56 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Ulster

Checkout places to visit in Ulster

Ulster is one of the four traditional Irish provinces, in the north of Ireland. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland; the remaining three are in the Republic of Ireland. It is full of places to explore. Here is the Ultimate Ulster bucket list of things you must do here before you die.

Iconic Buildings by destinations in Ulster

County Down (11)

County Donegal (9)

County Antrim (5)

Londonderry (4)

County Cavan (3)

Popular Activities And Trips in Ulster

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Iconic Buildings to Explore in Ulster

Alder Cottage is a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath, delight. On the main level you’ll have everything you could imagine: a vaulted master bedroom, a great room opening onto a huge porch with a fireplace, and a vast kitchen. Upstairs two bedrooms, a sitting room, and attic space complete this simple, sophisticated home.

A majestic castle in Antrim, on the banks of the Sixmilewater River. It was erected in stages between 1613 and 1662. It was destroyed by fire in 1922 and finally demolished in the 1970s. All that remain are a slightly raised grassed platform as well as a freestanding Italian stair tower which was built in 1887 and a gatehouse, which was built around 1818 with twin neo-Tudor towers, with older connecting walls. The gardens are a popular tourist attraction on the Randalstown Road, Antrim.

Antrim Round Tower

Antrim Round Tower was built around the 10th century and is one of the finest towers of its kind in Ireland. It is 28 metres tall and was built as part of a Monastic settlement. It is impressive reminders of Antrim’s ancient monastic settlement. The monastic site was burned in 1147.

Apprentice Boy's Memorial Hall

The Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall is best known as the headquarters of the Apprentice Boys of Derry but there is much more behind the doors of what is affectionately known as “The Mem” The society aims to commemorate the 1689 Siege of Derry when Catholic James II of England and Ireland and VII of Scotland laid siege to the walled city, which was at the time a Protestant stronghold.

Archbishop's Palace, Armagh

The Archbishop’s Palace, Armagh, Northern Ireland, is a landmark Neo-Classical building located on 300 acres of parkland just south of the centre of the city. The building served as primary residence of the Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh for over two hundred years, from 1770 to 1975, and thereafter as headquarters of Armagh City and District Council from then until April 2015 when that local authority was replaced following the reform of local government.

Archdiocese of Armagh

The Archdiocese of Armagh is an Irish Roman Catholic archdiocese. The ordinary is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh who is also the Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical province of Armagh and the Primate of All Ireland. The mother church is St Patrick's Cathedral. The claim of the archdiocese to pre-eminence in Ireland as the primatial see rests upon its traditional establishment by Saint Patrick circa 445. It was recognised as a metropolitan province in 1152 by the Synod of Kells.

Armagh Robinson Library

This is the oldest library in Northern Ireland, founded in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson as part of his plans to establish a university. Carved in stone above the Library’s public entrance is the original Greek inscription meaning “the healing place of the soul”, a message that still resonates today. There are some 42,000 printed works, covering subjects such as early medicine, science, history, law, politics, theology and travel, as well as maps and atlases.

This traditional Lakeland stone cottage perfectly combines the charm of a character property with the comfort of modern facilities. With spacious accommodation over three floors offering five bedrooms and three bathrooms, this delightful property really does tick all the right boxes for families and groups of friends looking for central accommodation.

Audley's Castle lies in the grounds of the Castle Ward estate, north west of the village of Strangford, in County Down, in Northern Ireland. It is named after its late 16th-century owners, the Audleys, an Anglo-Norman family who held land in the area in the 13th century. It consists of a tower set within a yard which is enclosed by a thin wall, with a simple gate.

Bawnboy Workhouse

This fine cut-stone group of buildings was erected in 1852. It served the poor of the parishes of Templeport , Corlough, Kildallan, Drumreilly, Newtowngore, Ballinamore, Swanlinbar and part of Glangevlin. A Board of Guardians governed each union; some nominated by the Grand jury and others by the voters of the rate-payers . The Guardians levied a rate on the union and used the proceeds to support the workhouse.

Benburb Castle was built in the 1610's by Sir Richard Wingfield during the Plantation. It was probably built on the site of an earlier stronghold of Shane Oâ€™Neill, on a cliff above a bend in the Blackwater River; the border between the counties of Tyrone and Armagh. It was then called the Wingfield Bawn. The castle has been restored and stands in the grounds of the imposing Servite Priory, a religious order based in the village.

One of Donegal's best known castles due to its prominent location along the Derry-Letterkenny road. It was built around 1560 and was one in a network of castles around Inishowen owned by the O’Dohertys. The structure had three stories, two circular watchtowers, a small vaulted chamber, and openings for muskets. It is now one of the iconic attraction in this area.

Carrickabraghy Castle

A majestic castle built in the 16th century on a rocky promontory with spectacular views of the Donegal hills and headlands, this O’Doherty stronghold stands on the site of a pre-Viking settlement recorded in the Annals. It was strategically positioned atop a rocky outcrop defending the Ó Dochartaighs' remote Isle of Doagh in the far north of Inishowen.

Castle Archdale Country Park

Castle Archdale in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland is a former estate on the shores of Lough Erne Lower, the key feature of which today is Castle Archdale Country Park. There is also a caravan park. The former estate is situated near Lisnarick and Irvinestown, in the broader hinterland of Enniskillen, and the park is owned and run by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. The castle was built on a T-plan with a defensive bawn 66 ft by 64 ft and 15 ft high with flankers at each corner.

Castle Archdale House

Castle Archdale in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland is a former estate on the shores of Lough Erne Lower, the key feature of which today is Castle Archdale Country Park. There is also a caravan park. The former estate is situated near Lisnarick and Irvinestown, in the broader hinterland of Enniskillen, and the park is owned and run by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. The park was once an estate owned by the Archdale family, who arrived in 1614 during the Plantation of Ulster.

Monea Castle is a castle in Monea, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is a State Care Historic Monument sited in the townland of Castletown Monea, in Fermanagh District Council area. This imposing structure stood in one corner of a walled bawn with rounded corner towers, one of which subsequently served as a dovecote. The castle fell briefly into Irish hands in 1641, and was held by Gustavus Hamilton, governor of Enniskillen in 1688.

This is a 17th-century castle improved in 1783 and 1837. Features include mature shelter trees, an artificial lake, gate lodges and a castellated entrance gate. The small late-19th-century formal gardens are now grassed. There is public access to the mausoleum only. The castle was remodelled in the 1780s to designs by Robert Adam, who also designed the stable block now known as 'Adam Yard'.

Castle Ward is a highly unusual house built in 1762-60 by an unknown architect for Bernard Ward, later 1st Viscount Bangor and his wife. Castle Ward is open to the public and includes 332 hectares (820 acres) of landscaped gardens, a fortified tower house, Victorian laundry, theatre, restaurant, shop, saw mill and a working corn mill. It has a shore on Strangford Lough.

Map of Iconic Buildings to Explore in Ulster