Last Updated on April 16, 2026 by Betsy Ramsey
As you leave Dublin and drive south, you begin to experience some of the awe-inspiring countryside that Ireland is so famous for. There are many routes and points of interest you can explore on your way, but today I will share our version of highlights on the Irish southeast coast!
This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide a means for sites like NattyGal.com to earn a small commission when a reader clicks through and makes a purchase at no additional cost to the reader. See full affiliate disclosure inĀ Privacy & Disclosures.
Highlights of the Irish Southeast Coast
Rock of Cashel
We picked up our rental car fairly early and left Dublin to make our way toward one of Ireland’s most dramatic sites, the Rock of Cashel. Also known as St. Patrick’s Rock, the impressive fortress sits on a rocky hill in the county of Tipperary.
Visits are by guided tour only. The OPW (Office of Public Works) guide we had, a young girl, regaled us with stories of how her parents played in the castle as children and showed us the grave of her grandfather, buried on the castle grounds. It made for a very personal experience.
Nearby is Hore Abbey, a ruined monastery from 1270 that sits lower on the Tipperary Plain. After leaving the Rock and Abbey, we drove to Kilkenny for the night.
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is an incredibly picturesque and charming town less than an hour from the Rock of Cashel. We arrived around 3 PM giving us ample time to walk around and check out a few sites before heading to dinner.
You could easily spend another full day here, visiting Smithwick’s Brewery, the Medieval Mile Museum, the Butler Gallery, or the hurling stadium. However, we were off the next day to continue our drive south!
Beaches & Lismore
Our next destination was Kinsale and we took a lovely, rural route. Our first stop was the Copper Coast where we visited Kilarrasy Beach and another where people were surfing.
We continued to the town of Lismore. As you drive over the bridge to enter the city, the most spectacular sight comes into view. Lismore Castle is currently occupied by the Duke of Devonshire and is not tourable. However, the spectacular gardens are open for touring and merit a look.
Shortly beyond the town of Lismore is a hidden entrance to a walking trail that will take you to Ballysaggart Towers. You’ll walk in serene woods along a stream for about 15 minutes when suddenly the towers come into view. While the towers aren’t especially old or historic, they do make for a fun, off-the-beaten-path site.
Kinsale
The town of Kinsale is a colorful seaside port and fishing town in County Cork. It’s a popular getaway destination for the Irish as well as a fun day-trip destination. We spent two delightful nights.
Kinsale is considered one of Ireland’s top “foodie” towns with one restaurant, Bastion, even boasting a Michelin star. We were ready for our first fish & chips of the trip and visited Jim Edwards, recommended by our host. What a great call! It was the freshest and most perfectly crispy fish & chips we had during our stay.
By day, there are lots of shops to wander and two forts to visit. If the weather is good, take a harbor tour! Kinsale makes a fantastic base for visiting one of Ireland’s most popular sights, the famous Blarney Castle. Go either early or late for the fewest crowds.
Blarney Castle
On the day of our Blarney Castle visit, we got to the castle about 10 minutes after nine. At this time of day, we had kissed the stone and toured the castle all by 9:50. Total win!
I’ve heard horror stories about the stone and wasn’t sure if I wanted to kiss but my maternal grandmother did so back in the 70’s so made my attempt. It is insane how far back the stone is! I made contact but it was a somewhat harrowing experience. And the staircase to the top of the castle is one of the narrower ones we’ve come across. I left feeling very impressed that my late-middle-age grandma who suffered the effects of polio, managed to do this!
We took some time to explore the gardens and then made the impulse decision to tour Blarney House as we were there right when a tour was starting. Blarney House is owned by Sir Charles St John Colthurst, Baronet, and his family and it was incredibly cool to see all of their personal effects (family photos, drug store candles, dog beds, socks) intermingled among the priceless antiques.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these highlights! As I mentioned in the beginning, there are so many options one has for exploring this area. It’s fun to target a few well-known sites and then drive the backroads to see what else you’ll stumble upon.
If you are planning a trip, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to provide more specific details on timing as well as suggest a slew of other attractions based on whatever your interests may be.
Thanks so much for your likes, shares, and follows! Until next time,
Hi Betsy,
Loved this! Your photographs are beautiful and surprisingly free of people! I found my recent European trip to be overrun with crowds…coming to the conclusion there is no longer a high and low travel season. How was Dublin in this respect? Nada
Hi Nada! We were very worried about crowds as we were traveling in the peak of high season. For the most part, things didn’t seem too bad. Dublin was busy in parts but no as bad as we’d anticipated. The only areas where things got pretty packed were at the visitor center at the Cliffs of Moher and at the Titanic Museum in Belfast. We did start fairly early each day and try to get to major sites before the crowds. Loved following your epic trip! Thanks for commenting.
Hi Betsy. I enjoyed this post so much. I have a love of old castles, so the photo of the Blarney House is my favorite. Your photos and post of Ireland bring back such great memories for us. Sharing to FB.