The Office of Public Works (OPW), together with the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport are responsible for the a number of heritage sites of Ireland. They undertake protection and conservation of Ireland's heritage (specifically buildings and historic sites).
The following is a list of Government owned heritage sites in Ireland.
A-C
- Adare Castle â Adare County Limerick â A medieval fortified castle that was an important stronghold of the Earl of Desmond.
- Altamount Gardens â Tullow, County Carlow â Old world garden, Robinsonian in style.
- Ardfert Cathedral â Ardfert, County Kerry â 12th to 17th century Cathedral.
- Athenry Castle â Athenry, County Galway â 13th century, 3-storey tower house
- Aughnanure Castle â Oughterard, County Galway â 16th-century tower house.
- Ballyhack Castle â Ballyhack, County Wexford â 15th-century tower house built by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John
- Barryscourt Castle â Carrigtwohill, County Cork â 15th to 16th century Castle.
- Blasket Center â Dunchaoin, County Kerry â interpretation center for native language, culture and tradition of Blasket Islanders.
- Boyle Abbey â Boyle, County Roscommon â 12th century Cistercian Monastery.
- Brú na Bóinne â Donore, County Meath Neolithic monuments and interpretative centre.
- Cahir Castle â Cahir, County Tipperary
- Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery â County Sligo Neolithic monuments and interpretative centre.
- Céide Fields â County Mayo â Neolithic field system
- Connemara National Park â County Galway â 20 square kilometre park surrounding the Twelve Bens mountains.
- Coole Park Visitor Centre â Gort, County Galway, Nature reserve, former home of Lady Gregory, one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre
- Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre â Kenagh, County Longford â an Iron Age bog road, dating from 148BC.
D-K
- Derrynane House â Caherdaniel, County Kerry â Ancestral home of Daniel O'Connell.
- Desmond Castle â Kinsale, County Cork â a 16th-century Custom house.
- Desmond Hall â Newcastlewest, County Limerick a 15th-century Castle.
- Donegal Castle â Donegal, County Donegal â a 15th-century Norman tower house with the addition of a 17th-century Jacobean Manor House.
- Doneraile Park â Doneraile, County Cork â an 18th-century landscaped park.
- Dromore Wood â Ennis, County Clare â Nature reserve.
- Dún Aonghasa â Inishmore, Aran Islands, County Galway â A prehistoric stone fort.
- Dungarvan Castle â Dungarvan, County Waterford, Castle with a 12th-century shell keep, with curtain wall, corner tower and gate tower.
- Dunmore Caves â Ballyfoyle, County Kilkenny â limestone cave, site of Viking massacre in 928.
- Dwyer McAllister Cottage â Derrynamuck, County Wicklow â a traditional whitewashed cottage historically linked with the 1798 Rebellion.
- Emo Court â Emo, County Laois â a neo-classical house with extensive parklands
- Ennis Friary â Ennis, County Clare â 13th-century Franciscan Friary.
- Famine Warhouse 1848 â Ballingarry, County Tipperary â site of a skirmish in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848
- Ferns Castle â Ferns, County Wexford â 13th-century castle featuring circular chapel, original fireplaces and a vaulted basement.
- Fota Gardens â Fota Island, Carrigtwohill, County Cork â 110,000 square metre park with ornamental pond and Italian walled gardens.
- Gallarus Castle â Ballydavid, County Kerry â a pre 1600 castle on the Dingle Peninsula built by the Knight of Kerry.
- Garnish Island â Bantry, County Cork â Island garden sheltered in Glengarriff harbour.
- Glebe House and Gallery â Churchill, Letterkenny, County Donegal â Regency House.
- Glendalough â Glendalough, County Wicklow â monastic site founded in 6th century, site has a Round Tower, stone churches and multiple stone crosses.
- Glenveagh National Park â Churchill, Letterkenny, County Donegal â 170 square kilometres of mountains, woodland and lakes.
- Heywood Gardens â Ballinakill, County Laois â Formal garden designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens
- Hill of Tara â Navan, County Meath â Seat of the High Kings of Ireland, Pre-Christian center of political and religious power.
- Holy Cross Abbey â Holycross, County Tipperary â 12th century abbey
- Jerpoint Abbey â Thomastown, County Kilkenny â Cistercian monastery.
- John F. Kennedy Arboretum â New Ross, County Wexford â 2.52 square kilometre arboretum dedicated to US President John F. Kennedy.
- Kells Priory â Kells, County Kilkenny
- Kilkenny Castle â Kilkenny, County Kilkenny â castle with extensive parklands.
- Killarney National Park â Killarney, County Kerry â 103 square kilometres of mountains, woodlands including the Lakes of Killarney.
- Kilmacurrage Arboretum â Rathdrum, County Wicklow
L-Q
- Listowel Castle â Listowel, County Kerry â 13th century Castle.
- The Main Guard â Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary
- Maynooth Castle â Maynooth, County Kildare â 13th-century Castle.
- Muckross House â Killarney, County Kerry â Victorian House and Cardens located in Killarney National Park.
- Muckross Friary â Killarney, County Kerry â 15th century Franciscan friary.
- Newmills Corn and Flax Mills â Letterkenny, County Donegal â restored industrial buildings powered by watermill on the River Swilly.
- O'Dea Castle â County Clare â a 15th-century castle with high cross and visitor's centre
- Oldbridge Estate â site of Battle of the Boyne
- Old Mellifont Abbey â Tullyallen, Drogheda, County Louth â Ireland's first Cistercian abbey.
- Ormonde Castle â Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary â 1560s Elizabethan manor house
- Patrick Pearse's Cottage â County Galway
- Parke's Castle â County Leitrim
- Portumna Castle â Portumna, County Galway
R-Z
- Rathfarnham Castle â Rathfarnham, County Dublin
- Reginald's Tower â Waterford, County Waterford
- Rock of Cashel â Cashel, County Tipperary â traditional seat of the Kings of Munster
- Roscrea Castle â Roscrea, County Tipperary
- Ross Castle â Killarney, County Kerry
- St. Mary's Church â Gowran, County Kilkenny
- Scattery Island Cathedral and Monastery â County Clare â early Christian place of pilgrimage
- Sligo Abbey â Sligo, County Sligo
- Swiss Cottage â Cahir, County Tipperary
- Tintern Abbey â County Wexford â Cistercian abbey
- Trim Castle â Trim, County Meath â Norman castle
- Wexford Wildfowl Reserve â North Slob, County Wexford
External reference
- Heritage Sites of Ireland, Pamphlet, OPW.
External links