County Monaghan Tourist Attractions List of sites and attractions in County Monaghan

Set in the heart of "Drumlin County", Castleblayney is ideally located, equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. A little over an hour from either major City and you can relax in idyllic surroundings. Castleblayney is on the Main N2 north-south route and is served regularly by bus. The Dundalk mainline railway station is just twenty minutes away. There are ample Taxi and Mini Bus services available locally.

Monaghan is the birthplace of the poet and writer Patrick Kavanagh, who based much of his work in the county. Kavanagh is one of the most significant figures in mid 20th century Irish Poetry. The poems Stony Grey Soil and Shancoduff refer to the county.

Carrickmacross is a busy market town, located centrally between Dundalk, Monaghan town, Cavan and Ardee. Carrickmacross was recently by-passed which has relieved the town from heavy traffic and has reduced the traveling time to Dublin Airport to one hour via the M1.

The Centre is an effort to preserve the rich historical, educational and cultural heritage of the Sisters of St. Louis in Ireland and overseas. It is a story that begins in Turkenstein in 1797, unfolds in Strasbourg and in Juilly outside Paris where the Institute was founded in 1842, spreading to Ireland in 1859, and thence to England, West Africa and the Americas. The Heritage Centre gathers up the memories of the story and brings it alive again through memorabilia, artefacts, models, documents and commemorative albums. It recalls St. Louis Sisters' work in Educational Development and Health Care in Nigeria and Ghana from colonial to post colonialism, to independence in these countries. A special place in the Centre is devoted to traditional crafts.

Saint Daig built his monastery near the site of the present round tower at Insihkeen. Bells, croziers and gospels were all produced here at one time. The Augustinians built an abbey close to the site in the twelfth century. A Literary Resource Centre and Folk Museum is dedicated to local poet Patrick Kavanagh who was born and buried here.Five miles south east of Carrickmacross.The centre houses exhibitions on Patrick Kavanagh and local history, a sixty seat audio-visual theatre and research library.

Saint Joseph's Catholic Church was designed by J.J. McCarthy, one of the foremost architects of the second half of the 19th Century in Ireland. A Gothic style building 150 feet long by 60 feet wide with a fine elegant spire is much frequented and deeply loved by thousands of people. The Church was completed in 1866 and is the most impressive building in the town. It has 10 stained glass windows by the renowned artist Harry Clarke. The Church has note worthy Stations of the Cross by Richard King. Mr. Richard Hurley, architect very carefully and tastefully restored the Sanctuary in 1996.

Hilton Park has been in the Madden family for over 250 years. The present occupants are the eighth generation in direct line to live there. The mansion house is set in 18th century landscaped parkland with a Hill Fort as focal point. The estate extends to over 500 acres.The oakwood planted in 1752 are considered unusually tall for so far north. Agricultural activities have been curtailed so as not to conflict with wild life. The estate conserves an abundance of wild flowers, sedges and ferns. The waterways contain freshwater mussels and crayfish as well as brown trout. pike and large bream. Badgers, foxes, fallow deer as well as buzzards, ravens, are occasional visitors and may be seen on the estate.