Irish Independence: Explore Ireland’s Rebellious History at these Top Sites

Ireland has the world’s best pub culture. The rest of us aspire to it. But there’s a lot more here than legendary brews and the craic. After all, Irish independence is less than a century old and the country still bears the scars of centuries of colonization. So you don’t have to skip the pubs, or castles, or cliffs, or lakes, or classic scenery. Just keep your eyes peeled and turn a few more corners because some of Ireland’s most beautiful sites also have powerful reminders of the fight for freedom. Travel deeper and embrace the Republic.

Hill of Tara, County Meath—The Viking Defeat

Once upon a time, Ireland was full of feuding tribes and mythical stories. These curious raised ring forts outside of Dublin were the sites of epic battles, magical clans, and the seat of power for the High Kings of Ireland. But by 980 AD the fearsome eastern invaders, the Vikings, had staked their ground in Ireland. And they just kept creeping out of Dublin, taking more and more.

One Gaelic king had enough. Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, king of present County Meath, lead a united front against Dublin’s Viking king. And what better place than the hub of Ireland’s mythical and magical powers. It was a crushing defeat for the Vikings: the “red slaughter.” The Vikings would never have the whole island as planned. Instead, the Vikings and Irish Gaelic would learn to live together and fight common enemies.

Tip to Visit: The Hill of Tara is a strange site and, if you don’t know what you’re looking at, it’s honestly a bit boring. There’s a phallic-looking Stone of Destiny, a few other ancient stones giving off some heavy Outlander vibes, and the raised mounds. BUT, if you do a bit of reading and get into the lore, you can start to feel the ancient source of Irish power. I also strongly recommend heading 20 minutes west and doing the excellent tour of Trim Castle (Braveheart fame.)

Kinsale, County Cork—The Spanish Armada Attempt

Walking around in this picturesque town now, it’s hard to imagine how the name itself brought so much sorrow for so many years. The year is 1601. The Irish lords and ancient Gaelic clans are trying to boot the oppressive English out. Elizabeth I of England had a scandalous history with her ex-brother-in-law, the recently deceased king of Spain. His son was happy to cause trouble on her Irish turf. This southwestern town was the perfect spot for the Spanish armada to land. But the British were on to the plot.

For 100 days the port, and town, was under British siege with the armada trapped inside. The drama was epic. In one case, an outpost of 33 Spaniards kept 10,000 British at bay for four days. But they were all starving. The united front faltered, and the Spanish had to surrender. The British took more than the port. History hails the Battle of Kinsale as the death of the independent Gaelic Ireland. The fight for Irish independence would be a mostly losing one for another 300 years.

Tip to Visit: This colorful town makes a cute stay. This one is definitely on the common tourist track and caters to the crowd. Nothing wrong with that, just make sure you plan ahead during the busy months.

Wexford – Cromwell’s Massacre and United Rebellion

This gets ugly. Cromwell. Is there a more hated name in Ireland? The year is 1649. The British Isles, including Ireland, are in the middle of religious war. The English Protestant Oliver Cromwell, “God’s Executioner”, has come to Ireland to make it pay for attacks on local Protestants and to enforce England’s rule.

He does. First, he ironically attacks Protestant Drogheda to make a quick statement. The walls were quickly blown and he refused mercy to soldiers or civilians. No prisoners were taken; all were slaughtered in the square. He then went down to the southeast city of Wexford and did the same, killing women and children at the same rate as soldiers. The rest of Ireland fell quickly. Today’s Irish newspapers still cite Cromwell’s war crimes.

Wexford remembered. The island attempted to unite again in 1798 under the banner of the United Irishmen. British colonies worldwide had just seen the American colonies beat the king’s men and were taking their shot. Attempts were made by Catholics and Protestants throughout Ireland to expel the British lords. Most failed quickly.

But Wexford, prosperous and organized, took the call for Irish independence. They saw the bulk of the 1798 fighting, and while they ultimately lost, the rebellious fire didn’t die out. Rebels would rally quickly another century later and wealthy Wexford would rage on. For now, Britain’s grip tightened with the Act of the Union, pulling Irish parliament to London.

Tip to Visit: Beaches. Lavender fields. Castles and manor houses not in ruins. You can even see puffins. But I’d be remiss not to mention the National Heritage Centre, taking you through outdoor recreations of 9000 years of Irish history. And, seriously, castles.

Wicklow Mountains – Guerilla Warfare

(1798) While the Wexford rebels held on with all their might, their mountainous neighbors to the north were running interference on the troops trying to go south from Dublin. Wicklow, like Wexford, was powerful and prosperous prior to the fighting. And like Wexford, they fought ferociously with those resources.

Even present-day Wicklow is a rugged chunk of land. Having seen the recent success of the American colonies guerilla warfare in undeveloped land, the Wicklow United Irishmen refused to line up and be shot in straight lines. They darted in and out of forests and mountains and wreaked havoc on British troops.

They also paid a heavy price. Hardly any village homes were left unburnt. Those who weren’t killed were shipped off to the new penal colony New South Wales (Australia.) But they fought on long after the rest of the country by hiding with those living in the mountains. This haven for nature lovers and tourist still carries its head high with a wildly independent legacy.

Tip to Visit: Get a sense of scene on the trails of Wicklow Mountains National Park. Make sure you hit up Glendalough, a medieval monastery in a glacial valley.

Cobh, County Cork – Famine and Fleeing

1845. The Irish Potato Famine decimated the poor of Ireland (and most were still shockingly poor.) For four years the island smelled of sulfur as the primary food source rotted; it was hell. Over 1 million people died and an even greater number fled, most never to return.

In comes Cobh (pronounced Cove.) At the time it was Queenstown, a tiny port town south of Cork that served the hardest-hit famine areas in the south and west of Ireland. If your ancestors were Irish, there is a fantastic chance that they got on a ship here, the last stop before launching across the Atlantic. This pier was the last time their feet stood on Irish soil.

So what does all of this have to do with Irish independence? Everything. Survivors had watched family and friends leave or die. British landlords had shown no mercy, evicting tenants and burning homes after the crops failed. The Irish had nothing left to lose. Meanwhile, the Irish abroad were finding their footing, coming together, and mourning their lost homeland. They were also making money. And that money started to pour back into the island to fight the man.

After centuries, it would be just 60 more years before cannons fired through Dublin. Irish independence was coming.

Tip to visit: The Cobh Heritage Museum is conveniently attached to the train station and next to the wharf. And you may say, eh, I’m not a museum person, but this one pulls you in. It’s my story, and maybe yours: the tale of all of those who left. It’s clever and emotional. So hit up the wharf, stroll through town, and grab a pint. It’s a quick train ride or drive from Cork.

The General Post Office, Dublin – Easter Rising

1916. Dublin burns. It’s Easter week and a group of well-organized Irish nationalists have marched into the General Post Office. It actually started with a whimper on Monday. No one took the rebels seriously and folks came and went until finally shots were fired. Points across Dublin had been taken by the organization after they read the independence proclamation, but there were family members delivering sandwiches right along with those looting. It was a “carnival atmosphere.”

But by Tuesday evening, the word was in. The army was coming. The crowd and rebels sobered. Something was happening. Patrick Pearse gave a rousing speech for Irish independence and it was clear that playtime was over. As the army cut off the capital, the country turned to watch what would happen.

Bombing. Lots of bombing. Blocks of Dublin were shelled beyond recognition. Then the fires caught. The initially indignant British at home became alarmed when they saw footage of Dublin and first confused it with shelled cities in the ongoing First World War.

Most Irish didn’t understand the goal and saw the effort as misguided. But 3,000 Irishmen held for a week against 20,000 British soldiers and artillery. Hushed voices and nods across the country began to agree. Misguided, yes. But a brave fight. A clean fight. An honorable fight. Hearts were turning. And the trials that followed sealed it. This would be the Irish War of Independence.

Tip to Visit: I have a love/hate relationship with hop on-hop off buses but Dublin’s works. Take a spin and get a perspective on the layout. Stop at the GPO. Walk the monuments in the area. And go see the Proclamation at the National Museum. Each of the men who signed it lost their lives.

Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin

1916. The nationalists had lost. Dublin was gazing at its rubble. The surviving rebel nationalists had been scuttled away to Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol. As the Irish Times notes, it was inevitable that Britain would come down hard on these men, especially as they had been aligning with the German enemy during World War I. And, it was inevitable that the harsh treatment they dealt would alienate the Irish and bolster the move to independence.

Over 3,000 men and women were arrested in the following days. Meanwhile there were secret court hearings for the leaders: no laywers, and no defense evidence presented. Three leaders, Patrick Pearse, Tom Clarke, and Thomas MacDonagh were immediately sentenced for excecution and shot at dawn. Twelve others would follow, including Joseph Plunkett who married his love, Grace Gifford, in the gaol hours before his execution. Wanting the ordeal to be over, the British decided not to wait for James Connolly to heal enough to stand. They brought out a chair so he could sit and be shot.

Many had their death sentences commuted and were sent to prison or deportation to Australia. But the damage had been done. As executions continued the mood shifted. As the British Prime Minister of Ireland predicted, “a large number of executions would sow the seeds of lasting trouble in Ireland.” With support at home and abroad the nationalist movement grew and sparked into all out war in 1919.

Tip to Visit: Kilmainham is a direct stop of the hop on hop off buses and it gets busy QUICKLY. Only a certain amount of visitors are allowed in at a time and you must get a timed ticket on arrival. GO EARLY. Even before they officially open.

Cork City– The Black and Tans Burn It

The War of Irish Independence raged through 1921. People across the country played their part, from espionage in Dublin, guerilla warfare across the counties, and outright battles in Dublin, Belfast, and the southwest province of Munster, particularly County Cork.

Munster has a proud history, especially as the home of the most famous High King, Brian Boru. County Cork has long been the Rebel County after a slew of sass: harboring an English rebel king/pretender, inviting in a Spanish armada, and spawning the bad boy rebel, Michael Collins, who was currently running circles around British intelligence. Most importantly, far from Dublin, it was a center for the Irish Republican Army.

It’s 1920 and the British, after a long world war, are slowly losing. They’ve recruited a lawless ex-military mercenary force, the despised Black and Tans. The IRA and “the Tans” had a skirmish near town and a Tan was killed. Naturally, this led to the Black and Tans burning out 300 buildings in Cork’s city center and opening fire on civilians. Unrepentant, they pinned burnt corks to their caps. Cork shook its proverbial fists, and the citizens of the region flocked to the cause.

Tip to Visit: Cork is the Second City of Ireland, smaller only than Dublin. It’s not as beautiful (a huge chunk was burned after all.) But man this city is real and it has character! Oliver Plunkett’s has good traditional music and a pretty bar, but the Thomond Bar off the main street was legit. It’s authentic, so go order at the bar. And get the chicken.

Garden of Remembrance, Dublin– The Present

1921. Ireland had won a compromised victory. The Republic of Ireland was free of Britain while the northern province of Ulster remained with the UK (and still does.) Some saw it as the only way to win Irish independence. Others saw it as a betrayal. Civil war shortly followed and the island could not find peace for several more years. Ulster (Northern Ireland) has only recently settled into a cautious quiet that Brexit may spoil.

When you travel through Ireland, think of how recent these last violent events were. Yet the Irish are revered for their humor, their wit, their love of a good time. They’re rightfully hailed for their hospitality and, in the grand scheme of the world, the safety they provide for a visitor. It’s astounding really, this both ancient and very young country.

The Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square in Dublin is dedicated to “all of those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom.” Beautiful and serene, it’s a fitting conclusion.

Tip to Visit: This part of Dublin, north of the GPO, is often overlooked by visitors and a cabbie suggested we not wander around late at night. But it’s worth a look, and a whole different scene than south of the Liffey.

May the road rise to meet you, travelers, and remember what they’ve been saying since the 1798 rebellions: “Erin go Brah.” Ireland Until the End of Time.

(Interested in gritty history? Check out the next in the series, Bloody Florence.)

(And if you’re ready to travel deeper and have Irish history come alive, but not sure how to afford it, we’ve got you. Europe has a price tag but never fear! Some help for getting a good deal on airfare, earning and using points, finding upgrades, finding the right hotel or scoring good hotel deals in expensive places/events.)