Ireland’s spirit can’t be captured; it has to be lived. Discover the real Ireland through these unique experiences.
The stories, scenery, songs, and special atmosphere are what brings people back to the island of Ireland, time and time again.
Travel the length and breadth of the island and you will find traditions being nourished and history being remembered, where the past meets the present day.
Here are just some experiences you can do across Ireland that will awaken your Irish spirit and immerse you in the culture.
Learn the skills of a shepherd on a farm in Northern Ireland
Glenshane Country Farm, Northern Ireland
Glenshane Country Farm in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains in Northern Ireland is a working sheep farm owned by Jamese McCloy.
Four generations of Jamese’s family have been sheep farmers, each more determined than the last to preserve the epic landscape around them. Today, Jamese offers the chance for visitors to immerse themselves in the experience of hill farming.
Stand in the field beside Jamese and discover how, with a whistle, a whisper, or a gesture, he can direct his highly trained working dogs to herd a flock of sheep. Help him open gates and lead the flock into traditional wooden pens, afterward take shelter in the viewing gallery built with Donegal quartz stone and marvel at the panoramic views of Slieve Gallion, Lough Neagh, and the Mourne Mountains.
“I didn’t realize my life was so different until I had my first visitors to the farm – a family from the USA. They really loved watching me communicate with the sheepdogs, even more so when I taught them how, and standing between the earth and the sky, watching the sheep flowing down the fields," says James.
Go back in time at the Cobh Titanic Experience in Co Cork
Belfast in Northern Ireland may be the home of the Titanic but you can also head to Cobh in Co Cork and visit the Titanic's last port of call before it embarked on its final tragic journey.
The Titanic Experience Cobh is a unique guided tour located in the historic White Star Line Building – the very place from where Titanic’s last passengers departed.
Featuring a selection of artifacts including personal items from the Odell family collection, original dinnerware from the White Star Line, and rare audio interviews given by a surviving passenger.
On arrival, you will receive a boarding card. This boarding card will have the details of one of the 123 passengers who came to the White Star Line ticket office on April 11, 1912. At the end of the tour, check the information screens to discover the fate of your passenger.
Hear the beat of ancient Irish music in Co Galway
Roundstone Music and Crafts, Co Galway
The bodhrán (pronounced bow-rawn) is one of the oldest Irish musical instruments. The distinctive hand-held drum is considered the "pulse of Irish music" and is made through traditional methods using treated goat’s skin stretched onto a birch frame.
You can learn all about the Celtic instrument at Roundstone Music and Crafts in the heart of Connemara, Co Galway. The studio and store is run by Malachy Kearns, one of the world's only dedicated and full-time bodhrán makers who has handmade all of the bodhráns used in Riverdance over the past 25 years.
Regular talks and demonstrations are given on the bodhrán and can also bring home your very own bodhrán decorated with hand-painted colorful designs including by request, your family crest.
Climb the footsteps of Irish ancestors in Co Kerry
The magnificent Skellig Michael off the coast of Co Kerry is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Take a boat to this awe-inspiring rock set in the Atlantic Ocean and learn from a local tour guide about the monks who made their home on the island between the 6th and 12th centuries.
Following in the monks’ footsteps, climb the 618 steps they built to the summit of the island where you will be greeted by St Fionan’s monastery, one of the earliest foundations in the country. The monks who lived there prayed and slept in beehive-shaped huts made of stone, many of which remain to this day.
The stories, scenery, songs, and special atmosphere are what brings people back to the island of Ireland, time and time again. Here are just some experiences you can do across Ireland that will awaken your Irish spirit and immerse you in the culture. https://bit.ly/3XFQbM7 Tourism Ireland
Posted by IrishCentral.com on Monday, June 24, 2024
How will you Fill your Heart with Ireland? Whether you decide to wander through 5,000 years of history in Ireland’s Ancient East, discover Ireland’s breathtaking west coast along the Wild Atlantic Way, embrace a giant spirit in Northern Ireland, feel the buzz of Dublin, or enjoy the unspoiled majesty of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands – an experience of a lifetime awaits you.
This article is presented proudly in partnership with Tourism Ireland. To learn more about Tourism Ireland and get inspired for your next visit to Ireland, check out their website at www.ireland.com.
