Visit Ireland Without Leaving Home
From questions about weird St. Paddy’s traditions to clever title mashups that’ll have you feeling “Green,” the new Pinch Me, It’s a Virtual St. Patrick’s Day Trivia Game has some fun for even the least-Irish among your friends and colleagues.
How better to get into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit than to fly on over to merry ol’ Ireland? Of course, most of us can’t do that, but our online scavenger hunts are full of beautiful places and surprising spots to visit virtually. To help you get ready for our St. Patrick’s Day trivia games, here are some of our favorite virtual tours in Ireland.
Giant’s Causeway
Who knew a bunch of interlocking blocks (not named LEGO) would be so popular? A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Giant’s Causeway is composed of some 40,000 basalt columns arrayed in uncannily geometric patterns, with their flat tops forming the perfect stepping stones for visitors. This National Trust feature gives you enough virtual views of the causeway that it’s just a stone’s throw from visiting in person.
The Dead Zoo
Explore all four floors of The National Museum of Ireland – Natural History, dubbed the “Dead Zoo” for its wall-to-wall displays of thousands upon thousands of animals from all over the world. This long, densely packed hall explodes with a dizzying collage of mammals, birds, fish, insects, reptiles, crustaceans, corals, and more.
Blarney Castle
Visit the famed Blarney Castle without all the upside-down stone-kissing…which is probably for the best these days. The virtual tour begins in the castle’s Poison Garden, a very normal thing that exists, and lets you poke around for 360-degree views of the castle and its grounds.
Vikings!
Dublinia, a museum dedicated to the city’s Viking and medieval history, offers a gorgeous online exploration of famous spots in Dublin and their roles throughout the ages. Explore Dublin’s origins as a grubby little village in the 9th Century up to its establishment as a major walled city in the 15th Century.
Cliffs of Moher
This virtual highlight of the Cliffs of Moher wastes no time. The homepage itself lets you click your way out to the sea cliffs, one of the most popular tourist sports in Ireland. (If you’re facing the visitor center entrance, follow the path to your left, away from the shops and parking lot.) You can see only a small portion of the cliffs’ 9-mile span, but the sight of the Atlantic Ocean before you and the rolling hills of County Clare behind you is worth the price of admission.
Ireland by Drone
Finally, a bonus: A full hour of stunning drone footage from all over Ireland. You can’t control the view, so this doesn’t qualify as a virtual tour, but if you want to absorb an hour of Ireland, put this on in the background while you work from home or tackle a puzzle.
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Image credits: Giant’s Causeway photo by Tyler Donaghy on Unsplash; Blarney Castle photo by Morgan Lane on Unsplash; Cliffs of Moher photo by Leighton Smith on Unsplash