Drifts of bluebells in a wood in Glencomeragh, County Waterford

Bluebells in a hazel wood in the Burren

An oystercatcher perched on a rock surrounded by bluebells on the Great Saltee Island

Bluebells in a historic graveyard on the island of Inishmurray

It's a lovely time of year to go exploring some of Ireland's old woodlands to discover carpets of beautiful bluebells.

Do you have a favourite place for a Spring walk in Ireland?

#Ireland #SpéirGhorm

Ooh. All from the North of Ireland but in no particular order - Giant's Ring, Legananny Dolmen and Lisnabreeny rath/Cregagh Glen. 🇮🇪 #Ireland #neolithic #ringfort

It's not so much an individual monument but I found the scale, variety and extraordinary setting of Carrowmore amazing...

A ring of huge, craggy grey stones, most almost the height of a person, arranged in a ring. The inside of the ring is gray gravel, outside of it low ridges of stone rise above a broad stretch of grassy. In the background, the sky is brushed with faint clouds but mostly a pale blue.

Newgrange was glorious, but I'll always have the biggest soft spot for the first monument we stopped at - Drombeg.

Rock of Dunamase | Heritage Ireland WARNING: It should be noted that these sites are unguided and a level of care and caution should be maintained during all stages of your visit. The Office Of Public Works (OPW) will not be held respon...

the Rock of Dunamase is a gem that I wish more people knew about

Athassel abbey tucked away in Golden, Tipperary, is a nice, just off the beaten track.

Puffins and an early monastery, paradise!

Skellig Michael. Accept no substitutes. 🙏

We had the great privilege in working with the local community to help to conserve and research that wonderful site through the Adopt a Monument Scheme.

Doon Fort / An Dún, in Donegal, near me granny's,

it is as spooky as!

www.heritagecouncil.ie/doon-fort-co...

A very special place

Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre: Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth | Heritage Ireland The World Heritage Property of Brú na Bóinne is Ireland’s richest archaeological landscape and is situated within a bend in the River Boyne. Brú na

the whole Brú na Bóinne complex really. Newgrange gets the most visitors, but I found Knowth more atmospheric in fact.
heritageireland.ie/places-to-vi...

Love it there!

There are so many great sites, but if I can visit only one, it's The Rock of Cashel.
#MedievalIreland
#IrishTranquility
#Ireland

A stone castle with multiple towers on the far side of a river with a small waterfall in it

Cahir castle for me, because I can never resist a castle

I don't, but in my defense it's hard to choose just one.

A man (me) crouches and smiles on the path to the monastic enclosure on Skellig Michael, there's a lot of puffins, that's why I'm smiling

A stone row at Beaghmore in County Tyrone

The Proleek Dolmen, an enormous capstone supported by upright stones to form a table-like megalithic tomb

Tuatha Members on tour at Glendalough, Wicklow

Today is the International Day for Monuments and Sites, and Ireland is truly blessed with a wonderful array of monuments representing millennia of stories.

Do you have a favourite monument in Ireland?

#Ireland #SpéirGhorm

How to Search the National Library's Digital Collections It's easy to use our online catalogue: find out more!

Did you know that you can explore 1000s of materials (maps, photos, letters & all sorts of ephemera) by exploring our online catalogue: https://ow.ly/xSNg50YKtZQ

Here’s a short guide on how to search the National Library of Ireland's Digital Collections to get you started: https://ow.ly/18KX50YKtZP

Celebrating World Heritage Day

An Taisce is a proud member of International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) & part of a wider global community of heritage organisations

INTO members look after places shaped by centuries of human care and natural wonder for now & the future

#WorldHeritageDay

Close up of the side of the Shrine of the Miosach with ornate Hiberno-Ringerike decoration

The back of the Shrine of the Miosach. It is an openwork bronze panel with a cruciform decoration

It is gloriously decorated with art from the 11th & 16th centuries. The later silver panels feature a ringed cross, glass and bands of filigree. The panels include ecclesiastical figures, possibly depicting Patrick, Brigid and Colmcille.

You can see this wonder in the National Museum of Ireland

A close up of the Shrine of the Miosach. The ornate silver plate shows depictions of religious figures, and large glass crystals decorate it.

A close of up of the Shrine of the Miosach, focused on ecclesiastical figures

The shrine was associated with the cult of Colmcille, and may have been made in Kells, Meath.

Like the Cathach it was used as a battle standard, and it was in the keeping of the O'Morrison family of Clonmany Donegal in the medieval period.

The Shrine of the Miosach on display in the National Museum of Ireland

Shrine of the Miosach • 11-12th century (with later modifications)

This book shrine is made from yew covered in metal plates. The manuscript which it contained has sadly been lost.

It is thought to date from around 1100, but it was repaired and modified in the 16th century.

#Ireland

Lynn Scarff, James Eogan and Fiona Eogan in the stacks. Image by Emma Skarstrand © National Museum of Ireland

📚Newly catalogued: The George Eogan Library
Former Museum Librarian Connie Bettison reflects on cataloguing Prof. George Eogan’s working library-2,000+ archaeology books & journals in the National Museum of Ireland Library
www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collec...
#Archaeology #MuseumLibrary #RegistrationCorner

Ah cool! I don't recall seeing a mural there, but it's certainly a beautiful place.

I thought you might have been referring to Cill Rialaig Artist Retreat that's not far away on the mainland.

Just amazing!

Visit the @rialibrary.bsky.social exhibition Ink & Innovation, showcasing some of the earliest printed books produced in Europe.

@liber-ray.bsky.social will host a Curator's Talk & Tour on 28 April. Book your tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/royal...

Watch the video for a little sneak peak 👇

That's good to hear, thank you for your responses.

As an archaeologist I always get a bit of a nosebleed once you go past the palaeolithic, so it's just mind blowing to think of the sheer depth of time of this trackway!

What a wonderful thing to have here (in such a beautiful place too)

I'm always a little conflicted when I visit. On one hand it is just wonderful that you can just pop down to see something of this magnitude, on the other I can't help but feel it might be a bit vulnerable. Maybe it should be better protected?

Do you have any feelings on that side of things?

How Iveragh Came to Be YouTube video by Discover Iveragh

These footprints are just phenomenal. Never fail to be in awe of them.

Here's a fab wee video that was created from a @ucc.ie project a few years ago on the geology of Iveragh, so you can see how the footprints were formed.

youtu.be/S6TR7prmcr0?...

Thank you!

I know there has been discussion about Valentia going for world heritage status for the transatlantic cable station, but do you think it should be considered for the trace fossils too?