The River Boyne may look peaceful today, but things were rather different on 1 July 1690. On that day, two rivals to the British throne — William III and James II — clashed with their armies in the largest gathering of troops ever on Irish soil. This bloody conflict is vividly evoked at the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre, where audio-visual displays, original weaponry and free battlefield walkways are on display. In summer, watch costumed actors come to life in historical re-enactments.

At the Faust Vrančić Memorial Centre, you can get to know the life and work of Faust Vrančić, a man whom the world today mostly remembers as the inventor of Homo Volans - the flying man, but he was a lot more. Take a look at the collection of the models of his inventions, some of which are real life-size, and his more important written works. The multimedia displays also provide educational games for the youngest visitors.

County Kildare is home to the windswept Bog of Allen, and to a leisurely section of the restored Royal Canal. There’s a masterpiece of an 8th-century High Cross in Moone. Maynooth Castle anchors the leafy university town of the same name. Kildare is also home to one of Ireland’s great driving routes. Following the course of the Gordon Bennett Cup, which saw racing daredevils whizz through Kildare, Carlow and Laois in 1903, the 104-mile circuit recalls a time when Ireland’s speed limit was just 12mph. The county is a marvellous mix of old and new, of natural landscapes and precisely manicured gardens, of horseracing competitions and stylish fashion events.