Munster Province

Hidden gems in Munster Province

Hidden Gems of Ireland

Explore the diverse heritage of Munster through its lesser-known landmarks. This collection features architectural rarities like the dry-stone Gallarus Oratory and the 19th-century Leviathan telescope, once the world’s largest. Discover the maritime history of the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, the birthplace of Irish coffee, and the unique Dursey Island cable car. From the poignant Kindred Spirits sculpture in Midleton to the James Turrell Sky Garden in West Cork, these sites offer specific insights into Ireland's scientific, cultural, and engineering history.

Hidden Gems of Ireland — Map

Jjm596 / CC BY-SA 4.0

A

Mizen Head

Mizen Head is traditionally regarded as the most southerly point of mainland Ireland.

Patricia Ranghetti Rocha / CC-BY-SA

B

Torc Waterfall

Torc Waterfall is a 20 metres high, 110 metres long cascade waterfall formed by the Owengarriff River as it drains from the Devil's…

K. Jähne / CC-BY-SA-3.0

C

Gallarus Oratory

The Gallarus Oratory (Irish: Séipéilín Ghallarais, Gallarus being interpreted as either 'rocky headland' or 'house or shelter for foreigner…

CommonsHelper2 Bot / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Glen of Aherlow

The Glen of Aherlow is a valley located between Slievenamuck and the Galtee Mountains in the western part of County Tipperary in Ireland.

Éanna Murphy / CC-BY-SA

E

Dursey Cable Car

Ireland's only cable car, connecting the Beara Peninsula to Dursey Island across the Dursey Sound. It was originally opened in 1969 to transport local farmers and livestock.

Pedelecs / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

Inch Beach

A five-kilometer sand spit on the Dingle Peninsula. This Blue Flag beach is a known location for surfing and was used as a filming site for the movie Ryan's Daughter.

Cary Bass / CC BY-SA 2.0

G

Doonagore Castle

Doonagore Castle is a round 16th-century tower house with a small walled enclosure located about 1 km south of the coastal village of…

Whoisjohngalt / CC BY-SA 4.0

H

The Butter Museum

The Cork Butter Museum is a museum in Cork city in Ireland which documents the history of butter production and sale in County Cork.

Riekeshieldmaiden / Public domain

I

Lough Hyne

Lough Hyne is a fully marine sea lough in West Cork, Ireland, about 5 km southwest of Skibbereen.

Lukemcurley / CC-BY-SA-3.0

J

Foynes Flying Boat Museum

Located in the original terminal building of the 1930s transatlantic flying boat service. It features the world's only Boeing 314 replica and marks the invention of Irish coffee.

Dennis Turner / CC BY-SA 2.0

K

The Great Telescope 'Leviathan'

A massive six-foot reflecting telescope built in 1845 by the 3rd Earl of Rosse. It remained the largest astronomical instrument in the world for over 70 years.

Gavin Sheridan / CC BY-SA 4.0

L

Kindred Spirits

Kindred Spirits is a large stainless steel outdoor sculpture in Bailick Park in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland.Kindred Spirits commemorates…

Stacey Sharman / CC-BY-SA

M

Sky Garden

A landscape art installation by James Turrell at Liss Ard Estate. It features a massive earthwork crater designed for viewing the sky from a central stone plinth.

Ben Rudiak-Gould / Public domain

N

Beacon Point

The Baltimore Beacon is a white-painted stone beacon positioned high above the channel between the mainland and Sherkin Island near the…

Towiki60 / CC BY-SA 3.0

O

Charlie Chaplin

A bronze statue in Waterville commemorating Charlie Chaplin, who frequented the village for family holidays starting in 1959.

Ogmios / CC BY-SA 3.0

P

King Puck statue

A bronze monument in Killorglin celebrating Puck Fair, one of Ireland’s oldest festivals. It depicts the wild mountain goat traditionally crowned king during the annual August celebrations.

Espresso Addict / CC BY-SA 2.0

Q

Anglo American Cable House, Telegraph Field

The historic site on Valentia Island where the first successful transatlantic telegraph cable was landed in 1866, establishing a communications link between Europe and North America.

Jjm596 / CC BY-SA 4.0

R

O'Brien's Castle

Ruins of a 15th-century tower house associated with the O'Brien dynasty, located in the historical landscape of County Clare.

Mike Searle / CC BY-SA 2.0

S

Fiddaun Castle

Fiddaun Castle is a tower house in Tubber, County Galway, close to the border of County Clare in Ireland.

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