# Hidden Ireland

The best medieval statue in Ireland is 8ft tall and in a ruined church in Kilkenny...

Want to explore Ireland’s history? Archaeologist Neil Jackman has two suggestions for you to visit in Kilkenny.

28.4k

Jun 12th 2015, 8:00 PM

"A place of sacrifice": Tour the stone circle that freaked out a 1930s psychic

Archaeologist Neil Jackman explores one of the country’s finest stone circles and the quiet final resting place of a remarkable penal times priest.

32.6k

May 15th 2015, 8:15 PM

These mysterious caves in a Sligo hillside carry secrets from the Ice Age

Archaeologist Neil Jackman explores two of Ireland’s most intriguing ancient sites – the Caves of Keash and Dun Aonghasa.

40.2k

Apr 17th 2015, 9:30 PM

Step from Ireland's pre-Famine past to life in the New World in the Sperrins

Fancy stretching the legs over the Easter weekend? Archaeologist Neil Jackman has more suggestions for great historical sites to visit around the island of Ireland.

13.2k

Apr 4th 2015, 9:15 AM

See the house built by Clonmel schoolmasters to show off their love of history

The Careys had a round tower, a medieval Norman-style hall and Gothic and Romanesque arches in their palatial 19th century pad.

26.9k

Mar 21st 2015, 9:15 AM

# hidden heritage

Did you ever climb 121 steps up through Irish history? You should

St Canice’s Cathedral – and its fantastically-preserved round tower – is a jewel in the centre of medieval Kilkenny.

21.4k

Mar 7th 2015, 9:30 AM

This dramatic Derry clifftop estate was a magnet for high society

Archaeologist Neil Jackman finds medieval magic in Limerick and a splendid demesne in Derry.

12.4k

Feb 21st 2015, 9:15 AM

Ever heard of Darby's Bed? Diarmuid and Gráinne 'slept' here...

Discover this magical ancient site in Co Limerick, and a monastic complex that saved locals from slaughter in Kilkenny as Neil Jackman’s Heritage Ireland returns.

20.1k

Feb 7th 2015, 9:15 AM

Uncovering another Ireland... by cycling 1000kms along an old railway line

Artist Pamela de Brí found lots of interesting people and places during her trip.

27.3k

Jan 18th 2015, 9:15 AM

Five incredible things we discovered about Ireland's hidden history in the last year

Take some time out to read all about these pockets of Ireland’s past.

18.8k

Jan 3rd 2015, 10:15 AM

# Spooky

Many Irish 'ghost stories' are untrue... except these ones

And this man has written a book about them.

55.1k

Oct 27th 2014, 9:15 AM

# winter is coming

Heritage Ireland: This may be the most stunning location for a castle

Archaeologist Neil Jackman tours Dunluce Castle in Antrim, the ‘least-understood’ of the Boyne Valley tombs, and the wonderful Drumcliff in Sligo.

19.3k

Oct 18th 2014, 9:45 AM

Heritage Ireland: A born fighter, bloody battles and the castle at the heart of it

Archaeologist Neil Jackman criss-crosses the country to bring you a massive cairn in Sligo, a castle in Antrim with a bloody past, and a dolmen with an interesting supersition…

13.6k

Oct 4th 2014, 9:45 AM

What's being done about historic gravestones at the 'Cabbage Gardens' being vandalised?

The burial site is located in a park, but even CCTV hasn’t deterred people from vandalising them.

16.4k

Sep 21st 2014, 11:15 AM

# hidden history

Heritage Ireland: Why you need to see the Copper Coast

Archaeologist Neil Jackman transports us to another batch of wonderful Irish historical gems in Sligo, Dublin – and that incredible southerly Copper Coast.

18.4k

Sep 6th 2014, 9:15 AM

# hidden history

Where in Ireland was the 'Doll's House'?

It was immortalised in a Frank O’Connor story.

15.4k

Aug 30th 2014, 9:45 AM

Here's how graves were protected from bodysnatchers in 1800s Cork...

‘Bodysnatching grilles’ were not an uncommon sight.

32.7k

Aug 17th 2014, 9:15 AM

Here's who worried about prostitutes, thieves and riots in Irish cinemas in 1910...

Worries on the big screen.

12.0k

Aug 16th 2014, 5:30 PM

# hidden history

Heritage Ireland: The lonely Kilkenny cave that witnessed a massacre of 1,000 people

Dunmore Cave has a chilling tale to tell visitors.

52.1k

Aug 9th 2014, 9:45 AM

These handbags held the precious belongings of asylum patients

A new exhibition by artist Alan Counihan tells their story.

23.4k

Aug 9th 2014, 9:15 AM

The mysterious young doctor who captured Ireland in black and white

John J Clarke loved taking photographs of the world around him – and luckily for us, 200 of his photos have been digitised.

29.0k

Aug 4th 2014, 7:00 PM

This Wexford man walked 10,000 miles through China in 1914 to find his family

Dr Hadden survived 2,000 people throwing “clods of earth” at him during one point in his journey…

16.3k

Aug 2nd 2014, 9:15 AM

Digging Tlachtga: Discovering secrets from Ireland's past

Archaeologist Neil Jackman with the final part of his three-part series on the momentous dig on the ancient site of Tlachtga in Meath.

12.2k

Jun 14th 2014, 9:15 AM

Digging Tlachtga: Getting into the trenches with Ireland's past

Archaeologist Neil Jackman with part two of his three-part series on the momentous dig on the ancient site of Tlachtga in Meath.

9.8k

May 31st 2014, 9:15 AM

# take a walk

Heritage Ireland: Discovering the ancient Slí Mhór among the bluebells

Archaeologist Neil Jackman guides us through an ancient roadway that traversed Ireland, a fine medieval priory and an intriguing hermit cell hidden in a church.

14.2k

May 3rd 2014, 9:45 AM

# History

Heritage Ireland: 3 amazing sites to see this Easter weekend

Lovely Doneraile Park, ancient Derrynaflan and iconic Clonmacnoise – archaeologist Neil Jackman guides you through these magical sites.

13.2k

Apr 19th 2014, 9:45 AM

Hidden Ireland: Where was St Brigid's firehouse and why did the flame go out?

This week, archaeologist Neil Jackman guides us through a mysterious and massive Bronze Age complex in Tyrone and medieval treasures in Kildare and Kilkenny.

13.6k

Apr 5th 2014, 9:45 AM

David Walsh has been to 503 islands off Ireland's coast. He's now written a book.

“The tide can be flooding past the rock so you only get one shot,” Walsh explains.

23.9k

Mar 30th 2014, 11:30 AM

Hidden Ireland: Were these giant tombs a big show of oneupmanship?

This week, Neil Jackman looks at three off-the-beaten-track places to visit this weekend in Tipperary, Kerry and the Dublin mountains.

16.5k

Mar 22nd 2014, 9:15 AM

# boyne valley

Hidden Ireland: From the Boyne flows the story of Ireland

Archaeologist Neil Jackman takes us on a guided tour of the treasures of one of Ireland’s most important historical hotspots.

16.2k

Mar 8th 2014, 9:15 AM

# waterford 1100

Neil Jackman's guide to the historical gems of Waterford

That’s 1100 years of history in the making, you know.

12.0k

Jan 12th 2014, 10:30 AM

# walk it off

Hidden Ireland: Where to get in your St Stephen's Day walk

Archaeologist Neil Jackman picks fascinating sites nationwide for a stroll today.

18.1k

Dec 26th 2013, 9:15 AM

Glorious: See Glendalough in all its autumnal technicolour

This week, Neil Jackman captures the Wicklow site at a point when its beauty is matched only by its archaeological significance.

16.6k

Nov 23rd 2013, 9:45 AM

Hidden Ireland: Ready to meet Ireland's very first farmers?

This week, archaeologist Neil Jackman is awed by the Neolithic treasures of Lough Gur, as well as a stunning Kerry fort complex and a Galway medieval cathedral.

12.0k

Nov 9th 2013, 9:45 AM

# ancient ireland

Hidden Ireland: Ancient Ireland's secrets unveiled

You’ll be inspired to take a trip to your local heritage site after reading this.

22.4k

Nov 2nd 2013, 9:45 AM

# spooky sites

Hidden Ireland: Step into the site where Halloween began

Archaeologist Neil Jackman steers us around some spooky ancient Samhain spots in Roscommon, Dublin, Meath and Wexford. Hold us.

30.8k

Oct 26th 2013, 9:45 AM

# yourstory

Hidden History: The guide to preserving your family archive

These top tips from National Library of Ireland’s conservation expert could help you hold onto family memories for longer.

13.8k

Oct 19th 2013, 9:45 AM

Hidden Ireland: 3 amazing heritage sites to see this autumn

Archaeologist Neil Jackman leads us through a mystical stone circle in Donegal, an abbey with a bloody past in Mayo and a medieval village in Cork.

18.7k

Oct 12th 2013, 9:45 AM

Hidden Ireland: Have you seen this ancient carving of a hurley and sliotar?

For the All-Ireland hurling replay day that’s in it, check out that historic gem (in Donegal!) and others in Tipperary and Tyrone as part of Neil Jackman’s bi-weekly series.

15.3k

Sep 28th 2013, 9:15 AM