Historic Sites

Situated on the approach to Clonmore village in the north-eastern corner of County Carlow, is the Triple Bullaun Stone, a large natural stone featuring three hollows carved into its surface. This Triple Bullaun Stone was used in pre-historic times for pounding ingredients, much like a mortar and pestle are used today. Within the village, the graveyard on the north side of the road holds a plain High Cross, while notable fragments of another High Cross can be found in the graveyard on the south side of the road.

Duckett’s Grove, the 18th, 19th and early 20th century home of the Duckett family, was formerly at the centre of a 20,000 acre (8,093 hectares) estate that has dominated the Carlow landscape for over 300 years. Even in ruin, the surviving towers and turrets of Duckett’s Grove Walled Gardens and Pleasure Grounds form a romantic profile making it one of the most photogenic historic buildings in the country and a castle in Ireland to visit.

Haroldstown Dolmen is a well-preserved example of a portal dolmen, consisting of two slightly tilted capstones supported by ten vertical stones. Two of these stones served as the entrance to the tomb.

An extensive hillside fortification with 8th century outer walls and later medieval inner walls. Evidence from excavations carried out at Rathgall suggests that hill forts were constructed from the late Bronze Age (800 BC) into the Iron Age and continued to be used into post medieval times. On excavation in 1969 Rathgall turned out to be the first Later Bronze Age Workshop located in Ireland and more than 400 clay moulds were also found there. Evidence of a house was discovered in the inner stone circle with the second and thind ramparts forming the main defensive walls.