The sacred atmosphere here is palpable. From the ruins of a cathedral and round towers to high crosses and hundreds of gravestones, there is much to explore. Clonmacnoise’s decline began in the 12th-century, but the legacy of this millennia-old site lives on in all who visit.

The historic home and its accompanying Belvedere Walled Garden are a joy to explore, but venture a little further on the grounds and an array of intriguing landmarks await, including the Octagonal Gazebo, the Gothic Arch and the Jealous Wall which is the largest folly of its kind in Ireland, standing 20 metres tall! Elsewhere, scenic woodland trails give way to glistening Belvedere Lake.