Despite the name, this 16th-century structure in Galway wasn't built by the Spanish.

At the time of its construction, this hydroelectric power plant was the largest in the world.

This 19th-century prison once held Irish revolutionary Constance Markievicz, writer Frank O’Connor, and a nine-year-old pickpocket.

The ruins of a sixth-century monastery sit on the banks of the River Shannon.

The symbolic center of Ireland, this summit also offers panoramic views of the countryside.

A former fortified tower now houses a collection of classic communications equipment.

This statue celebrating everyday life in Dublin has a few unsavory nicknames.

Dublin's most modern, visually spectacular bridge is modeled after Ireland's national emblem.

A proud bronze billy stands as an eternal symbol of Ireland's oldest festival, where a goat is made king.

The modern birthplace of Irish freedom.

The ruins of an 800-year-old monastery boasts the tallest round tower in Ireland.

The ruins of a medieval monastery named after a type of tree.

A stunning Victorian abbey and walled garden on a lakefront.

The house where the writer spent his formative years.

The somber sculptures commemorating Irish Famine on the river Liffey in Dublin.

A remarkably intact castle that once was the largest in Ireland.

The mummified heart of a saint lives on in this church—after a brief hiatus when it was stolen.

The comedy and tragedy of Oscar Wilde is preserved in a Dublin park, captured in a sculpture of colorful stone.

One of the most popular megalithic sites in Ireland stands as a humbler version of Stonehenge.

The last location where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson played before their tragic deaths.

Thanks to a quirk of elevation this gift shop produces magic doughnuts that are found nowhere else on Earth.

Strange red rock formations that have been attributed to a higher power for hundreds of years.

The ancient dwellings of the Puebloans, located in the cliffs of majestic mesas.

A town honors its legacy of traditional American Indian pipe carving with one gigantic pipe.