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Parading peacocks guard the splendid 19th-century Johnstown Castle, the former home of the once-mighty Fitzgerald and Esmonde families (the estate was gifted to the nation in 1945). Situated 7km southwest of Wexford town, the empty castle (not open to public) is surrounded by 20 hectares of beautiful wooded gardens complete with an ornamental lake, a sunken Italian garden, statues and waterfalls.
The castle's outbuildings house the Irish Agricultural Museum.
19.96 MILES
Called 'coffin ships' due to their fatality rate, the leaky, smelly boats that hauled a generation of Irish emigrants to America are reimagined on board…
25.63 MILES
Housed in a stunning modern structure that incorporates several medieval buildings and part of the city wall in its basement (all on display), this museum…
25.62 MILES
This large modern complex combines a retail shop and cafe with a factory offering a 90-minute tour that shows how world-famous Waterford crystal is…
21.52 MILES
On its southern tip, Hook Head is capped by the world's oldest working lighthouse, with a modern light flashing atop a 13th-century tower. Access is by…
22.4 MILES
This important monastic site, founded in the 7th century by St Moling, was the burial place of the Kings of Leinster. Its remains include four church…
25.55 MILES
Ireland's oldest complete building and the first to use mortar, 13th-century Reginald's Tower, the city's key fortification, is an outstanding example of…
14.66 MILES
Tintern Abbey is named after its Welsh counterpart, from where its first monks hailed. The atmospheric remains of the abbey enjoy a lovely setting amid 40…
13.15 MILES
Once the haunt of privateers, smugglers and ‘dyvers pyrates’, the Saltee Islands now have a peaceful existence as one of Europe’s most important bird…
0.14 MILES
The outbuildings of Johnstown Castle, whose gardens are a must-see, house a fascinating collection of early Ferguson tractors, farm machinery, Irish…
3.59 MILES
An abandoned 20th-century shopping mall was transformed in 2018 into this innovative arts centre. Its former shops are now home to more than 25 artists,…
3.61 MILES
St Iberius' Church was built in 1660. The Renaissance-style frontage is worth a look, but the real treat is the Georgian interior with its finely crafted…
3.65 MILES
Participants in the 1798 Rising used the Bull Ring as an open-air armaments factory; they're commemorated here by the Lone Pikeman statue.
3.65 MILES
The Bull Ring is a small, open square in the city centre that gets its name from having been used as a venue for bull baiting in medieval times. These…
3.68 MILES
The only survivor of the six original town gates is the 14th-century Westgate. It was originally a toll gate, and the recesses used by the toll collectors…
3.69 MILES
After Henry II murdered his former ally Thomas Becket, he did penance at Selskar Abbey, founded in 1190. Basilia, the sister of Richard Fitz Gilbert de…
8. Irish National Heritage Park
3.77 MILES
Over 9000 years of Irish history are squeezed together at this open-air museum 5.5km west of the town centre. After a short audiovisual presentation, take…
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