The counties of Wexford, Wicklow and Waterford in Ireland, and Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion in Wales, together form the spectacular Celtic Routes. A cross-country and cross-county initiative designed to set travellers on their journey to discovering the many Celtic legends of the two nations – a route between countries that is steeped in Celtic history.
This is the second of two blogs in my series about the Celtic Routes where I’m sharing my top highlights from across both the Welsh and Irish counties. Hopefully this blog of Irish destinations will inspire your next trip. You can read my first blog of the series about Wales’ Celtic Routes here.
Table of Contents
- 1 6 Irish destinations along the Celtic Routes
- 1.1 Discover an extraordinary collection of plant species at Mount Congreve
- 1.2 Take on some of the 127km of the Wicklow Way
- 1.3 Follow the twists and turns of Hook Peninsula
- 1.4 Go nature spotting on the Tintern Trails
- 1.5 Explore one of the Celtic Routes’ most historic town
- 1.6 Spend the day soaking up sand and sea at Brittas Bay
- 1.7 How do I get to these Irish destinations on the Celtic Routes?
6 Irish destinations along the Celtic Routes
Discover an extraordinary collection of plant species at Mount Congreve
The gardens at Mount Congreve in Waterford, a 16th century estate, have been described as some of the ‘best in the world’.
And it’s no surprise when you discover that former owner Ambrose Congreve was so dedicated to his green gardens that he won no fewer than 13 Gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Now, the gardens comprise of 70 acres of intensively-planted woodland, a 4-acre walled garden and 16km of walkways.
The entire collection consists of over 3,000 different trees and shrubs, more than 2,000 Rhododendrons, 600 Camellias, 300 Acer cultivars, 600 conifers, 250 climbers and 1,500 herbaceous plants, plus many more tender species contained in the Georgian glasshouse.
The extraordinary beauty of these great gardens can only be truly realised in person.
Take on some of the 127km of the Wicklow Way
The 127km Wicklow Way trail is not for the faint hearted, taking 7-10 days to complete. But you can pick chunks of the scenic route to complete at your leisure.
Passing lakes, stunning gardens, 18th century mansions, and the ruins of an early Christian monastic settlement, the Wicklow Way is what Wicklow, Ireland is known best for – a wild expanse of coastline, woodland and imposing mountains.
Ireland’s oldest marked trail begins in Dublin’s southern suburb of Rathfarnham and travels across the Dublin and Wicklow uplands, through the rolling hills of southwest County Wicklow, finishing in the small Wicklow-Carlow border village of Clonegal. Don’t forget to pack your hiking boots!
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Follow the twists and turns of Hook Peninsula
No trip along the Celtic Routes is complete without exploring the Hook Peninsula in Wexford. If you’re short on time, this one-hour drive is the ideal way to take in the main sights along the long finger of the peninsula.
Expect a new sight around every bend, from quiet beaches, crumbling fortresses, a stately abbey, or a seafood restaurant.
The jewel in the crown can be found at the very tip of the peninsula in the form of the world’s oldest working lighthouse, Hook Lighthouse.
This lighthouse has protected seafarers for over 800 years and has been operated by fire, coal, whale oil, gas, and eventually, electricity. In 1996, the lighthouse became fully automated and the last of the light keepers finally left.
Go nature spotting on the Tintern Trails
These four circular walking routes all start from the 11th century Tintern Abbey in Wexford.
Offering a combination of quiet woodland and coastline walks, the trails, which range from a 20-minute walk to a 2-hour hike, take you past some of the Hook Peninsula’s highlights: Tintern Abbey, Colcough Walled Garden and Saltmills Village.
Wildlife lovers should look out for kingfishers, egrets, buzzards, red squirrels and bats on the inland trails and migratory sea birds like Brent Geese along the coastline.
Explore one of the Celtic Routes’ most historic town
For a small town, Lismore has a lot of history, with the Abbey founded in 635. As well as attracting scholars from all over Europe, the riches of the monastery also drew plundering Vikings, who proceeded to ransack the town and burn it to the ground.
The Normans followed and Prince John, son of Henry II, built Lismore Castle in 1185. The castle was the birthplace of Robert Boyle in 1627, who became known as the ‘Father of Modern Chemistry’ for Boyle’s Law.
Famous visitors to the town throughout its history include author William Thackeray, John F. Kennedy and Fred Astaire, who was spotted supping Guinness there while on holiday!
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Spend the day soaking up sand and sea at Brittas Bay
Nature’s playground, Brittas Bay is one of the finest expanses of shoreline on the east coast. Race through the dunes and you’ll emerge straight onto the beach.
With no headlands to disrupt the gentle rhythm of the waves breaking on the sand, this 5km stretch is perfect for bathing, sailing and walking.
It’s got Celtic spirit crashing through its waves too – Three Mile Water at Brittas Bay is thought to have been the initial landing point of St Patrick in Ireland.
How do I get to these Irish destinations on the Celtic Routes?
Road – Your Celtic Routes adventure is accessible by car, driving along the coast of Wicklow, Waterford and Wexford before crossing to Wales. Or vice versa, exploring Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion on the West Wales Way before crossing to Ireland.
Sea – After exploring Irelands’ Celtic Routes offering, you can catch a ferry from Rosslare in Ireland to Fishguard in Wales.
Air – Fly direct from Dublin to Cardiff, Bristol or London airports, hire a car and then drive south to Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.
To start planning your trip across the Celtic Routes, go to celticroutes.info for more information and inspiration and follow Celtic Routes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Travel in and out of Ireland is not currently permitted due to coronavirus. However, travel in and out of Wales is. This blog has been published to inspire travel to the Celtic Routes when it is safe to do so. Travel restrictions are being continually reviewed and for the latest updates in both Ireland and Wales visit the Irish Government’s Covid-19 Travel Advice List and the Welsh Government’s Travel Advice Website.
I hope this article inspires you to visit these Irish destinations in the Celtic Routes.
Which one will you visit first? Let me know in the comments!
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Disclosure: This post has been created in partnership with Celtic Routes.