One of the bloodiest battles ever fought on Irish soil, which left 7000 people dead, took place at Aughrim, 64km east of Galway city. It ended in a crucial victory by Dutch Protestant Prince William of Orange over the Catholic forces of James II, and the interpretive centre here helps place it within the context of the Williamite War. Signposts from the centre indicate the actual battle site. It's just off the M6.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
13.79 MILES
Gloriously placed overlooking the River Shannon, 7km northeast of Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise is one of Ireland’s most important ancient monastic cities…
28.85 MILES
Don't miss the extraordinary Corlea Trackway, an Iron Age bog road built in 148 BC. An 18m stretch of the pavement-like oak track has been preserved in a…
21.97 MILES
It's easy to spend half a day exploring the attractions and gardens of Birr Castle demesne. The castle dates from 1620 and is a private home, but during…
17.51 MILES
Inside this low, hulking 13th-century riverside castle, modern displays bring to life the tumultuous history of the town and detail life here through the…
28.55 MILES
Clara Bog is one of the few great expanses of classic bogland in Western Europe to escape being stripped for fuel. Deceptively flat and seemingly lifeless…
25.01 MILES
Much of County Offaly's once-extensive boglands were stripped of peat for electricity generation during the 20th century. Now Lough Boora, 17km north of…
27.67 MILES
Erected around 1520 by the O'Hynes clan, Dunguaire Castle sits on the fringes of Kinvara on the former site of the 6th-century royal palace of Guaire…
23.19 MILES
Set in a former Presbyterian church (1863), this volunteer-run museum has an idiosyncratic collection, including an inscribed 9th-century slab from St…
Nearby County Galway attractions
1. Dartfield Equestrian Centre
8.65 MILES
Horse breeding, carriages, the colourful racing industry and the horse’s role in Irish history are covered at Dartfield, which is set in extensive…
10.85 MILES
The pillar-like Turoe Stone is covered in delicate relief carvings in La Tène style (a Roman-influenced Celtic art form dating from the Iron Age)…
11.08 MILES
You can't miss the massive 1810-built bridgehead fortifications on the western bank in County Roscommon, where heavy artillery was installed to bombard…
12.76 MILES
In the lakeside town of Loughrea, 42km southeast of Galway city, St Brendan’s Catholic Cathedral (not to be confused with St Brendan’s Church on Church St…
13.63 MILES
To the west of the site, on the ridge near the car park, is a motte with the oddly shaped ruins of a 13th-century castle – also known as Clonmacnoise…
13.72 MILES
Three connected conical huts, echoing the design of early monastic dwellings, house the visitor centre museum. A 20-minute audiovisual show provides an…
13.74 MILES
Overlooking the River Shannon is the 19.3m-high O'Rourke's Tower. Lightning blasted the top off the tower in 1135, but the remaining structure was used…
8. Replica Cross of the Scriptures (King Flann's Cross)
13.75 MILES
See the original inside the Clonmacnoise Visitor Centre.