Ireland's East

The counties around Dublin - Meath, Louth, Kildare, and Wicklow - compose Ireland's East, and offer easy access to Ireland's grand landscape, stately homes, and key archaeological sites for anyone wanting to stay close to Ireland's capital. The Wicklow Mountains, visible from certain Dublin streets, represent one of Ireland's top walking regions, rivaling even the hills of Kerry in the southwest. The Wicklow Way is an 85-mile track that meanders among the rolling hills through gorse, forests, and along farms and historic sites. Wicklow is also home to Glendalough, one of Ireland's principal monastic sites that dates to the 6th century in a ...

The counties around Dublin - Meath, Louth, Kildare, and Wicklow - compose Ireland's East, and offer easy access to Ireland's grand landscape, stately homes, and key archaeological sites for anyone wanting to stay close to Ireland's capital. The Wicklow Mountains, visible from certain Dublin streets, represent one of Ireland's top walking regions, rivaling even the hills of Kerry in the southwest. The Wicklow Way is an 85-mile track that meanders among the rolling hills through gorse, forests, and along farms and historic sites. Wicklow is also home to Glendalough, one of Ireland's principal monastic sites that dates to the 6th century in a setting so lush and dreamy it's no surprise that early Christian monks were drawn here. The Wicklow Way passes through and there are many other marked walks maintained as part of Wicklow Mountains National Park. A site of similar historic significance is the Hill of Tara in County Meath, a pre-Christian site that for centuries served as the royal seat where Celtic tribes met and resolved differences. Also in Meath is the Neolithic site of Newgrange, one of the most important prehistoric tombs in all Europe.

About the Expert

Larry Habegger is Triporati's editor-in-chief and executive editor of Travelers' Tales, where he has edited or coedited dozens of books including Travelers' Tales Australia and Ireland.