23 Virtual Tours Of Ireland To Take This St. Patrick’s Day

There’s some excellent virtual tours of Ireland that you can take from the comfort of your couch.

In an attempt to bring those of you that want to be here a little closer to Ireland, we’ve created a guide that’s packed with some brilliant virtual tours of Ireland.

From the windswept coast of the west of Ireland to twists and bends of the Ring of Kerry, you can absorb Ireland’s scenery this St. Patrick’s Day from anywhere in the world.

The most popular virtual tours of Ireland

Section 1 is packed with the most popular virtual tours of Ireland. These will take you to places to visit in Ireland that have been tourist favourites for many a year.

Below, you’ll find everything from the Giants Causeway and the Cliffs of Moher to mighty museums, historical sites and much more.

Related St. Patrick’s Day reads:

• 17 surprising facts about St. Patrick
• How we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
• The best Irish Whiskey brands, Irish beers and Irish drinks
• 73 funny St. Patrick’s Day jokes

1. The Giants Causeway (Antrim)

The Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim is an area of immense natural beauty (it also has a nice bit of Irish mythology attached to it!), thanks to an ancient volcanic fissure eruption that took place many years ago.

It’s here that you’ll find 40,000 interlocking basalt columns along with a clatter of magnificent coastal scenery, a stone’s throw from the Old Bushmills Distillery.

Take a virtual tour of the Giant’s Causeway

2. Blarney Castle (Cork)

Blarney Castle is one of the most famous of the many castles in Ireland. It was built nearly 600 years ago by one of the greatest chieftains to ever roam Ireland – Cormac MacCarthy.

Home to the world-famous Blarney Stone, it’s said that planting a kiss on its rugged surface will give you the ‘gift-of-the-gab’.

If having a ramble here and planting your lips on the ‘magical’ stone was on your to-do list, you can still do so… virtually!

Take a virtual tour of Blarney Castle

3. The Cliffs of Moher (Clare)

The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare is arguably one of the most iconic tourist attractions in Ireland. It’s definitely one of the most visited, anyway!

And, by all accounts, the Cliffs of Moher virtual tour is one of the most popular virtual tours of Ireland. 

You’ll find the cliffs at the southwestern edge of the stunning Burren region where they stretch for around 14 kilometres.

Take a virtual tour of the Cliffs of Moher

4. Dunluce Castle (Antrim)

You’ll find the iconic ruins of Dunluce Castle perched on jagged cliffs along the magnificent Causeway Coastal Route.

Few castles in Northern Ireland are even remotely as impressive as this one.

A source of wanderlust for travellers the world over, the unique appearance of Dunluce Castle and the quirky history behind it has seen it receive its fair share of attention online in recent years.

Take a virtual tour of Dunluce Castle

5. Kylemore Abbey (Galway)

The story of Kylemore Abbey is a tragic one that spans over 150 years since the foundation stone was laid by a woman of the name of Margaret Vaughan Henry.

Over the course of 150 years, the Abbey has seen it’s fair share of tragedy, romance, innovation, education and spirituality, which you can learn more about in our guide to the Abbey.

Take a virtual tour of Kylemore Abbey

6. The Guinness Storehouse (Dublin)

A visit to The Guinness Storehouse is one of the most popular things to do in Dublin.

It’s here that you’ll get an insight into the brewing process of Guinness (the most famous of the many Irish beers) along with the brands rich history.

You’ll find it at the St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin where, since it opened in 2000, it has welcomed over twenty million visitors.

Take a virtual tour of the Guinness Storehouse

7. The Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge (Antrim)

You’ll find Northern Ireland’s much loved rope bridge on the North Antrim Coast road, nestled between Ballintoy Harbour and Ballycastle.

For those afraid of heights – and for those seeking an adrenaline boost – the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge hangs over 25 foot above the chilly waters below and is a cosy one meter wide.

You can learn more about the history of the bridge, how it was constructed and what it was originally used for in our guide. 

Take a virtual tour of Carrick-A-Rede

8. Crumlin Road Gaol (Belfast)

The Crumlin Road Gaol, which dates back to 1845, closed it’s doors as a working prison in 1996 and is now a popular tourist attraction.

The physical tours of the gaol are led by qualified tour guides that’ll take you through the history of the gaol in riveting fashion.

The story begins at a time when women and children were held within its walls through to the political segregation of republican and loyalist prisoners and ultimately to its closure.

Take a virtual tour of the Gaol

9. St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Dublin)

The spectacular Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin was founded back in 1191 and is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland.

Boasting a 43-metre spire, the cathedral is the tallest church in Ireland (it’s also the biggest). It was built between 1220 and 1260 in honour of Ireland’s patron saint and it’s one of the most impressive buildings in the city, as you’ll see here.

While Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day is a little crazy, many places of worship hold St. Patrick’s Day prayers and they’re a great place to escape the hustle and bustle.

Take a virtual tour of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

10. Hook Lighthouse (Wexford)

The historic Hook Lighthouse is the OLDEST operational lighthouse in the world, which is pretty damn impressive!

The story of the Hook Head Lighthouse begins way back during the 5th century when a Welsh monk by the name of Dubhán founded a monastery around 1.6 km north of Hook Head.

You can read more about the lighthouse in our guide to Hook. If you fancy taking a look around Hook Lighthouse and the surrounding area, you can do so right here.

Take a virtual tour of Hook

11. Titanic Experience Cobh (Cork)

On the 11th April 1912, the Titanic called to the port of Queenstown (now known as Cobh) on her maiden voyage. What happened next has been the subject of countless films and books.

The Titanic Experience Cobh is a visitor centre situated in the original White Star Line Ticket Office in the centre of Cobh town in what was the departure point for the last passengers who boarded the ship.

Take a virtual tour of the Titanic Experience

12. The National History Museum (Dublin)

The National History Museum of Ireland, often referred to as ‘the Dead Zoo’, is a branch of the National Museum of Ireland.

The virtual tour here offers access to two balconies that are currently closed to the public following a safety review.

On their website, you have the opportunity to browse the ground floor (full of Irish Fauna), the first floor (mammals of the world), the second floor (fishes, birds and reptiles) and the third floor (insects, shells corals and more).

Take a virtual tour of National History Museum

13. The Ailwee Caves (Clare)

You’ll find the Ailwee Caves in the heart of the Burren National Park near Doolin in County Clare.

Those who visit the cave will be taken on a 20-minute expert-led tour through the cave’s spectacular caverns.

Expect bridged chasms, weird formations, a thunderous waterfall and plenty more.

Take a virtual tour of the Ailwee Caves

14. Carrickfergus Castle (Antrim)

We’re off to the 800-year-old Carrickfergus Castle in Northern Ireland, next. You’ll find it in the town of Carrickfergus in Antrim, on the shores of Belfast Lough.

The castle has witnessed its fair share of action. Over the years it was besieged by the Scots, the Irish, the English and the French.

Take a virtual tour of Carrickfergus Castle

15. The Gobbins Cliff Path (Antrim)

A visit to The Gobbins Cliff Walk is one of the more unique things to do in Northern Ireland.

It was originally aimed at Edwardian thrill-seekers that wanted to experience a chunk of Ireland’s most dramatic coastline up close.

It was the vision of Berkeley Deane Wise and the tour here is out of this world. You can learn more about its history and the very unique cliff-side tour in this guide.

Take a virtual tour of the Gobbins

16. The Marble Arch Caves (Fermanagh)

The Marble Arch Caves are a series of natural limestone caves found near the village of Florencecourt in Fermanagh.

It wasn’t until 1895 when two explorers disturbed the silence of the caves and the first beam of light pierced the darkness.

Take a virtual tour of Derry City

18. House of Waterford Crystal (Waterford)

The now-iconic Waterford Crystal Tour is a tourist favourite and offers an insight into skills that have taken two hundred years to perfect.

Those that choose to take the factory tour can observe the meticulous transformation of glowing balls of molten crystal into elegant shapes.

Take a virtual tour of Waterford Crystal

19. Áras an Uachtaráin (Dublin)

Next up is the residence of the president of Ireland. Originally a Palladian lodge built in 1751, the building is officially known as Aras an Uachtaráin.

You’ll find it just off Chesterfield Avenue in the brilliant Phoenix Park in Dublin. The building was designed by Nathaniel Clements and officially completed in 1751.

Take a virtual tour of Aras an Uachtaráin

20. The Medieval Museum (Waterford)

At Waterford’s Medieval Museum, visitors can soak up the story of what life was like in the historic city of Waterford thousands of years ago.

The city was excavated between 1986 and 1992 and many of the unique discoveries made during this time are housed here.

The Medieval Museum exists to tell the story of life in Waterford city during the Medieval era and is home to several preserved medieval structures.

Take a virtual tour of the Medieval Museum

21. The GPO (Dublin)

If you live in Dublin, or if you’ve visited in the past, it’s highly likely that you’ve spent a bit of time on O’Connell Street.

It is easy to saunter along this street and see nothing but the Spire or the GPO. The former is an enormous spike jutting up in the middle of the street, after all.

Take a virtual tour of the GPO

22. Glasnevin Cemetery (Dublin)

Glasnevin Cemetery opened on the 21st of February, 1832. I can’t recommend the physical tour here enough – definitely pop it onto your to-visit-when-things-get-back-to-normal list.

The General History runs every day and there’s a re-enactment at 14:30 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Glasnevin contains the graves of a number of Ireland’s national figures, such as Daniel O’Connell, Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera and Constance Markievicz.

Take a virtual tour of Glasnevin

Explore beyond the virtual tours of Ireland

If the virtual tours of Ireland aren’t doing it for you and you’re considering visiting in person, try one of our road trip itineraries:

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