Could there really be anything as special as letting the saint himself bless your rings? Inside Dublin's Whitefriar Street Church lie the relics of the patron saint of love: St Valentine. The Shrine to St Valentine is the spot where those getting married can experience a special blessing of the rings on February 14. Imagine telling that to the grandkids…
But that's not all...
We ♥ Glenbeigh, County Kerry
When legendary warrior Oisín fell in love with the beautiful Niamh in County Kerry, she invited him to her home in Tir na nÓg (the land of the everlasting youth). They lived happily for 300 years – until Oisín got homesick. Niamh gave him her magical horse to visit Ireland, ensuring his return as long as his feet didn't touch the ground. Sadly, Oisin fell from the horse, grew old and died, never to see Niamh again…
We ♥ Reginald's Tower, Waterford
It's the 12th century, and the exiled Irish King of Leinster, Dermot MacMurrough, is in dire need of help to regain his lands. He turns to the Norman mercenary Strongbow for support. Strongbow accepts, and is offered both MacMurrough's lands when he dies and the hand of his daughter Aoife in marriage. And so, in Reginald's Tower, Waterford city, there takes place one of the most famous marriages in Irish history.
We ♥ Florence Court, County Fermanagh
For a special dose of love, head to Florence Court. Sir John Cole first built a mansion on this site in the 18th century and named it after the woman he adored: his wife Florence. Today, this vast Palladian mansion oozes romance and is a popular wedding venue. Even if you're not tying the knot here, the ornate Rococo plasterwork, mountain backdrops and magnificent gardens are sure to melt your heart.
There's still lots of love to go around...
We ♥ Kylemore Abbey, County Galway
It's 1852. Financier Mitchell Henry and new bride, Margaret, are on honeymoon in Connemara, when Margaret comments on the beauty of the area. Thirteen years later a castle emerges, overlooking a glassy Connemara lake. But then, in 1875 on a visit to Egypt, Margaret contracts a fever and dies. A heartbroken Mitchell builds a Gothic church as a legacy to the love of his life.
We ♥ Lisdoonvarna, County Clare
Before P.S. I Love You, we had The Matchmaker. The fictional plot: woman goes to Ireland to find her boss's ancestors, but arrives in the middle of Galway's matchmaking season. In real life, our protagonist would have travelled to the Cliffs of Moher and Lisdoonvarna, County Clare. Here, the legendary Matchmaking Festival welcomes 60,000 singles over six weeks every September.
We ♥ Castle Leslie, County Monaghan
Today a plush hotel, this was once the home of the knight in shining armour… In the 11th century, Bartholomew Leslie became a hero on horseback when Queen Margaret of Scotland fell off her horse into a river while fleeing from her enemies. Leslie saved her life by throwing her the end of his belt and telling her to grip fast. She did, she was saved, and today the Leslie family motto remains "Grip Fast".
We ♥ Cushendun Village, County Antrim
When Ronald John McNeil (aka 1st Baron Cushendun) designed this village, he ordered it to be built in Cornish appearance to please his Cornwall-born wife, Elizabeth. Upon her death, the Baron built a row of whitewashed cottages in her memory, where they still stand today. Top off your romantic stay at the charming 19th century Barbican Gatelodge in nearby Glenarm.
We ♥ Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim
A spooky contrast to the lovey-dovey lies in the history of Carrickfergus Castle. As legend tells it, a young soldier was executed here after news broke of his affair with the wife of his Captain's brother. Look for his ghost, known as "Buttoncap", near the well; it's been said that those who listen carefully can hear his cries of lost passion echoing...
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