You don't have to take part in the official events of Heritage Week to enjoy our national treasures. MICHAEL PARSONSoffers a 'reserve selection' of lesser-known splendours
IF YOU’RE feeling guilty about not having participated in any of the official events of Heritage Week, which ends tomorrow, then relax. Because even if you didn’t plan to, you most likely did enjoy some aspect of our national heritage over the past seven days. Heritage isn’t just about traipsing around wind-blown ramparts, dutifully visiting restored thatched cottages or marvelling at a theme park’s reconstructed crannóg.
According to the Heritage Council: “Our heritage is all around us. It includes our landscapes, countryside, rivers and lakes, our archaeological sites, our buildings, our history, folklore, language and customs. It’s what makes our towns, our villages, our parishes special.”
So if during the past week you’ve watched the sun go down on Galway Bay, cheered at a hurling match, enjoyed the rain on the hills, manoeuvred a boat though a canal lock, wandered through a park, strolled on a beach, mooched around a museum or just glimpsed, from a motorway, the ivy-clad ruins of a mediaeval tower house, then you’ve enjoyed and celebrated your heritage.
There are, of course, certain iconic heritage experiences, such as visiting Clonmacnoise or Skellig Michael. But one of the purposes of the week that’s in it is to draw attention to the lesser-known splendours on our doorstep. Many of these “second tier” attractions are free. They can be found in every county – just look at the websites of the Heritage Council (heritage council.ie), which has a clickable map with detailed information for each county, and of the Office of Public Works (opw.ie).
Here are 10 alternatives – a reserve selection, if you like – to some of the principal attractions of our national heritage.
1 Bushmills Distillery Co Antrim. The distillation of whiskey is even more central to our culture than that of the black stuff, and it is a skill that has been around much longer. Although many tourists opt to visit the Guinness Storehouse – Ireland's top fee-paying attraction – in Dublin, try a trip up north to see Ireland's oldest distillery, founded 400 years ago. You can watch the production of the amber liquor, from mashing the grain to bottling the spirit. Ironically, this distiller of what the Rev Ian Paisley described as the devil's buttermilk is in his North Antrim constituency. The pristine village of Bushmills is three kilometres from the Giant's Causeway.
Bushmills Distillery, 2 Distillery Road, Bushmills, Co Antrim, 048-20733218, bushmills.com
2 Loughcrew Cairns Co Meath. Didn't win the lottery for a ticket to see the solstice at Newgrange? Or been there and done that? For an alternative take on prehistoric passage graves, consider a trip to the Loughcrew Cairns, in Oldcastle, Co Meath. Cairns are stone burial chambers built around 4000 BC; there is an impressive collection of them in the grounds of this historic estate, the birthplace of St Oliver Plunkett. Fans of megalithic stone carvings – and they are legion, to judge by the popularity of Celtic jewellery and squiggly ogham tattoos – will think they've died and gone to Tír na nÓg.
Loughcrew, Oldcastle, Co Meath, 049-8541356, lough crew.com
3 Slieve League cliffs Co Donegal. Our Atlantic coastline is where Europe finally comes to a jagged end. The Cliffs of Moher are unarguably spectacular, but a new visitor centre, charges for parking and fenced-off edges mean wild things may find they're a little too cossetted from the awesome elements. Purists may prefer the Slieve League cliffs, on Co Donegal's southwestern coast, which are almost three times as high. There's a famous walk on the looped One Man's Pass. If the weather is clement, go out by boat from the village of Teelin and survey the magnificent cliffs – also known as Bunglass – from the sea.
Slieve League cliffs, Carrick, Co Donegal, 074-9521297
4 Tintern Abbey Co Wexford.Christianity in all its manifestations is one of the most visible aspects of Irish heritage. Despite the country's being overwhelmingly Catholic, the most visited church is the Protestant St Patrick's Cathedral, in Dublin. But there are countless other wonderful ecclesiastical buildings. A Cistercian abbey on the River Wye in Wales inspired Wordsworth's famous poem Tintern Abbey. But another Tintern Abbey was built in the hidden heart of Co Wexford by the Norman invaders. It's a lovely, inspirational spot – and worth negotiating the warren of roads south of New Ross to get there.
Tintern Abbey, Saltmills, New Ross, Co Wexford, 051-562650, heritageireland.ie/en/tinternabbey
5 War Memorial Gardens Dublin.The Garden of Remembrance, on Parnell Square, commemorates those "who died for Irish freedom" – from 1798 through 1916 to the War of Independence. But thousands who also believed they were fighting for Irish freedom were, for too long, ignominiously ignored. The traditionally neglected War Memorial Gardens, now restored by the marvellous OPW, commemorates the 49,000 Irish who died in the first World War. The gardens were designed by Lutyens; the names of the soldiers are preserved forever on manuscripts stored in granite book rooms.
War Memorial Gardens, Islandbridge, Dublin 8, 01-4757816, heritageireland.ie/ en/Dublin/WarMemorialGardens
6 Clare Island Co Mayo. Dozens of islands surround the Irish coastline, but by far the best known – and most visited – are the Aran Islands, which, despite their location, can become crowded during the tourism season. Try visiting one of the lesser-known destinations. There's a surprisingly wide choice, from the Haughey family's mysterious Inishvickillane (invitation only?) to the balmily exotic Saltees, off the Wexford coast. But for landlubber first-timers, Clare Island, in Co Mayo's gorgeous Clew Bay, is probably remote enough to fuel Robinson Crusoe fantasies yet is equipped with all the basics needed to sustain Mainland Man.
Ferry service from Roonagh Pier, near Westport, clareisland.info
7 Woodstock Gardens Co Kilkenny. Although the big house will forever be associated with the landlord class of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy, it remains an intrinsic element of our complex heritage. Many of the best houses are now in state ownership, such as Dublin's Farmleigh House, which has become a popular destination for family outings. But there are more tranquil options. Although Woodstock House, in the delightful Co Kilkenny village of Inistioge, was burned during the War of Independence – only a shell-like facade survives – the demesne's gardens have been superbly restored to evoke the opulence, elegance and sophistication of Victorian country-house life.
Woodstock Gardens, Inistioge, Co Kilkenny, 056-7794000, woodstock.ie
8 Allihies Copper Mine Museum Co Cork. Although the National Museum's branch on Kildare Street in Dublin is a veritable treasure chest, with a hoard of gold to rival Fort Knox's, scores of quirky little museums are dotted around the country. Traditionally, we thought of ourselves as having virtually no natural resources, but coal, silver, gold and zinc have been found and mined in Ireland – albeit in small quantities. In the 19th century, copper was discovered on west Cork's Beara Peninsula, and miners came over from Cornwall, in England, to help exploit the riches. This little-known chapter in our industrial history is recalled in a community-developed museum.
Allihies Copper Mine Museum, Allihies, Beara, Co Cork, 027-73218, acmm.ie
9 Bolton Library Co Tipperary. Books are central to our culture, but visiting the most famous, the Book of Kells, can involve queues and crowds at Trinity College in Dublin. There other delights to tempt bibliophiles, including the National Library, Marsh's Library and the country's sadly dwindling chain of antiquarian bookshops. But for a real treat – sadly ignored by the torrent of visitors clambering up the famous rock – a visit to Cashel's Bolton Library is strongly recommended. See Ireland's largest collection of antiquarian books outside Dublin in a wonderful setting in the grounds of the Church of Ireland cathedral.
Bolton Library, John Street, Cashel, Co Tipperary, 062-61944, cashel.ie/attractions/bolton.htm
10 Lough Boora Parklands Co Offaly.Despite living on a small island, we have some of the most varied landscapes in the world. None is more revered than the Burren, with its lunar rock face and Garden of Eden wealth of wild flowers and plants. But although south Dublin's gilded youth may screech in protest, no landscape is more Irish than the bogs – out of which, like Old Croghan Man, we all came and unto which we shall all return. Lough Boora Parklands, created on the cut-away bogs of west Co Offaly, offer a 100-hectare wilderness sanctuary with 50km of walkways – a haven for birdwatchers – and a sculpture trail.
Lough Boora Parklands, Boora, Co Offaly, 057-9345982, loughbooraparklands.com