25 FREE THINGS
TO DO IN IRELAND
The Whole of Ireland Offers Lots of Cost Free Activities
What’s
the difference between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for
the touring
visitor? Only the money and road signs. Ireland in the south and Ulster
(UK) in the North, the two countries are joined together
in heritage, the unique lush landscapes and value. Crossing the border,
the only difference you’ll recognize is miles on the street signs
instead of kilometers and pounds instead of euros. All around Ireland
you can find dotting the green fields the ruins of ancient castles and
great stonework abbeys destroyed in the age of the Tudors
which can be discovered without admission. You just may have to get past
the occasional curious cow or grass munching sheep. But the whole island
of Ireland, top to bottom, east to west offers an assortment of free
things to do. Here are 25.
Dublin
Dublin Walks Download a free audio walking guide
to Dublin to your MP3 player or iPod from the VisitDublin website
and walk the city at
your own pace to your own private soundtrack! With 12 guides in total
and easy printable maps for each walk you can learn about Guinness (see Guinness
Storehouse), Temple Bar (Trad
Fest Temple Bar) or the
literary Dublin (see Dublin
Writers Museum).
Parks
and Gardens Take a stroll in Dublin’s many parks and gardens.
Visit Phoenix Park, Europe’s largest green park; St. Stephen’s
Green in Dublin’s city centre; Merrion Square with its laconic
reclining Oscar Wilde and Fitzwilliam Square, even the National Botanical
Gardens are open to the public for free!
Museums & Galleries All Ireland’s National
Museums cost nada to see. Visit the Natural History Museum, the Archaeology
and Decorative
Art Museums in
Dublin (see Collins
Barracks) and
learn all about the country’s
rich colored past. Take in the National Gallery or Ireland’s
Museum of Modern Art.
Markets Meet some locals in Dublin's many Saturday
markets in the Temple Bar quarter: the Designer Market, Food Market
and Book Market or don’t
miss the multi-cultural flavored Market on Moore Street.
Belfast
St. Anne’s Cathedral Explore the treasures
of this Irish Romanesque cathedral with its new, proud modern “Spire of Hope’,
100 meters high celebrating the new concorde in Northern Ireland.
Quarters Belfast is defined by its residential quarters,
each with its own theme and culture. Queen’s Quarter, the student
and residential area, with its famous university and the newly refurbished
Ulster Museum;
the Cathedral Quarter and the Titanic Quarter, the old naval yard where
the world’s most famous ocean liner was built. Go
To Belfast
St. George’s Market There has been a market
every Friday on the St. George’s site since 1604. Fresh produce
and live jazz attract visitors to this Victorian neighborhood on
Friday and Saturday.
Botanical
Gardens and Greenhouse Constructed in 1830, the splendid
greenhouse contains an assortment of plants from tropical
regions and climates – explore for free!
Belfast Castle Set on the hill that watches over Belfast,
the castle and its gardens provide panoramic views of the city and the
bay from
above, free for the looking.
Northern Ireland
Londonderry
City Walls Take a walk around the 400 year old city walls, with
the old town an island in the midst of this city of history, and
vibrant cultural heritage. Derry is
the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland with the Catholic
and Protestant neighborhoods on opposite
sides. The Walls (see Tour
Derry's Walls), about a mile walk around offer
a unique promenade to view the layout of the original old town. Stop
in
the town
hall and
the
magnificent church of St Columb's Cathedral (see St
Columb's Cathedral).
Causeway Coastal Route and the Giant’s
Causeway Follow the
spectacular coastal road that leads you to the Giant’s Causeway
on Ireland northernmost coast where the Spanish Armada and dreams
of conquest foundered. The Causeway with its legend of a giant’s
bridge to Scotland is the most popular UNESCO World Heritage site in
Ireland. Entry to the Causeway is free, but it’ll cost a couple
of quid to park (see The
Giant’s Causeway).
Downpatrick Cathedral and St. Patrick’s
Tomb. The 1800’s
Gothic Revival Cathedral was built on the sacred site where the bones
of St. Patrick are buried.
The West and North West
Connemara National Park This County Galway the park
covers 7,000 acre of beautiful Irish landscape. The Interpretation
Centre
presents exhibits
of the animals and vegetation of the parklands, and a film. Get the
most out of the hiking trails and picnic areas.
Hunt
Museum Entry is free every Sunday to this great museum in
Limerick between 2:00 to 5:00 p. One of the mot impressive private
collections
of art and antiques
in
the
world,
from the Neolithic to modern times, including works by Renoir, Picasso
and Yeats (see Hunt
Museum Limerick).
Croagh Patrick This holy mountain in County
Mayo to Irelands far west goes back over 5,000 years from the Stone
Age to the present. Croagh Patrick
is famed for
its Patrician Pilgrimage in honor of the patron saint of Ireland,
Saint Patrick were the cleric fasted for 40 days on the summit in
441 AD.
The Cliffs of Slieve League (Sliabh Liag) The
cliffs of Slieve League on the west coast of Donegal are the highest
ocean cliffs in Europe,
they also have one of the best marine reserves.
Holy Cross Abbey It is difficult not to be impressed
by the incredible location of the Holy Cross Abbey in County Tipperary.
Its
12th century monastery is one of the most frequented pilgrim sites
in Ireland.
Roscommon
Castle The ruins of a medieval fortress
of great stone towers and shattered walls are free to visit just
at the edge
of
the town of Roscommon next to the children's play park. Roscommon
lies along the route from Northern Ireland to Galway (see Abbey
Hotel Roscommon).
The South West
Killarney National Park One of the most popular
parks in Ireland, hike its history-rich scenery to see the Torc Waterfall.
The Fitzgerald Park and Museum of Cork The park
with the Museum of Cork, extends for more than 4 miles with a kid's
playground
and an excellent
collection of plants and shrubs.
Crawford Art Gallery This Art museum located in
the middle of Cork City hosts a collection consists of over 2,000
Irish and European paintings and sculptures dating from the 18th
century
onwards.
Muckross Friary & Gardens, This Franciscan Friary
in County Kerry was founded in the 15th century and is in a remarkable
state of preservation. The cloister and monastic buildings are
complete
with an ancient yew
tree in the center.
The East and South East
Wicklow Mountains National Park This park in
Wicklow County is a mecca for walkers. Glendalough, or Gleann Da
Loch, meaning ‘The
Glen of the Two Lakes’ is found in the heart of Wicklow Mountains
National Park.
The visitor's center has an admission but the actualk site is free.
The round tower and decorated crosses mark the site founded in the
6th
century
by
Saint
Kevin set
in the
valley with its two lakes carved by a glacier (see Glendalough
Wicklow).
Kilmacurragh Arboretum Near the ruins of a Queen
Anne style house outside of Wicklow find the wild Robinsonian gardens
begun
in 1715 with rare trees
and shrubs.
Kilkenny
Castle Gardens This 12th century castle was rebuilt and
expanded during the Victorian era. The castle takes an entry fee,
but you can
wander the extensive gardens for free (see Kilkenny Castle).
Tramore, 8 miles south of Waterford
City, is one of Ireland's most popular seaside resorts on a
hillside
overlooking Tramore Bay with a 3 mile sandy bathing beach.
Other Ways to Save On Your Ireland Tour:
For sites and monuments that are not free, the tips below will help you save on admission fees or find 2-for-1 deals. All of these can be gotten through the official Ireland tourism website.
Ireland Visitor Discount Pass Take advantage of reductions on more than 100 historical monuments and attractions on the island of Ireland by printing your free pass from the Culture and Heritage Ireland site. Ireland Visitor Discount Pass
Ireland
at a Glimpse Booklet This booklet offers “2 for 1” discounts
on numerous attractions in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Save up to $600 with discount vouchers for over 76 attractions throughout
the whole of the Irish Island. Price is about $12.
Dublin Pass Dublin’s official sightseeing pass
offers visitors a truly authentic Dublin experience at a very affordable
price. From
just $20 per day per person, The Dublin Pass offers free entry to 30
of Dublin’s Top Visitor Attractions, free airport transfer to Dublin
City and an 84 page guidebook to Dublin. You can get a 1,
2, 3 or 6 day card.
Heritage Card This allows you unlimited free admission to all Heritage
Sites managed by The Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Department
of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for one year from the
date of first use. Price is about $30.
Rail Pass for Seniors Irish Rail and Ireland Tourism offer discount Golden Trekker Passes for Seniors 66 and older (see Irish Rail Seniors Pass). © Bargain Travel Europe
Find best hotel and travel deals in Ireland on TripAdvisor
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