Ancient Ireland

Ireland really is the land of forgotten castles. I spent almost two weeks in country and visited dozens of places, some famous but most forgotten ruins, and the thing that really struck me was how many there are.

Ireland has over 30,000 castles on an island it takes only nine hours to drive the perimeter of.

When I say they’re everywhere, I really mean it. But nothing is ever that easy so here’s some pointers you might like to know before you go:

• The really famous castles like Blarney or Rock of Cashel are big money business. If they have any exclusive tours, such as Cormac’s Chapel, make sure to secure your tickets early because they do sell out.

• Plan ahead. While I am a big advocate of driving around blindly looking for trouble to get into, Ireland has a funny thing about booking tickets ahead. Numerous times I found myself in a parking lot trying to book a same day ticket and the reservation system just didn’t allow for same day transactions.

• Most of these ruins are on private land. The general rule of thumb is to seek permission from the owner. However, unlike the US, there is a thing called “public rights of way” that allow access without approval so be sure to look this up in advance.

• Bring your rain gear - specifically boots. I know you know it rains, but you’d be surprised how many manure ridden fields and pastures you’ll be traipsing through to get where you’re going. Sheep shit everywhere!