Munster contains the present-day counties of Clare, Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford, Kerry, and Cork. This is the largest province, 9,317 square miles, occupying most of southern and southwestern Ireland.

. The province is blessed with an abundance of shoreline and waterways. Add to this a pleasant climate and you have the stereotypical image of the "Emerald Isle". The area abounds in scenic wonders and ancient sites of historical interest. From the cracked and broken layer of limestone karst which forms The Burren and the towering Cliffs of Moher, to the lush green of The Ring of Kerry and The Dingle Peninsula, there is something new to see with turn of the road. In addition to the natural beauty of the area, there are several thousand "places of interest" to archaeologists and historians. Cairns, court tombs, standing stones, ringforts and such seem to dot the landscape like the white, wooly sheep. Castles and abbeys, some well preserved, also abound.


Some prominent names from Munster are Fionn mac Cumhal and his Fianna, and the great dynasty of the Eoghanacht, along with the goddesses Mugain, Aine, Aibell and Digde whose personality merges with the better known Cailleach Bheirre. The earliest evidence of human habitation in the province is in County Waterford. Mesolithic tombs dating to 9,000 years ago are scattered about the area. The earliest people were hunter/gatherers and fishers. These were supplanted by metal-working people, about 4,500 later. These are known for their "cyst" burials, in stone-lined chambers. The first true Celts reached the area around 500 BC. There are two major "hillforts" and more than twenty "promontory" forts in the area of Waterford, alone.



There are 3 capital cities of Munster which served in rotation, plus the regional capital, Temair Luachra.

Cashel The Rock of Cashel, a 200 ft limestone acropolis in central Tipparay, is one of Ireland's best known sites. The Eoganacht occupied that rock in the fifth century.

Glendamain was the home of such powerful Irish kings as Cathal mac Finguine, near what is today the village of Glanworth on the River Funcheon in northeast County Cork.

Cnoc Aine is a hill to the south of Lough Gur in Limerick, thought to be the dwelling place of the fairy queen or goddess Aine. This fairy-goddess is the patron of love, desire and fertility. Many stories link her with Manannan mac Lir, the sea god. In the Fenian Cycle, she appears as the lover of Fionn.

Temair Luachra was the residence of the south Munster kings including Eochaid mac Luchta, who supposedly lived during the same time as Conchobar mac Nessa. Cu Roi, the legendary hero of Munster, is also said to have lived there.