Southeast Ireland is a region of Ireland with historic cities, great landscapes and beautiful beaches. It's known as the Sunny Southeast because it gets the best weather in Ireland, traditionally being the only area where wheat can reliably grown - although global climate change may alter that, especially if the North Atlantic conveyor current stops or reverses.

Regions

County Carlow (Carlow, Bagenalstown, Borris, Hacketstown, Leighlinbridge, Rathvilly, Tullow) Noted for its nature, culture, vibrant nightlife and modern amenities, a pleasant place to visit, where history and contemporary life sit side by side.

County Kilkenny (Kilkenny, Ballyragget, Callan, Castlecomer, Mooncoin, Thomastown) A county famous for its hurling team, and attractive medieval capital, Kilkenny.

County Waterford (Waterford, Dungarvan, Dunmore East, Lismore) The home of Waterford crystal and known for its beautiful beaches.

County Wexford (Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey, Kilmore Quay, Rosslare) Ireland's caravan and camping capital – the county is covered in caravans along the long sandy beaches that benefit from the warm and sunny climate.

Cities

• 1 Waterford (Port Láirge) – Ireland's oldest city. Waterford is a popular visit for those who want to learn more about the most ancient history of Ireland. Many festivals take place throughout the year including Spraoi. The food is good and the Granary Museum is the best for ancient Irish history in the country. Don't forget to try a blaa before you leave. (A floury bread bun peculiar to this area of Ireland)

Large towns

• 2 Carlow (Ceatharlach) – an attractive city that blends history and modern attractions
• 3 Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh) – attractive medieval town, known as the Marble City - home to the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, held annually in early June
• 4 Wexford (Loch Garman) – Town and county in the "Sunny South-East"

Get around

By bus

Cities and towns

Urban bus networks operate in the following cities and towns:

• Waterford - Bus Éireann operate a city network of five routes (W1 to W5), as well as route 360 to Tramore. All routes run every 20 or 30 minutes throughout the day.
• Kilkenny - City Direct operate two cross town routes, KK1 and KK2, every 30 minutes.
• Wexford - Wexford Bus operate two town loop routes, WX1 and WX2, every 30-40 minutes.

Regional, Commuter and Rural

An extensive network of regional bus services operate across the region. However, the frequency of routes can vary significantly, from high frequency routes between nearby towns, to rural services running only once a week. The majority of services are public funded and operated by Bus Èireann and Local Link, although in some areas commercial services also play a large role in providing transport.

The main regional bus networks are:

• Bus Éireann operate an extensive network of regional bus services across Ireland. Commuter services are provided along routes into the main cities and towns, while in rural areas there are routes connecting many villages and small towns into their nearest large town or city. Most routes are shown on the Bus Éireann network map. Routes are numbered by region, with the 100's in the east, 200's in the south, 300's in the midwest and southeast, and 400's in the west and northwest.
• Local Link is the brand name for all services funded under the rural transport programme. There are over 1,000 rural bus routes serving nearly all corners of the country. These range from regular scheduled routes running several times a day between nearby towns, to door to door routes running only one day per week. The regular scheduled routes operate like normal bus routes, with fixed routes and timetables, however the door to door routes can vary and may require advance booking, so it's best to inquire with your nearest Local Link office the day beforehand.
• Bernard Kavanagh operate route 817 from Kilkenny to Dublin

Intercity

The main intercity routes operating within the region are:

• Dublin - Kilkenny - Clonmel: JJ Kavanagh route 717
• Dublin - Carlow - Waterford: Bus Éireann Expressway route 4/X4, Dublin Coach route 600, JJ Kavanagh route 736
• Dublin - Wexford: Bus Éireann Expressway routes 2/X2, Wexford Bus route 740
• Limerick - Waterford: Bus Éireann Expressway route 55
• Tralee - Cork - Waterford - Rosslare: Bus Éireann Expressway route 40

See

• Many of the top sights are Heritage Ireland Sites. A heritage card valid for a year costs €21 for an adult.
• County Carlow: Altamount Gardens near Tullow.
• County Kilkenny: the castle and Dunmore Caves at Kilkenny, St Mary's Church at Gowran, and Jerpoint Abbey in Thomastown.
• County Waterford: Reginald's Tower, and the castle in Dungarven.
• County Wexford: Ferns Castle near Enniscorthy, Tintern Abbey and the Kennedy Arboretum at New Ross, and Ballyhack Castle at the west edge of the county.