Must See Sights and Landmarks in Offaly Area

"While Ireland’s weather is famously cool, it isn’t the temperature that will give you chills when visiting Clonmacnoise. Rather, it’s the 1,500 years of monastic history that’s powerfully felt in these ruins—where temples, cathedrals, home sites, and graveyards have withstood the elements for centuries. Originally founded in the 6th century, this stone village along the River Shannon prospered for a time as Christian monastery in Ireland’s central plains."

"Just 6km south of the busy M6 motorway, Clara Bog is one of the few great expanses of classic bogland in all of Western Europe to escape being stripped for fuel. Deceptively flat and seemingly lifeless, it offers a fascinating window into the natural world. It's the quiet that sounds the loudest at this magical preserved 460-hectare raised bog landscape: water courses, birds chirp, insects buzz and more. A 1km-loop boardwalk leads from a parking area 4km south of Clara."

"The unusual, green-domed Emo Court is an impressive house, designed in 1790 by James Gandon, architect of Dublin's Custom House. The extensive grounds with their Greek statues contain more than 1000 different trees, including huge sequoias, and shrubs from all over the world. Enjoy refreshments at the cafe or a leisurely picnic, before enjoying a scenic stroll through the woodlands to Emo Lake.Emo is about 13km northeast of Portlaoise, just off the R422, 2km west of the M7."

"While Ireland’s weather is famously cool, it isn’t the temperature that will give you chills when visiting Clonmacnoise. Rather, it’s the 1,500 years of monastic history that’s powerfully felt in these ruins—where temples, cathedrals, home sites, and graveyards have withstood the elements for centuries. Originally founded in the 6th century, this stone village along the River Shannon prospered for a time as Christian monastery in Ireland’s central plains."

"Just 6km south of the busy M6 motorway, Clara Bog is one of the few great expanses of classic bogland in all of Western Europe to escape being stripped for fuel. Deceptively flat and seemingly lifeless, it offers a fascinating window into the natural world. It's the quiet that sounds the loudest at this magical preserved 460-hectare raised bog landscape: water courses, birds chirp, insects buzz and more. A 1km-loop boardwalk leads from a parking area 4km south of Clara."