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Visitor guides, itineraries, online courses, talks and tours — all created by experienced archaeologists for people who really want to get under the skin of Ireland.

20/09/2026

The grandeur of Grey Abbey, County Down.

Grey Abbey is one of the finest medieval monasteries in Ulster. It was founded for the Cistercian Order in c.1193 by Affreca, wife of the famous Norman warlord John de Courcy.

It is one of a wealth of historic highlights on our Ards Peninsula Itinerary Guide, exclusively available for Tuatha Members.

Not a member yet? Start your archaeological adventure today!
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17/09/2026

It's day today, and what an easy county to love!

Here are just a few of my favourite spots in this stunningly beautiful county.

What are your favourites?

If Donegal is a place you'd like to know better, we currently have four in-depth itinerary guides to help you to explore, with more on the way! All available for Tuatha Members.

Not a member yet? Discover a deeper connection with Ireland's ancient landscapes, join today at the link below
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16/09/2026

A face from the past.

This carved head, with an elongated neck and a somewhat anxious expression, protrudes from above the doorway of the ruined medieval church at Kilcatherine on the Beara Peninsula.

It may represent a founding saint, a church figure, a patron, or it may reflect that some medieval carved heads were believed to ward off evil.

15/09/2026

If you visit Achill Island, it is well worth climbing the slope to the shoulder of Slievemore to visit the court tomb at Keel East.

The tomb has a roughly circular court area and a three-chambered gallery. It is likely to date back over 5,000 years to the middle part of the Neolithic period.

The hill was shrouded in the famous Achill mist when I last visited, adding an atmospheric sense of mystery but also depriving me of what would surely be beautiful views over the island. Gives me a good excuse for another visit!

If you plan on visiting Achill Island this autumn, try our exclusive itinerary guide to Achill and Clew Bay. Available for all Tuatha Members.

Not a member yet? Start your archaeological adventure today at the link below!
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13/09/2026

Leacanabuaile Stone Fort • c.9th-11th century • Kerry

Leacanabuaile enjoys outstanding views over the Kerry landscape and is thought to have been the seat of a high-ranking family in early medieval Ireland.

Its 3m thick walls enclose the foundations of four stone structures, representing houses and ancillary buildings, along with a souterrain.

This is just one of a wealth of wonderful historical treasures along the Ring of Kerry.

You can explore 22 of my favourite monuments along the route with our in depth itinerary guide, available to download FREE at the link below:
https://www.tuatha.ie/the-ultimate-ring-of-kerry-tour-itinerary/

12/09/2026

September has always been one of my favourite months to explore along Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way.

The weather is often fairly settled, the light takes on a golden hue in the evenings, and it can usually be a little quieter and less frantic and touristy.

When you also add in the hedgerows bursting with blackberries it can be pretty idyllic!

Here are just a few of my favourite spots along the way, from West Cork to Donegal.

Where is your go-to place for a wander on the Wild Atlantic Way?

If you're looking for inspiration, we have more than 55 itinerary guides covering the whole island – with LOTS for the Wild Atlantic Way! All available for Tuatha Members.

Not a member yet? Start your journey today at the link below!
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11/09/2026

Ireland is pretty well respected by foodies for the quality of the rich creamy butter today, and the national love of butter has a long tradition to say the least!

Before refrigerators, farmers preserved their butter by burying it in the bog. With a cool, low-oxygen, high-acid environment, the bog was an ideal place to store foods.

Turf cutters harvesting peat occasionally find forgotten or abandoned 'bog butter' in wooden containers, or wrapped in bark or bladders. And it can date back an astonishingly long time!

A study led by Dr Jessica Smyth of UCD School of Archaeology in collaboration with the National Museum of Ireland, Queen’s University, University College Cork and Bristol University, revealed that the practice spanned at least 3,500 years, from around 1700 BC to the 17th century.

This bog butter was deposited in wooden mether in a bog at Tumgesh, County Mayo, likely sometime between the 12th–15th century.

You can see it in the National Museum of Ireland.

10/09/2026

This sandstone pillar at Gallen in County Offaly is decorated with an interlaced cross, set above two beasts that face each other, each with an flamboyantly interlaced tail.

The lower panel of diagonal fretwork is more weathered, with another four legged animal – possibly a stag – at the centre.

Situated close to the great monastic centre of Clonmacnoise, the early monastery of Gallen was founded as early as 492 by St Canoc.

After the monastery was burned in a raid in 820, it was restored by emigrant monks from Wales. This connection is preserved in the name, Gailinne na mBretann.

Excavations carried out during the 1930s revealed the foundations of a later medieval church, along with a cemetery, with fragments of more than 200 cross slabs that date to c.8th-11th centuries AD. A number of the cross slabs can now be seen embedded into a modern wall on the site.

Gallen Priory is one of the stops on our Monastic Midlands of County Offaly itinerary, available for Tuatha Members.

Not a member yet? Start your Irish archaeological adventure at the link below!
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