Leinster - Leinster

Leinster

Location
Coat of arms and flag
State	Ireland
Capital	Dublin
Surface	19,774 km²
Inhabitants	2.292.939 (2006)

Leinster is one of the historic provinces ofIreland.

To know

Territories and tourist destinations

Counties in the province of Leinster

All the places of tourist interest in the province have been grouped into four itineraries starting in Dublin, the main gateway to Leinster due to its international airport but also the nearby port of Dún Laoghaire where the ferries dock from Wales. The choice is yours which itinerary to take and in which places to stop or stay overnight.

Urban centers

Kilkenny Castle

Athlone - City on the River Shannon and with the possibility of cycling on the banks of Lough Ree. In its surroundings are the ruins of the medieval monastery of Clonmacnoise.
Blessington - Near Blessington, on the shores of the lake of the same name, stands "Russborough House", one of the best examples of Irish Palladian villas.
Bray
Carlingford - Base for excursions to the Cooley Peninsula.
Carlow - The county seat is famous for the "Brownshill Dolmen", the largest inIreland.
Drogheda - Located at the mouth of the River Boyne, Drogheda was an important center until 1649, when Cromwell put it to fire and sword. Nearby is Mellifont Abbey, a 12th century Cistercian convent. 10 km west of Drogheda lies the nice village of Slane, base for excursions to Newgrange, a necropolis of the fourth millennium BC. C. which is the most important archaeological site inIreland.
Dundalk - Last center before the border with Northern Ireland.
Enniscorthy - Theater of a revolt of 1798 against the British occupier, Enniscorthy still keeps alive the memory of the defeat of the Irish patriots. A museum dedicated to the story is housed in its castle.
Kilbeggan - Nice village on the Brosna river. Known for an old Irish Whiskey distillery, now converted into a museum.
Kildare
Kilkenny - Capital of the county of the same name, Kilkenny it is a popular tourist center with numerous historic buildings that testify to its importance in medieval times.
Monasterevin
Mullingar - County town of Westmeath, could be worth a couple of hours stop.
New Ross - An ancient city with a river port.
Robertstown
Shannonbridge - One of the secondary entrances to the "Bog of Allen Nature Center" [1]^{[link not working]}, the largest Irish bog extending between the Shannon and Liffey rivers. The main entrance is a Lullymore.
Trim - Trim is a nice town that was important in Norman times. 10 km east of Trim stands the Hill of Tara (Hill of Tara), an archaeological site from the Celtic period.
Waterford - The oldest city in Ireland
Wexford - The capital of the county of the same name is a lively city full of pubs. It is 18 km from Rosslare, the port where ferries from Wales dock.

Other destinations

Clonmacnoise Monastery (County Offaly, near the village of the same name) - Much visited ruins of a 5th century AD monastery. C.
Wicklow Mountains National Park - Reachable via a branch of the N11, the Wicklow Mountains have not yet been touched by mass tourism and their landscape remains largely intact. It is a rough area despite its proximity to Dublin. In past centuries it served as a hiding place for Irish patriots who opposed British rule. To enter the park you pass by Glendalough, the valley of the lakes where there is a 6th century monastery considered one of the most impressive in Ireland. On returning to the N11 you will pass by Avondale.
Trim Castle (County Meath) - Built at the time of Norman rule, the castle is one of the most admired in Ireland.
Tullynally Castle (County Westmeath) - Country residence of the Pakenham barons, open to the public. Built at the end of the 17th century, the structure was completely rebuilt in the 19th century and took the form of a Gothic castle. It is surrounded by gardens with caves, ornamental pools and Chinese pagodas.

How to get

How to get around

What see

Powerscourt Estate - A few kilometers east of Bray is this magnificent 18th century estate. The park and the Italian gardens that surround the villa are among the major attractions of the country.
Monasterboice - Ancient Christian monastic site.

Itineraries

From Dublin to Waterford Street Kilkenny

In this itinerary, the following places meet in order: Blessington, Robertstown, Kildare, Monasterevin, Carlow, Kilkenny is Waterford.

Dublin to Waterford via Wexford

In this itinerary, the following places meet in order: Bray, Powerscourt Estate, Wicklow Mountains National Park, Enniscorthy, Wexford, New Ross is Waterford.

From Dublin to Belfast

The M1 motorway reaches the border withnorthern Ireland. From Dublin to Belfast there are 220 km. Below is a list of interesting places along the motorway route (distances from Dublin in brackets): Drogheda (54 km), Monasterboice (56 km), Dundalk (83 km) and Carlingford (25 km east of Dundalk).

From Dublin to the River Shannon

Along this itinerary you will find (in brackets the distances from Dublin): Trim (52 km northwest), Mullingar (98 km), Kilbeggan (23 km south of Mullingar), Athlone (43km west of Kilbeggan) and Shannonbridge.