronghold

Killarney Thatched Cottage

Rare Red Deer in Killarney

St. Mary's Cathedral in Killarney

Lower Lake, Killarney

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Killarney

Picturesque Killarney is a popular stopping off place for people visiting the Ring of Kerry. But it has plenty of beauty in its own right. A short walk from the town’s center to Killarney National Park provides an oasis of quiet amid spectacular scenery. Ross Castle, a 15th century tower house, sits on the edge of Lower Lake. It’s considered a typical example of the stronghold of an Irish Chieftain during the Middle Ages. Legend holds the original owner, Clan chief O’Donoghue, was somehow sucked into the lake along with his white steed. The two of them reportedly ride again on the first day of May, every seven years, before disappearing again into the lake. Killarney National Park is Ireland’s oldest and covers 25,000 acres. A great way to enjoy the park is a ride on a jaunting cart – horse and buggy – and try to catch a glimpse of Ireland’s only native herd of red deer, quaint thatched cottages and the 19th century St. Mary’s Church, considered one of Ireland’s most notable in the Gothic Revival style.

Bunratty

For a more extensive taste of life in bygone eras, the little town of Bunratty near Shannon airport has it covered. The beautifully restored 15th century Bunratty castle, billed as the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland, offers a lavish experience of mingling with the lords and ladies of the day over a four-course dinner in the castle’s immense Banquet Hall, amid the lilting tunes of Irish medieval and traditional songs. Adjacent to the castle is a recreated 19th century village, where life goes on much as it did two hundred years ago in the person of well-informed actors and historians. A must-see stop in Bunratty is Durty Nelly’s, arguably Ireland’s most famous pub. For almost 400 years the little yellow building has been a meeting place and center of comfort and laughter. With its rustic beams, uneven floors and stone and mortar walls, Durty’s is still the epitome of Irish pub life.

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Burnaby Castle Wall Covering

Burnatty Castle Dinner

Re-enactment of medieval banquet

Bunratty Folk Park

Re-created 19th Century Town

Durty Nelly's Pub

One of Ireland's best known pubs

Inside Durty Nellie's

Dublin

Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, has a long and rich heritage. Its name, originally Dubh Linn, is Irish for “black pool” – a reflection of its waterways, the River Liffey, darkened with peat residue, and the tidal pool where it met the now submerged River Poddle. The region became a favorite shelter of 9th century marauding Vikings, who used the deep channel to escape harsh storms and put in to repair boats before raiding other regions. Excavations throughout the city, some discovered as recently as the 1990s, show an extensive Viking settlement. Dublin Castle stands where a Viking fortress once guarded the settlement. Over the centuries, castles were built and destroyed in the same spot. The current structure served as a seat of power for the once British-ruled territory for 700 years. All the historic buildings have been restored and it is now been fully integrated into Irish Society. As a government building, events are still conducted at the castle, and European Union Presidencies, Heads of State, and leaders of business, industry and government have all visited.

Other popular sights in the city include the 16th century Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest and most acclaimed university. It houses a world-renowned library, with over four million volumes – the most famous of which is the Book of Kells. This elaborately detailed, hand-written and illustrated manuscript of the Four Gospels of the New Testament reportedly dates back to the 9th century when it was painstakingly produced by Irish monks. (To view a digital version of the artwork, visit the college's collection through this link: Book of Kells; it takes a while to load the page.)