Notable ruins, monuments, historic churches, and towers
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▶ VideoThe Fál (Irish: [fˠaːlˠ]) or Lia Fáil (Irish: [ˌl̠ʲiə ˈfˠaːlʲ]; "Stone of Fál") is a stone at the Inauguration Mound (Irish: an Forrad) on the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland, which served as the coronation stone for the King of Tara and hence High King of Ireland. It is also known as the Stone of Destiny or Speaking Stone. According to legend, all of the kings of Ireland were crowned on the stone up to Muirchertach mac Ercae, c. 500 AD.
▶ VideoFree Derry Corner is a historical landmark in the Bogside neighbourhood of Derry, Northern Ireland, which lies in the intersection of the Lecky Road, Rossville Street and Fahan Street. A free-standing gable wall commemorates Free Derry, a self-declared autonomous nationalist area of Derry that existed between 1969 and 1972. On 5 January 1969, local activist Liam Hillen painted graffiti on a gable wall at the end of a housing terrace stating "You are now entering Free Derry". Civil rights activist and writer Eamonn McCann stated: "That phrase, 'You are now entering Free Derry', I take credit for that. It's not an original phrase but it was I who devised it on the night in question and had it put up on the wall, and that's the most enduring thing I've ever written: You are now entering Free Derry. That came from Berkeley in California in 1956 [recte 1964] in a Berkeley Free Speech Movement ... And there was a student occupation of Berkeley College ... In the entrance to Berkeley College there was a big sign that said 'You are now entering Free Berkeley' from the Free Speech Movement, and I said, Well that's cool, and then when we came to Derry, I had that put up on that gable wall." When the British home secretary James Callaghan visited Derry in August 1969, the "Free Derry" wall was painted white and the "You are now entering Free Derry" wording was professionally re-painted in black lettering by John "Caker" Casey. The wall and the area in front of it became known as Free Derry Corner by the inhabitants. Free Derry Corner, Rossville flats, and the surrounding streets were the scene of the Battle of the Bogside in 1969 and Bloody Sunday in 1972. The houses on Lecky Road and Fahan Street were subsequently demolished, but the wall was retained. As currently situated, it now lies in the central reservation of Lecky Road, which was upgraded to a dual carriageway some time following the demolition of the original terraced houses. Also on the reservation are memorials to the 1981 hunger strikers and to those who died engaging in paramilitary activity as part of the Provisional IRA's Derry Brigade. On nearby walls can be seen various murals – part of The People's Gallery by the Bogside Artists. The wall itself is frequently repainted to reflect various causes, both international and local.
▶ VideoThe Dublin lock-out was a major industrial dispute between approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers that took place in Dublin, Ireland. The dispute, lasting from 26 August 1913 to 18 January 1914, is often viewed as the most severe and significant industrial dispute in Irish history. Central to the dispute was the workers' right to unionise.
▶ VideoSaint Mary's Cathedral, Limerick, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Limerick, Ireland, which is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Previously the cathedral of the Diocese of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, it is now one of six cathedrals in the Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe.
▶ VideoThe Albert Memorial Clock (more commonly referred to as the Albert Clock) is a clock tower situated at Queen's Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was completed in 1869 and is one of the best known landmarks of Belfast.
▶ VideoTomás Mac Curtain (20 March 1884 – 20 March 1920) was an Irish republican and Sinn Féin politician. He was active with the Irish Republican Brotherhood and Irish Volunteers, and led the Volunteers during the Easter Rising in Cork. He was also elected and served as the Lord Mayor of Cork until his assassination by the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1920.
▶ VideoClonfert Cathedral is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Clonfert, County Galway in Ireland. Previously the cathedral of the Diocese of Clonfert and then one of three cathedrals in the United Dioceses of Limerick and Killaloe, it is now one of five cathedrals in the Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe. The current building was erected in the 12th century in the Hiberno-Romanesque style The site had an earlier church founded by Saint Brendan in 563, which was associated with a monastery he founded and at which he was buried. The dean of the cathedral is the Very Reverend Roderick Lindsay Smyth who is also Dean of Killaloe, Dean of Kilfenora and both Dean and Provost of Kilmacduagh.
▶ VideoTyrone House in County Galway is a ruined manor house, built in the 1770s on a promontory by the estuary of the Kilcolgan river, about 2 miles (3 km) from the village of Kilcolgan, County Galway, Ireland. The house was destroyed by the local Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit during the Irish War of Independence.
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, which was longer than those of any of her predecessors, constituted the Victorian era, a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. In 1876, the British parliament voted to grant her the additional title of Empress of India. Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, who was the fourth son of King George III. After the deaths of her father and grandfather in 1820, she was raised under close supervision by her mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and her comptroller, John Conroy. She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without surviving legitimate issue. Victoria attempted privately to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality. Victoria married her maternal first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Their nine children married into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the sobriquet "grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, British republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond jubilees were times of public celebration. Victoria died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, at the age of 81. The last British monarch of the House of Hanover, she was succeeded by her son Edward VII.
▶ VideoBonamargy Friary is situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, off the Cushendall Road on the approach to Ballycastle. The name Bonamargy means ‘foot of the Margy River’, the river formed by the joining of the Cary River and Shesk Rivers. It is a late Franciscan foundation established in 1485 by Rory MacQuillan. It is said that the first battle between the warring MacDonnell and MacQuillan clans was fought on nearby land. At the main entrance to the friary is a small two-storey gatehouse which opens into a store and workroom. Well worn steps lead directly to the dormitory above. Traces of an altar can still be found in the adjoining church, and the locked vaults hold the remains of the celebrated chieftain, Sorley Boy MacDonnell, and several of the Earls of Antrim. His grandson Randall, 1st Marquess of Antrim, noted for his role in the War of the Three Kingdoms, is also buried there. Perhaps the friary's most famous resident was the 17th century prophet and recluse Julia MacQuillen. Known as "The Black Nun", MacQuillen wished to be buried at the entrance of the chapel so that she might be trodden under the feet of those who entered as a token of her humility. MacQuillen also reportedly asked that she not be buried in her coffin and that it be used by the next poor person had need of it. A worn Celtic cross (rounded with a hole in the centre) marks her grave at the west end of the main church. Legend says that she now haunts the site. It is said that those who do the black nun spy, on that very day will die. Around 1822 four manuscripts were found in an old oaken chest in the ruins of Bonamargy Friary. One of these manuscripts is described as "Saint Bonaventures Life of Christ" and/or "A History of the Blessed Scriptures". Another manuscript contained a large portion of one of the principal theological works of Saint Thomas Aquinas, written on vellum, in very contracted Latin and extending to about 600 quarto pages. The earliest date appearing on it is 1338 and the latest 1380. It originally belonged to the Monastery of Saint Anthony, of Amiens in France. Bonamargy Franciscan Friary is a State Care Historic Monument in the townland of Bonamargy, in Moyle District Council area, at grid ref: D1268 4086. The area surrounding the state care monument of Bonamargy Friary is a Scheduled Historic Monument, at grid ref: D1268 4087.
▶ VideoSaint Macdara's Island (Irish: Cruach na Cara) is a small island off the coast of County Galway in Ireland on which stands a mediaeval Christian monastery and National Monument.
▶ VideoCarrigogunnell Castle (Irish: Chairrge Ó gCoinneall) is a medieval Irish fortification near the village of Clarina, on the banks of the River Shannon in County Limerick. The structure dates to at least the early 13th century, and was slighted in September 1691 after being captured during the second siege of Limerick.
The Parnell Monument is a 19-metre-tall (62 ft) monument to Irish nationalist politician Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–1891), located at the northern end of O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland. Designed by Irish-American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (statue) and American architect Henry Bacon (obelisk), the monument took more than a decade to complete, and was the last public monument Saint-Gaudens saw to completion before his death. It consists of a bronze statue of Parnell set against a large granite obelisk, whose south-facing side bears a gilt inscription of one of his quotations as well as a harp. It was unveiled on 1 October 1911, twenty years after Parnell's death. According to the O'Connell Street Monument Report, the monument "now stands in answer to the O'Connell Statue at the south end and terminates the parade of nationalist statues on the primary thoroughfare of the capital." The monument is within the O'Connell Street Architectural Conservation Area.
Kenure House (Irish: Ceann Iubhair – headland of the yew tree) was a large Georgian house and estate in Rush, County Dublin, Ireland. The main house was constructed between 1703 and 1713 by the Duke of Ormond on the grounds of an earlier house but was destroyed by fire and rebuilt around 1827. A later portico and further additions were added in 1842 to a design by George Papworth. The main house was demolished by Dublin County Council in 1978 and the granite portico is the only portion of the main house which still stands as of 2026.
Woodstown (Irish: Baile na Coille, IPA:[ˈbˠalʲəˈnˠaˈkɛl̪ʲə]) is home to a historic settlement measuring 1.5 km by 0.5 km, located on the southern bank of the River Suir, about 5.5 km west of Waterford City in the southeast of Ireland. This site should not be confused with Woodstown beach which is on the western side of Waterford Harbour near the fishing port of Dunmore East.
Rindoon (Irish: Rinn Dúin, meaning "fort of the promontory") is a deserted medieval town in County Roscommon, Ireland. The castle and town acted as an Anglo-Norman bridgehead during the 13th-century invasion of Connacht, but were abandoned after repeated attacks by the Gaelic Irish in the 14th century. Substantial ruins survive on the headland, including parts of the castle, stone jetties, a significant portion of the town wall, and other buildings.
Monea Castle is a castle located in Monea, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is a State Care Historic Monument situated in the townland of Castletown Monea, in Fermanagh District Council area, at grid ref: H1647 4937.
Dysert O'Dea Church (Irish: Díseart Uí Dheá - "the hermitage of Deá") near Corofin in County Clare, Ireland stands on the site of an early Christian monastery which is thought to have been founded by St. Tola in the 8th century. Most of the present structures are from the 12th century. The site has been designated a National Monument of Ireland.
Mountshannon House was a large mansion in Lisnagry, near Castleconnell, County Limerick, built in the mid-18th century. It was the home of the 1st Earl of Clare, Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1789-1802. It was burnt down during the Anglo-Irish war in 1920. Today it is mostly a ruin.
Santry Court was a Georgian house and demesne in Santry, north County Dublin built between 1703 and 1709 on the site of an earlier medieval residence.
Tudenham Park House (Irish: Teach Tudenham), originally called Rochfort House, is an 18th-century Palladian limestone country house located in Tudenham Park on the Rochfort Demesne near Belvedere House and Gardens beside Lough Ennell, County Westmeath, Ireland. The house is known for being involved in an ordeal with Robert Rochfort's brother, George, which resulted in Robert constructing The Jealous Wall so he would not have to look at his brother's grander house.
The Ballinlass incident (Irish: Eachtra Bhaile an Leasa) was the eviction of 300 tenants on 13 March 1846 in Ireland, in the context of the Great Famine in Ireland (1845–1849). At this time, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, governed directly by its parliament in London. Most Irish peasant farmers were tenants under landlords, producing cereals, potatoes and livestock. But only the potatoes remained as food for the farmers themselves; the other products were used for paying the rent and exported from Ireland to Great Britain. These exports continued when the potato crop failed in 1845. Farmers who failed to pay the rent in this situation were evicted from their homes and land. It is estimated that tens of thousands were evicted during the famine. The 300 inhabitants of the townland of Ballinlass in Galway County, in the Barony of Killian, northeast of Mountbellew, were relatively "wealthy" and able to pay their rent. But despite this fact, they were evicted on 13 March 1846 because the landlord, a Mrs Gerrard, intended to establish a grazing farm where the village was situated. The houses of Ballinlass were demolished by army and police; the people slept in the ruins in the following night. The next day, police and army returned to evict them definitively. Their neighbours were not allowed to take them in. The eviction of the entire village received wide publicity and was 'personally investigated' by Lord Londonderry, who, in a statement to the House of Lords on March 30, 1846 said 'I am deeply grieved, but there is no doubt concerning the truth of the evictions at Ballinlass. Seventy six families, comprising 300 individuals had not only been turned out of their houses, but had even - the unfortunate wretches - been mercilessly driven from the ditches to which they had been taken themselves for shelter..these unfortunate people had their rents actually ready..' Despite widespread condemnation, the eviction order was not rescinded.
William Millar (4 July 1931 – 2 June 1977), better known by his stage name Stephen Boyd, was an actor from Northern Ireland. He emerged as a leading man during the late 1950s with his role as the villainous Messala in Ben-Hur (1959), a role that earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. He received his second Golden Globe nomination for the musical Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962). Boyd also appeared, sometimes as a hero and sometimes as a malefactor, in the major big-screen productions The Man Who Never Was (1956), The Night Heaven Fell (1958), The Bravados (1958), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Genghis Khan (1965), Fantastic Voyage (1966), The Bible: In the Beginning... (also 1966), and Shalako (1968).
▶ VideoNewtownabbey is a large settlement north of Belfast city centre in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course, but it still forms part of the Belfast metropolitan area. It surrounds Carnmoney Hill, and was formed from the merging of several small villages including Whiteabbey, Glengormley and Carnmoney. At the 2021 census, Metropolitan Newtownabbey Settlement had a population of 67,599, making it the third largest settlement in Northern Ireland and seventh on the Island of Ireland. It is part of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.