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Beside the Limerick City Gallery of Art, People's Park, dating from 1877, is a tranquil oasis and the city's main green space. A large selection of mature deciduous and evergreen trees dot the park and, during the spring and summer, visitors can admire a wonderful display of flowers. Other features include a memorial on a giant pillar to Thomas Spring-Rice (MP for Limerick 1820-1832), a 19th-century bandstand, an ornate drinking fountain, and two gazebos.

Hours: Open 8am to dusk, and 8am-9pm (3rd week in April - 4th week in August)

Admission: free

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Starting from Sarsfield Bridge, a leisurely 15-minute walk takes visitors to King John's Castle, arguably the city's most photographed attraction. En-route, with short detours, are the Hunt and Limerick City Museums. The 13th-century castle stands to the right of Thomond Bridge and rises imposingly above the Shannon. The pentagonal fortress, with a main block, three round corner towers, a bastion, and a two-story gatehouse has been thoroughly restored and is the historic jewel in Limerick's crown. Parts of the complex now serve as exhibition rooms. The history of Ireland and Limerick are brought to life by means of reconstructed scenes. In addition there's a video display, information about the excavation of Viking houses, defensive works, and siege tunnels.

Hours: Open year round April-September 9.30am-5.30pm, Oct-March 9.30am-4.30pm

Admission: Adults €10, children 0-5yrs free, 6-16yrs €8, seniors €9.45, family €30(2 adults & up to 6 children)

Address: Nicholas Street, Limerick

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KILLARNEY:Muckross House Gardens & Traditional Farms

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KILLARNEY:Muckross House Gardens & Traditional Farms

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This eye-catching 19th-century Victorian mansion, an easy 16-minute drive from Killarney town center, is in a magnificent lakeside setting in Killarney National Park surrounded by sumptuous gardens and parkland. The house is near the shores of Muckross Lake, one of Killarney's three lakes. Four successive generations of the Herbert family occupied this location, although the house visitors now see was completed in 1843. Queen Victoria famously stayed here in 1861, and huge improvements to the structure and gardens were made prior to her visit. Touring the beautiful house is a must-do as is a jaunt around the lavish gardens in a jaunting car (pony & trap).

A visit to the traditional farms is worthwhile. Here is a very different Ireland based on rural life during the 1930s and 40s, a time when there was no running water in many countryside dwellings and electricity wasn't yet available nationwide. There are three working farms, each with animals and machinery of the day. Visitors can also explore a Carpenter's Workshop, Labourer's Cottage, and Blacksmith's Forge. The rural schoolhouse is a real treat and particularly fascinating if visiting with children. A free coach service circles the site continuously.

Hours: Open daily July-August 9am-7pm, September-June 9am-5.30pm

Admission: Adult €7.50, seniors €6, children & students €4

Address: Killarney National Park, Muckross, Killarney, Co. Kerry

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A drive of 11-kilometers or so takes visitors up through the scenic Gap of Dunloe, a narrow mountain pass carved by glacial ice. This rocky pass separates Purple Mount and its northern foothills in the western part of Killarney National Park from Macgillicuddy's Reeks. It's best reached from the R562, which follows the north side of the Lower Lake. From the road to the Gap, visitors can see Dunloe Castle, tucked in a grove of trees, as well as a group of Ogham Stones (National Monument). From Kate Kearney's Cottage, the four-kilometer climb to the pass is usually completed in a jaunting car, on foot, or on a pony. From the top there are superb views of hills, valleys, and lakes

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A short eight-minute walk from St. Nicholas' takes visitors to Galway Cathedral overlooking the River Corrib. Those interested in James Joyce may wish to make a stop en-route at the smallest museum in Ireland, Nora Barnacle's House (Nora was Joyce's wife). Built in the late 1950s, the cathedral was and is the youngest of Europe's grand stone cathedrals. It was designed by J.J. Robinson in a blend of styles; Renaissance details mix with Romanesque and Gothic features. The cathedral also displays a superb collection of art, including a large Crucifixion mosaic by Patrick Pollen, beautiful rose windows, and a statue of the Virgin by Imogen Stuart.

Hours: Open daily 8.30am-6.30pm

Admission: Free (donations appreciated)

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Stroll back along the riverside from Woodquay for around 12 minutes to the old town gate known as Spanish Arch, which leads to Spanish Parade, once the favorite promenade of Spanish merchants. A further three minutes takes visitors to the Galway City Museum, a modern glass structure built to reflect the surrounding city walls. The museum displays both permanent and touring exhibitions covering Galway's heritage, history, and archaeological treasures. Over the past three decades, the people of Galway have donated many items to enrich this collection of more than 1,000 objects.

Hours: Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm & Sunday, 12pm-5pm, closed on Monday

Admission: Free

Address: Spanish Parade, Galway

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he restored castle, dating from 1828 and the star of countless images and postcards, is now owned by Cork County Council and houses an impressive observatory and visitor center. Set in an enviable location on the shores of the River Lee where it meets Cork Harbour, it's well worth making the ten-minute trip by car, not only to visit the castle, but also to take in the scenic surroundings. The observatory features fun and educational things to do for kids, families, school groups, and science enthusiasts. A variety of special events also take place throughout the year.

Hours: Open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday-Sunday & Bank Holidays 11am-5pm

Admission: Adults €6.50, seniors & students €4.50, children (under 4) free, family (2 adults, 2 children) €18

Address: Castle Road, Blackrock, Cork

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An easy four-minute drive from St. Anne's will take visitors to another one of Cork city's must-do's, the atmospheric and historic City Gaol, which opened in 1824 and closed in 1923. Originally the prison housed both male and female prisoners who committed crimes within the city borders. In 1878, the City Gaol became an all female prison, which it remained until men opposed to the 1920 Anglo-Irish Treaty were incarcerated there in 1922-1923. The complex then deteriorated until its restoration and re-opening to the public as a tourist attraction in 1993.

Hours: Open daily all year, March-October 9.30am-5pm, November-February 10am- 4pm

Admission: Adults €8, seniors & students €7, children €5

Address: Convent Avenue, Cork

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The forbidding gaol (jail), dating from 1789, truly is a notorious site in the history of Irish nationalism. It was here that the leaders of the 1916 rebels were first incarcerated and then executed for what was seen as an act of high treason. The exhibition in a modern hall gives a taste of what conditions were like and outlines the struggle for Irish independence. There are excellent guided tours throughout the rest of the jail, which cover Irish history from 1796-1924.

Hours: Open Monday-Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm, Sunday 10am-6pm

Admission: Adults €6, seniors €4, child/student €2

Address: Inchicore Road, Dublin 8

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DUBLIN: Trinity College and College Green

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DUBLIN: Trinity College and College Green

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It's at the heart of the capital, packed full of incredible history, and it's the oldest university in Ireland having been founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.
Alumni over the centuries include such figures as Jonathan Swift (most famously known as the author of Gulliver's Travels), Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker (author of Dracula), and playwright Samuel Beckett. Entering through a timber-tiled archway, you are instantly brought back in time. The immaculate green lawns, 18th- and 19th-century buildings, and cobbled pathway are reminiscent of a more gentile age and ooze a sense of hushed academia. I

Address: Trinity College, College Green, Dublin 2