From high crosses to Judas's silver, the island is full of cultural gems. MAL ROGERSsuggests 10 to visit, plus where to stay while you're there
1 The Ardagh Chalice
National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, museum.ie Ireland’s foremost jewelled metal art treasure is considered the jewel in the crown of the museum – and, indeed, of the nation. The beautifully proportioned chalice is the finest example of early medieval metalwork to have come to light. About 15cm high, it made of silver, bronze and gold, with a design and decoration that indicate the people (or person) who made it knew their art as well as any craftsman in the world at the time. If you’re making a journey, bear in mind that the chalice and the museum’s other main treasures will be closed to the public from March 18th to 24th.
Where to stayNumber 31. 31 Leeson Close, 01-6765011, number31.ie. Doubles from €175. Oodles of character, the building was converted by Irish architect Sam Stephenson
2 One of Judas Iscariot’s
30 pieces of silver Hunt Museum, Rutland Street, Limerick, 061-312-833, huntmuseum.com Your first stop in the Hunt, which houses a private collection of art and antiquities, should be the Treasury, to see the Greek coin – made into a pendant – that is thought to be one of the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot. How the pendant made the journey from Gethsemane to Limerick isn’t clear, but this piece of bling certainly comes with blood on it. The Dekadrachma of Syracuse, as the pendant is pleased to call itself on formal occasions, carries an inscription: “Quia precium sanguinis est.” (This is the price of blood.) The pendant is said to be of Greek, Sicilian or southern Italian origin; the mount is medieval.
Where to stayThe George Boutique Hotel. O'Connell Street, 061-460400, thegeorgeboutiquehotel.com. Doubles from €69. Four-star luxury with a cosy bar and well-regarded restaurant.
3 Harry Clarke’s studies for his window featuring the Eve of St Agnes
Crawford Art Gallery, Emmet Place, Cork, 021-490785, crawfordart gallery.ie George Russell called him “one of the strangest geniuses of his time”, and you get a sense of that when looking at Harry Clarke’s
19 preparatory drawings illustrating John Keats's romantic poem The Eve of St Agnes. Completed in 1924, the series of miniature panels has been described as "a revel in blue". Truly, a brush with genius.
Where to stayClarion Hotel. Lapps Quay, 021-4224900, clarionhotelcorkcity.com. The Clarion is offering BB for two in its penthouse suites for €395. A standard double costs €90
4 Brú na Bóinne Donore,
Co Meath, 041-9880300, heritageireland.ie The people who built Brú na Bóinne (Bend of the Boyne), about 5,000 years ago, would have regarded the Great Pyramid of Cheops as a newfangled monstrosity. This is the annual venue for the winter solstice sunrise, now showing for the 5,000th year in a row, give or take. At dawn on December 21st a pencil of sunlight penetrates the burial chamber, lighting it up for 20 minutes before darkness falls for another year. Never mind the Hanging Gardens of Babylon: this is one of the great architectural, indeed showbiz, gems of the world.
Where to stayD Hotel, Scotch Hall, Marsh Road, Drogheda, 041-9877700, thed.ie. On the banks of the Boyne, in the town centre, the D has all the marks of a boutique hotel: striking interior, digital devilry and attentive staff. Doubles from €59
5 Muiredach’s Cross Monasterboice, Co Louth
The Monastery of Monasterboice, founded by St Buithe mac Bronach, is home to one of the finest high crosses in the world. As many as six high crosses stood at this site in the middle of the pastoral, rolling landscape of Co Louth. Muiredach’s Cross (south cross) and west cross still stand, almost undamaged, looked over by an almost intact round tower. The intricate stonework and fine lines of the structure are testament to Ireland’s golden age of Christianity.
Where to stayGhan House, Carlingford, 042-9373682, ghanhouse.com. A night's BB with plus one dinner costs €105 per person sharing. This has fine dining and a snug in which to discuss art (among other things)
6 Hambletonian, Rubbing Down
Mount Stewart House and Gardens, Newtownards, Co Down, 048-42788387, nationaltrust. org.uk Mount Stewart House, a classical 1820s building, is home to the George Stubbs painting Hambletonian, Rubbing Down. When the National Gallery in London staged a major exhibition, called Stubbs the Horse, in 2005, this one great work was missing because it was considered too valuable to travel. The painting, one of the greatest studies of victory, pain and triumph, is only one reason to visit this National Trust property. History and political intrigue lurk in every room. The diningroom has 22 Empire chairs used by the delegates at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, when ambassadors of the major powers of Europe redefined the borders of the continent.
Where to stayCulloden Estate and Spa, Bangor Road, Belfast, 048-90421066, hastings hotels.com. Doubles from £100 (€110). Has views across Belfast Lough, plus a spa and gym in case you want to find your thinner, as well as inner, self
7 Boa Island statues Cadaragh Cemetery, Boa Island, Co Fermanagh
Nobody knows if these two extraordinary pieces of art – the seemingly gloating Boa Man statue, also known as the Lusty Man (because he came from the island of Lusty More) and the Janus Stone – are pagan idols or early Christian statues, although the latest estimates put the stones’ age at about 2,000 years. So if they are Christian, somebody must have been very quick with the news from the Middle East. (Maybe they brought that piece of silver to Limerick, too.)
Where to stayLusty Beg Island, Boa Island, Kesh, 048-68633300, lustybeg.co.uk. BB double room £110 (€120.50). What better place to contemplate the varied history and art of this corner of Ireland than on a private island retreat?
8 Stained glass window of Master McGrath in Shankill Parish Church Main Street, Lurgan, Co Armagh
The greyhound Master McGrath is held in reverence in Lurgan. A statue to him stands in front of Brownlow House, while just behind the pulpit of Shankill Parish Church a three-metre-tall stained-glass window bears his image. Lord Lurgan’s coat of arms takes pride of place, with Master McGrath proudly looking out at the congregation. You’ll not be able to stop yourself humming “Lord Lurgan stepped forward and, says he, ‘Gentlemen, if there’s any among youse has money to spend, for your damn English nobles I don’t care a straw. Here’s five thousand to one on Master McGrath.’ ”
Where to stayAshburn Hotel, 81 William Street, Lurgan, 048-38325711, theashburn hotel.com. Doubles from £78 (€85.50). A friendly, comfortable hotel
9 Tulach a’ tSolais Oulart Hill, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
The Tulach a' tSolais (Mound of Light) is unusual in that it's a monument to the 1798 Rebellion that doesn't include a pike. The mound is a room – containing two abstract curved oak forms – hollowed out of a small hill. It's lit by natural light falling through a concrete slot that bisects the grassy structure. This starkly beautiful sculpture contrasts with the pastoral Wexford landscape.
Tulach a' tSolais is the work of Ronald Tallon of Scott Tallon Walker Architects, in collaboration with the sculptor Michael Warren. *
Where to stayAshdown Park Hotel, Gorey, 053- 9480500, ashdownpark hotel.com. Doubles from €80. Four-star hotel with spa and woodland walks
10 Visual Centre for Contemporary Art and the George Bernard Shaw Theatre Old Dublin Road, Carlow, 059-9172400, visualcarlow.ie
Eye-popping modern architecture isn’t all that easy to come by in Carlow. Castles, yes, magnificent formal gardens, certainly, and the odd cathedral. But the county’s architectural heritage has been added to by the Visual Centre for Contemporary Art and the George Bernard Shaw Theatre, in the grounds of St Patrick’s College. Designed by the London architect Terry Pawson, it is a work of art in its own right.
Where to stayMount Wolseley Hotel, Tullow, 059- 9180100, mountwolseley.ie. Gracious and luxurious accommodation. Gourmet One Night Getaway for €79 a person
* The online version of this article was amended on March 16 th, 2010