We only spent a day here, but it deserves its own post! We’ve spent almost a month in Ireland and I’ve been in awe at how beautiful everything is. And then I go to Lismore and I’m pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. Guys. Seriously…just wait until you see the pictures below. (Remember these pictures are just taken with my iPhone 6, so the real thing is so much better!)

We drove to Lismore from Dungarvan. It was only about 20 minutes away and, as always, it was a beautiful drive. When arriving into Lismore, we passed a gorgeous bridge over a tranquil river. Little did we know that this was just that beginning…

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A couple minutes after seeing the bridge, we turned a corner and the Lismore Castle came into view! Unfortunately, there wasn’t really a place to pull over and take a better picture.

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We drove right up to the Lismore Castle, but it was closed. We only missed it by a week! There were some really weird trees as we drove up to it and we got a picture of those, but that’s all we were able to get.

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A man who we talked to outside of the Lismore Castle told us about a nice nature hike down the road from where we were. We decided to do that since the castle was closed. We had no idea what to expect. We started the hike and I was already snapping picture after picture of the amazing views. The greenery was insane!!!

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[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]We thought about turning back because it was almost lunch time. As soon as we decided to keep going a little further, we rounded a corner and saw an amazing stone tunnel built into a hill. Once again, our cameras went crazy. We were the only ones on the hike, so we used the stroller as a tripod and took a family picture! I think it turned out pretty good! We found out later that this was the servant’s tunnel.

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Hold on, it gets better…

The Ballysaggartmore Towers

When we went through the tunnel, we were greeted by the sight of an incredibly beautiful stone tower. It took our breath away and we stood in shock for a minute to take in the scenery.

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As we walked closer, it just got bigger and better. The whole scene was perfect. There was a little waterfall to the left coming down the mountain making a stream that ran under the bridge of the towers. The aged stone displayed rustic shades brown, gray and white. The leaves were just starting to change bringing brighter colors. Moss and other vegetation were planting their roots on and around the towers. This is when it felt like we were dreaming. I could’ve stayed there all day. If we had packed a lunch, we definitely would have! They had picnic tables there, so if (when!) you go, bring a lunch!

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[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]The hike is a big loop that ends back at the car lot. So, if you keep following the trail, you eventually get to the “Grand Lodge”. This is also very beautiful, but unfinished because of a pretty fascinating story.

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Brief History of the Unfinished Grand Lodge

Arthur and his brother, John, married sisters; Elizabeth and Margaret Martin. There was always rivalry and jealousy between the two sisters. Especially when John and Margaret built a beautiful and impressive residence known as the Strancally Castle. (We went there and somebody bought it and changed it so much, I doubt much of the original castle is left. It was closed to the public and all the gates were locked, but I may or may not have jumped the fence, sprinted across the lawn, and hid in the bushes to sneak a picture. Shhh. See picture below.) Anyway, Arthur and Elizabeth were building her dream estate and ran out of money just after finishing the entrance! For more details of the awesome history, click here.

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