Southeast Ireland Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
Level 3 Statistical Region of the Republic of Ireland
About Southeast Ireland
Glaciers created Ireland's notorious bogs but cleared early from the southeast, leaving a low-lying, well-drained and fertile region. Its two coasts are lined with little coves and sandy beaches where sailing boats could easily draw up, so it attracted many early settlers. No-one knows how the Celts first reached Ireland circa 500 BC, but via the southeast seems likely. The Vikings founded the city of Waterford; the Normans first landed in Wexford and decided to stay for keeps. Here in Tudor times the English resumed the land grab, so Sir Walter Raleigh became a wealthy landowner around Lismore. Castles, abbeys and mansion houses reaped the profits of the farmland. The southeast was also the seat of two major rebellions: by the 17th century Kilkenny Confederacy against Cromwell, and by the
Southeast Ireland Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 12 sections including: