7 things to do and see in County Carlow
County Carlow is one of Ireland’s smallest counties. It is bordered by the Blackstairs Mountains to the east, by the Barrow Valley and by the Killeshin Hills to the West. The county is really low-key in terms of tourism. It has nonetheless its assets which will discover here.
If you plan to stay a few hours or days in the county, here’s what you could be discovering.
1. Stop in the town of Carlow and walk by the river Barrow…
You can visit the capital of the County, Carlow very quickly. Nothing spectacular to see there; however it could be a good base if you want to see the Brown Hill dolmen, Altamont Gardens (see below), Duckett’s Grove (which I still have to visit) or — why not? –, its neighbouring county: Kilkenny. On the left-hand side, you can see one of the fountains located in the town. Note that the town of Carlow received the award of the tidiest town in Ireland in 2012.
It seems that all significant Irish towns are crossed through by a river, or skirted by the sea. Carlow is no different. On the right-hand side, you can see the main bridge of Carlow town and the River Barrow. Note that after a violent storm the River burst its banks some years ago and flooded the town.
2. Observe the remains of Carlow Castle…
Carlow Castle was originally built in the 13th century. The original keep was 3 storeys high and was square in shape with round towers at the corners. It is quite similar to Ferns Castle (County Wexford). Today, only the eastern half still stands, with its two corner towers and the connecting wall.
3. Go to Carlow Town Hall…
Lots of people ask me if Ireland looks like Brittany (from which my family comes). It’s correct that there are a lot of cultural similarities (music, art, history), but the town architecture is quite different. However, when I saw Carlow’s town hall, I really found it very similar to some town halls in Brittany. A quick look on the Internet brings me the photo of Corlay’s town hall.Lifelike, isn’t it?
4. Bend in front of Brown Hill Dolmen…
The Brown Hill Dolmen is located just a few kilometres outside Carlow. Its capstone is believed to be the largest in Europe. Like a lot of dolmens and Celtic monuments, this megalithic structure has been the subject of conjectures for centuries. Most likely it marks the burial place of a local king.
5. Go inside the (unhanging) Altamont Gardens…
Do not miss the Altamont Gardens if you visit or pass through that county. First, you will see a House (pictured). The house as it exists today was evidently built upon the remains of an earlier dwelling dating from at least the 16th century (maybe a convent?); immensely thick walls, paved granite floors and the shape of the windows in the basement of the house testify to this.
6. Take photos of the gardens and gaze at yourself in the lake of Altamont…
Summer time is really a great time to visit the Altamont Gardens. With its lawns, its flowers, its yews and its rare trees, you’ll have quite a range of opportunities for your photos.
The 2.5-acre lake was dug out after the Irish Potato Famine (1847-1848). Research indicates that it took 100 men with horses and carts 2 years to complete this task at a cost of £12,000, a considerable sum at that time.
7. Play Mickey Mouse in the gardens…
You can walk freely in the traditional gardens of the park. You will find a large, beautiful old world garden, Robinsonian in style… The photo above reminded me of Disneyland, and especially of Mickey Mouse’s ears… (Yes I know… I’m still a big kid 
).
There is at least one site I’d like to visit in the near future (around April 2017): Duckett’s Grove. This ruined 19th-century house looks stunning from a photography point of view. Feel free to bookmark this page and revisit it in the next 6 months.
Next week, we’ll be flying high and head to another Irish county: Kildare. Stay tuned to understand!
