Beginning of our 8-day round trip. By car, a VW Sharan we drive from Dublin via Kilkenny to Castlebridge near Wexford. The first longer stop is the 12,000-inhabitant city of Kilkenny.

The majestic Kilkenny Castle

20km from Kilkenny, on the shore of river Little Arrigle, lies an impressive Cistercian abbey; "Jerpoint Abbey".

12km before Wexford are wide, dunes-lined beaches to the north. On Curracloe Beach, Steven Spielberg's award-winning war movie "Saving Private Ryan," made in 1998 during the Normandy invasion of World War II, was filmed.

The Irish National Heritage Park, northwest of Wexford gives an insight into Ireland's past. The reconstructed wooden buildings convey a picture of Irish history. The buildings of the Irish, Vikings and Normans were reconstructed from prehistoric times to the High Middle Ages.

After long wanderings we reach the Tinter Abbey. The abbey was founded by Cistercian monks after 1200 by William Marshall. After their dissolution in 1536 their lands were awarded in 1562 Sir Anthony Colclough.