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Sunday 24 September 2023 Dublin: 17°C

# Hidden Ireland

All time
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Many Irish 'ghost stories' are untrue... except these ones
And this man has written a book about them.
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.
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…
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.
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.
Where in Ireland was the 'Doll's House'?
It was immortalised in a Frank O’Connor story.
Here's how graves were protected from bodysnatchers in 1800s Cork...
‘Bodysnatching grilles’ were not an uncommon sight.
Here's who worried about prostitutes, thieves and riots in Irish cinemas in 1910...
Worries on the big screen.
Heritage Ireland: The lonely Kilkenny cave that witnessed a massacre of 1,000 people
Dunmore Cave has a chilling tale to tell visitors.
These handbags held the precious belongings of asylum patients
A new exhibition by artist Alan Counihan tells their story.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Neil Jackman's guide to the historical gems of Waterford
That’s 1100 years of history in the making, you know.
Hidden Ireland: Where to get in your St Stephen's Day walk
Archaeologist Neil Jackman picks fascinating sites nationwide for a stroll today.
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.
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.
Hidden Ireland: Ancient Ireland's secrets unveiled
You’ll be inspired to take a trip to your local heritage site after reading this.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hidden Ireland: The passage tomb that predates Newgrange by 700 years
As part of the Hidden Ireland series, Neil Jackman looks at three fascinating places to visit this weekend in Sligo, Kildare and Fermanagh.