If you’re a golfer, no visit to Ireland would be complete without fitting in at least one round. Blainroe Golf Club, just 3.5km from Wicklow Town, is a gem. Its clifftop location guarantees sea views from all of its 18 holes, with Mount Snowdon in Wales visible on especially clear days in summer. Looking westwards up the narrow valley are the majestic Wicklow Mountains. This challenging par-72, 6,175m, Hawtree-designed course is one of Golf Digest Ireland’s Top 100 Irish Courses in 2019.
Wicklow Town is a busy harbour town with lots to see and do, but a tour of Wicklow’s Historic Gaol is a must. Mary Morris the Matron recounts the prisoners’ tales – from the rebels of the 1798 Rising, to the convicts being transported to the New World and the women and children who stole simply to feed themselves during the 1840s famine. A night tour is not for those of a nervous disposition – it’s said to be one of Europe’s most haunted buildings.