Places to visit: Further Afield A to Z

Killruddery House

Killruddery House and Gardens

Country Estates, Dublin A to Z, Further Afield A to Z, Gardens

Killruddery House and Gardens has been home since 1650 to 16 generations of the Brabazon family. The house was extensively reconstructed in the Tudor Revival style in the 1820s. It contains one of the few remaining 17th Century  gardens in these islands, as well as elaborate interiors and a striking Orangery. It is a popular location for television series (e.g. “The Tudors”).

The Brabazons were not the first to live in Killruddery. Following the Norman Conquest, Nicholas De La Felde came to Ireland and secured the lands of Kilrotheric (Killruddery) in the 13th century and subsequently leased them to the Abbey of St Thomas. This included the little Sugar Loaf, Bray Head and the valley running between them. The valley included a chapel, a burial ground and a large rural retreat built by the monks.

In 1534, Henry VII dispatched William Brabazon of Leicester to Ireland to serve as Vice-Treasurer, part of a team to implement the new Tudor policies in Ireland. In 1539, Sir William benefited from the dissolution of the monasteries and secured ownership of the Abbey of St. Thomas – which stood between present day Thomas Street and the RIver Liffey and attached monastic lands outside of Dublin.

Records of the original house at Killruddery do not exist, but it is known that it was destroyed in 1645. It was the 2nd Earl of Meath who rebuilt the house in 1651 – facing East with five bays and a hipped roof.

The 10th Earl of Meath carried out an extensive reconstruction of the 17th Century house in the 1820s, using the architects Richard and his son William Vitruvius Morrison. They designed an elaborate Tudor-Revival style mansion with an impressive central hall that incorporated the original low-level 17th Century structure. The new house took on the shape of an irregular quadrangle, enclosing a central courtyard. The approach was redirected to a North-facing drive and the road from Dublin to Wicklow was diverted to the other side of the great rock.

The French formal Gardens were designed by a disciple of landscape designer André le Nôtre, the principal gardener to both Louis XIV and the Palace of Versailles at the height of the Ancien Régime. Killruddery’s Gardens are deemed one of the finest examples of 17th-century gardens on this island.

Opening Hours:
Apr & Oct: Tues to Sun & Bank Holidays, 9.30am – 5pm
May to Sept: Tues to Sun & Bank Holidays, 9.30am – 6pm
Last entry 1 hour before closing.
House tours usually take place at 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm, but may be cancelled due to private functions.

There are numerous parts of the venue and special events with different opening times, check here for details.

Contact & Pricing:
killruddery.com
info@killruddery.com
Tel: 01 286 3405
Southern Cross, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Adults from €8.50; concessions

Kilmacurragh Arboretum

Kilmacurragh Botanic Gardens

Dublin A to Z, Further Afield A to Z, Gardens

Kilmacurragh Arboretum is managed by the National Botanic Gardens. It is the remnants of a large estate planted during the 19th century by Thomas Acton in conjunction with David Moore and his son Sir Frederick Moore, curators of the National Botanic Gardens at that time.

It was a period of great botanical and geographical explorations with numerous plant species from around the world being introduced to Ireland for the first time. The different soil and climatic conditions at Kilmacurragh resulted in many of these specimens succeeding there while struggling or failing at Glasnevin. Kilmacurragh is particularly famous for its conifers and rhododendron collections.

Opening Hours:
7 days a week: 9am – 4.30pm, opens until 5pm Mid-Feb to Oct
Last entry 30mins before closing.
Free guided tours at 12pm and 3pm daily from mid-March to mid-October.
Closed Christmas Day.

Contact & Pricing:
botanicgardens.ie
kilmacurraghgardens@opw.ie
Tel: 04 044 8844
Kilmacurragh, Kilbride, Co. Wicklow
Free admission

Larchill Arcadian Garden

Larchill Arcadian Garden

Dublin A to Z, Further Afield A to Z, Gardens

Larchill Arcadian Garden is an ornamental Farm (Ferme Ornée) created between 1740 and 1780. It is the only surviving, near complete garden of its type in Europe. It was designed as a pastoral paradise, reflecting man’s harmony with nature. It is a working farm, with decorative buildings, a walled garden, tree-lined avenues, 65 acres of landscaped parkland filled with follies, grottoes, statuary, and an 8-acre lake. Larchill has gained national and international awards following extensive restoration work.

For more on gardens in the Dublin area, pay a visit to www.dublingardens.com

Opening Hours:
Normal opening hours are 10am – 2pm, but opening days vary by month.
Check here for latest opening times.
House visits by pre-booked appointment only with additional fee of €10 per person.

Contact & Pricing:
larchill.ie
larchillgardens@gmail.com
Kilcock, Co. Kildare
Tel: 01 628 7354
Adults €8; concessions

Maynooth Castle

Maynooth Castle

Castles, Dublin A to Z, Further Afield A to Z

Maynooth Castle is a great stone castle founded in the early 13th Century. It was the principal residence of the Kildare branch of the FitzGeralds who at the time extended their land holdings and influence, emerging as one of the most powerful families in Ireland. Maynooth Castle was one of the country’s largest and richest houses.

Garret Mór governed Ireland in the name of the King of England from 1487 – 1513 and under his son, Garret Og the 9th Earl, the Castle became the centre of political power and culture. The original Keep, constructed around 1203, was one of the largest of its kind in Ireland. The castle was remodelled in the 17th Century when the main focus shifted from the original Keep to the buildings in the east of the grounds.

Maynooth Castle was vested in the State in 1991 and a programme of restoration commenced in February 2000. There is an exhibition in the Keep on the history of the castle and the family. Access to the keep is by guided tour only.

Noted for its friendly staff, there are unfortunately no restaurant facilities on site. However, many fine coffee shops are available close by in Maynooth Village, a mere five minutes’ walk from the Castle.

Opening Hours:
May/June to Sept/Oct from 10am – 6pm
Last Tour 4.30pm, last entry 5.30pm

Contact & Pricing:
heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/maynooth-castle
maynoothcastle@opw.ie
Tel: 01 628 6744
Maynooth Village, Maynooth, Co. Kildare
Free admission

Monasterboice

Monasterboice

Dublin A to Z, Further Afield A to Z, Historical

Monasterboice is an interesting monastic site near Drogheda, Co. Louth. The impressive ruins include a large cemetery, two churches, one of the tallest round towers in Ireland and two of the best high crosses. The crosses are superb examples of Celtic art which brought the Bible to life for illiterate people. Muiredach’s Cross dates from 900-923 AD and is regarded as the finest high cross in Ireland. The West Cross at 6.5m high is the tallest high cross in the country. There is also a simpler North Cross. The Round tower is over 30m (110 feet) tall, divided into four stories inside.

wikipedia.org (this article contains very detailed information about the legendary Muiredach’s High Cross )

Opening Hours:
The Tower is closed to the public.
The site is open all year.

Contact & Pricing:
discoverboynevalley.ie
Tel: 41 987 2843
Monasterboice, Co. Louth
Free admission

Mount Usher Gardens

Mount Usher Gardens

Dublin A to Z, Further Afield A to Z, Gardens

Mount Usher Gardens is a highly regarded Irish garden, laid out across 22 acres along the banks of the River Vartry. It is a fine example of a Robinsonian-style garden, with an informal natural design. There are over 5000 species of plant, many of them rare and exotic.

Avoca Café and shopping courtyard on site.

Situated in the village of Ashford, 35 minutes from Dublin on the N11

Opening Hours:
Mar to Oct: 10am – 5.30pm
Oct to Mar: 10am – 5pm
Last entry 1 hour before closing.
Self-guided tour. Guided tours available for groups on request.
Closed 25 & 26 December.

Contact & Pricing:
mountushergardens.ie
mountusher-gardens@avoca.com
Tel: 04 044 9672 / 04 044 0116 (café)
Ashford, Co. Wicklow
Adults €10; concessions

Newbridge Style Icons

Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre

Dublin A to Z, Exhibitions, Further Afield A to Z, Museums

The Newbridge Museum of Style Icons is an attraction forming part of the Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre. The museum is a permanent exhibition of garments and memorabilia from the collections of world stars (e.g. Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson).

The museum houses one of the greatest private collections of Audrey Hepburn couture and paper memorabilia in the world. Renowned for her elegant style both on and off screen, the ‘Audrey’ exhibition features clothing both from Audrey’s films and her personal wardrobe. The collection includes items from renowned designers Hubert de Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent as well as an extensive paper collection, carefully conserved and presented. Highlights include letters from Audrey to her father who lived in Dublin from the 1960’s until his death in 1980.

There are a craft workshop, extensive showrooms and a restaurant on site.

Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday: 9am – 6pm
Sunday & public holidays: 10am – 6pm.
Museum of Style Icons and restaurant close at 5pm.
Admission is free, including self-guided tour of the museum.
Guided tours of the museum by prior arrangement only.
The factory tour is a guided tour which runs Monday – Thursday at 11am & 2pm and Fridays & 11am. Tickets for the factory tour can be booked online.

Contact & Pricing:
visitnewbridgesilverware.com
visitorcentre@newbridgesilverware.com
Tel: 045 431 301
Athgarvan Road, Newbridge, Co. Kildare
Admission free
Tour: Adults €15; concessions

Newgrange

Newgrange Neolithic Monument

Dublin A to Z, Further Afield A to Z, Historical, Museums

Newgrange Neolithic Monument was built around 3200 BC, making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. The Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre interprets the Neolithic monuments of Newgrange, Knowth & Dowth. There is a full scale replica of the chamber at Newgrange, and a model of one of the smaller tombs at Knowth.

The Newgrange site consists of a large circular mound with a stone passageway and interior chambers. The mound has a retaining wall at the front and is ringed by engraved kerbstones. There is no agreement about what the site was used for, but it is thought to have had religious significance – it is aligned with the rising sun and its light floods the chamber on the winter solstice. It is the most famous monument within the Brú na Bóinne complex, alongside the similar passage tomb mounds of Knowth and Dowth, and as such is a part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Once a year, at the winter solstice, the rising sun shines directly along the long passage, illuminating the inner chamber and revealing the carvings inside, notably the triple spiral on the front wall of the chamber. This illumination lasts for about 17 minutes. Professor M. J. O’Kelly was the first person in modern times to observe this event on 21 December 1967. The sunlight enters the passage through a specially contrived opening, known as a roofbox, directly above the main entrance. Although solar alignments are not uncommon among passage graves, Newgrange is one of few to contain the additional roofbox feature.

Today the first light enters about four minutes after sunrise, but calculations show that 5,000 years ago first light would have entered exactly at sunrise. The solar alignment at Newgrange is very precise compared to similar phenomena at other passage graves. Current-day visitors to Newgrange are treated to an impressive re-enactment of this event through the use of electric lights situated within the tomb.

Many thanks to Wikipedia for the above information – www.en.wikipedia.org

Opening Hours:
Visitor Centre open 7 days a week: 9.30am – 4.15pm
Exact opening times vary monthly, and site may be closed due to extreme weather conditions. Closed 24 – 27 December.
Check the website for current opening hours.

This is a busy site, with queues likely during summer months.
Access is not guaranteed without pre-booked tickets, online booking recommended.

There are 4 tour options:

  • Visitor Centre only – Includes the exhibition at the visitor centre.
  • Visitor Centre plus Newgrange visit –  Includes the exhibition at the visitor centre and access to the chamber at Newgrange. Approximate duration: 2 hours.
  • Visitor Centre plus Knowth visit – Includes exhibitions at Knowth and the visitor centre. No access to the chambers at Knowth. Approximate duration: 2 hours.
  • Visitor Centre plus Knowth visit plus Newgrange visit – Includes exhibitions at Knowth and the visitor centre and a guided tour of the chamber at Newgrange. Does not include access to the chambers at Knowth. Approximate duration: 2 hours 45 minutes

Admissions via the Visitor Centre, visitors are brought to the monuments by shuttle bus.

Contact & Pricing:
heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/bru-na-boinne-visitor-centre-newgrange-and-knowth
brunaboinne@opw.ie
Tel: 041 988 0300
Donore, Co. Meath
Adults €5-18; concessions