Ireland —
our home, and we're still discovering it
We travel all over the world, but some of our favourite discoveries have been right here at home. We're Nicola and Padraig from Carlow, and this is our growing guide to Ireland — castles, country houses, gardens, ancient sites, brilliant little towns, road trips and the places we'd driven past for years until we finally stopped.
Choose a county
Start with one of the county guides we've completed so far. Each one combines our own visits, local connections, videos and practical ideas.
Places we've explored around Ireland
This map is the beginning of our Ireland archive. We'll keep adding markers as our county guides grow. Tap a marker to jump into the matching guide or Hidden Ireland collection.
Every photo on this page is from our own travels around Ireland — no stock images.
We're exploring Ireland one county at a time
This isn't a generic Ireland guide written from a desk. The places we feature come from somewhere we've actually visited, filmed or explored ourselves. As we travel more of Ireland, the county guides, photographs and map on this page will keep growing with us.
We're building Ireland out gradually from the places we've actually visited and filmed — no thin county pages just for the sake of having them.
Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford and the brilliant corners of Ireland closest to home.
Guides growing now →Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Clare, Tipperary and Limerick — coastline, history, towns and road-trip country.
More coming →Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim — wild landscapes, Atlantic roads and plenty still on our list.
More coming →Donegal and Northern Ireland — a section we'll expand as our travels take us farther north.
More coming →We'll add county and town guides here as they become substantial enough to deserve their own page.
Prefer to let someone else plan the route?
We love exploring Ireland independently, but if you'd rather have the route, transport and logistics organised, these are two Ireland itineraries we'd start by looking at. These are our picks, not tours we've personally taken.
10 Day Wild Irish Experience
A 10-day small-group journey starting and ending in Dublin, with stops including Clonmacnoise, Connemara, Kylemore Abbey, the Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Dingle, Killarney, Blarney and Kilkenny.
View the Wild Irish Experience →Best of Ireland
A Trafalgar Ireland itinerary for travellers who want a more traditional organised tour and a broad introduction to the country.
View Best of Ireland →Disclosure: TourRadar links are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Things to do around Ireland
For guided walks, day trips, attractions and experiences, browse what's available around Ireland below.
Disclosure: GetYourGuide links are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Find somewhere to stay
Starting with four of Ireland's most useful bases, these links take you straight to accommodation and travel options on Klook.
Disclosure: Klook links are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Our own photographs from Ireland — the archive will grow as the guides do.
- Leave room for detours. Some of our favourite discoveries began with a sign, a gate or a road we'd never taken before.
- Download maps before rural drives. Mobile coverage can still disappear exactly when you decide to leave the main road.
- Watch for heritage signs. Ireland is packed with ruins, monastic sites, gardens, castles and monuments that barely advertise themselves.
- Bring waterproof layers. Sunshine at breakfast tells you very little about what the afternoon is going to do.
- Don't judge distance by kilometres alone. Smaller roads, tractors, villages and photo stops can make a short-looking journey take much longer.
- Ask people locally. A recommendation from somebody behind a bar, café counter or shop till can be better than an hour of scrolling.
Come explore Ireland with us
This page will keep growing as we do. Start in our home county, dive into Hidden Ireland, or pick a marker on the map and see where it takes you.