Ireland tours

One of the best Ireland tours, not to mention eerie, is Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol. This former-prison-turned-museum is accessible by guided tour only, and it’s best to book in advance as it’s such a popular experience. It takes around an hour to tour the site, with an extra fifteen minutes or so recommended for the museum at the end. As you walk around the carefully restored prison, you’ll hear the stories of Irish nationalist heroes who lived and died here, with the central cell block displaying exhibits from Ireland’s difficult past.

Over in the Atlantic Ocean, just 30 miles off Galway, sit the Aran Islands. These remote, large outcrops see some tourism – this is where the popular Aran sweaters are made – with remarkable monuments, colourful flora and important archaeological sites. If you have to focus on just one island, make sure it’s Inishmore, or ‘the Big Island’. Stretching 14km from point to point and just 3km wide, you can still fly directly there from Galway. You can also take the ferry from the mainland to the tiny village of Kilronan, where you can watch the fishermen working the modern trawlers and traditional tar-coated currach boats. But the best way to take in this island is by a guided tour – by pony. You’ll take in the wonders of this beautiful island, from its tiny fields to the prehistoric stone fortress of Dun Aengus.

The Old Midleton Distillery is an ideal Ireland tour to take if you’re looking to taste some of the country’s finest spirits. Housed in a converted whiskey distillery dating back to the late 18th century, it’s been the home of the worldly-popular Jameson Whiskey since 1975. Booking onto a guided tour of the site certainly doesn’t disappoint; you’ll learn all you need to know about this historical landmark and its complete process. Discover the Irish craft of whiskey-making, explore the workshop at the Jameson Academy, and round it off with well-deserved tastings.

A guided tour of Cahir Castle will see you take in many of the military details; keep an eye out for the cannonball which is embedded in one of the walls. This former defense site dates back to the 15th century, although it has since been carefully restored in all its gloomy, looming splendour. There are also musket slits, a portcullis and more, which your expert guide will provide all the details about. The tours last around 40 minutes, and it’s well worth exploring the wider town of Cahir once you’ve finished soaking up the history of Cahir Castle.