Places
of Interest
All
Places of Interest listed below are within 30 minutes
drive from the area.
Huntington Castle and Gardens chief
attraction is possibly German sculptor Ulrick Rueckriem’s
world-famous installation. Other attractions include a 1625
castellated house and extensive gardens first laid out in the
17th century. Look out for native Irish trees, a wilderness
garden by the river Derry with Ireland’s earliest water
turbine. The mini power station began supplying electricity
to the estate in 1888. Guided tours of the house are available.
Location; Clonegal Village
A hidden treasure, Myshall Memorial Church is
a unique miniature of Salisbury Cathedral. A London businessman, John Duguid,
built the tiny church in 1913 in memory of his wife and daughter. Highlights
include exquisite woodcarvings, stained glass windows with representations
of local countryside and ironwork. The beautiful marble floor and the Chancel
were inspired by St Mark’s in Venice and the granite pillars came from
Aberdeen. The church is also known as the Adelaide Memorial Church.
Location; Myshall Village, Co. Carlow
Charles Lanyon built Newtonbarry House in
1883. This stark and imposing mansion was his last project. Unusually, the
gardens, or parts of them, are older than the house. The sunken garden, for
example, dates from the 18th century. Other attractions for garden lovers include
a rose garden, a pond garden and acres of landscaped parkland set against the
backdrop of the Blackstairs Mountains. Newtonbarry House’s gallery is
part of the Wexford Arts Trail. Group and solo exhibitions are held here.
Location; Bunclody, Co. Wexford
Altamont Gardens is
known as the most romantic garden in Ireland, and it’s
ranked in the top 10. A Robinsonian or Arts and Craft
style garden it gracefully melds formal and informal
elements while blending in with its surroundings. Rows
of clipped yews lead down a slope to a pretty lake surrounded
by rare trees and shrubs. Other highlights include a
bog garden and an ice-age glen full of ancient oaks,
old-fashioned roses and an outstanding collection of
herbaceous plants.
Location; Kilbride, Tullow, Co. Carlow
Arboretum Lifestyle & Garden
Centre Commitment to excellent customer service, quality products,
unbeatable choice and value for money has earned Arboretum Lifestyle & Garden
Centre the coveted title of Bord Glas Garden Centre of the Year and the National
Award for Best Customer Service on many occasions.
Location; Kilkenny Road (N9), Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow.
Delta Sensory Gardens are
an ambitious new project, consisting of a series of interconnecting gardens
of a multi-sensory nature covering 2.5 acres. The first of their kind in Ireland
they combine the attraction of a tourist facility with a therapeutic focus
and benefit, for people of all abilities.
Location: Strawhall Industrial Estate, Carlow
Hardymount Gardens One
of the largest Spanish chestnuts in the country greets you on arrival to one
hectare of lawns and shrubs surrounded by magnificent beech and oak trees.
A wonderful walled garden behind the house contains many unusual plants and
flowers in the herbaceous border. The grass paths take you past the pond with
lilies and fish to the apple tree area and a vegetable garden. A Summer House
at the end of the garden in a sheltered corner provides a quiet area for rest
and relaxation. A truly amazing walled garden full of colour and vigour matches
the owner's enthusiasm and commitment to gardening.
Location: Tullow, Co. Carlow.
Rathwood Home, Gift & Garden
World, is simply a treasure chest of
interesting and unusual ideas, incorporating an array of household items that
add an extra special touch to any home. An extensive 4 star garden centre carries
an impressive selection of plants, many rare and unusual, garden furniture,
outdoor living accessories, lighting and pots. Customers from the green fingered
to the fledging gardener are guaranteed expert advice and friendly assistance
so you can enjoy all-year round colour and fragrance.
Location: Rath, Tullow, Co. Carlow
Ardattin
Cottage Museum in the tiny townland
of Ardattin attracts visitors from all around the world
and it has featured on television and radio. The fully
restored and very pretty cottage is crammed with fascinating
items old and new. Among them, vintage radios from
the early 1920s, wind-up gramophones, old sewing machines,
domestic machinery and antique toys. The Museum is
usually open on Sunday afternoons and at other times
by appointment only.
Location; Ardattin, Tullow, Co. Carlow
Shean Garden; A 400-year-old cottage beneath the foothills of Mount
Leinster is the setting for this informal garden. A one-acre
patchwork of six smaller gardens is stitched together
with hedges, small trees and shrubs. Highlights include
rare plants, trees and shrubs, including Liquidambar,
Parrotia Persica and Acer Griseum, massive standing stones
imaginatively used and an impressive Iris bed. Afternoon
teas are available by prior request as well as plant
advice and cuttings. There is restricted access for wheelchairs.
Location; Garryhill, Bagenalstown Co. Carlow
Tullow Museum; Tullow is a bustling market town with many handsome granite
buildings. One of them houses the town’s museum.
Next to a bridge over the River Slaney, the former church
is now home to an excellent collection of local and regional
material detailing the area’s rich rural heritage.
Exhibits include items relating to the 1798 Rebellion
and its leader, Father John Murphy, who was executed
in Tullow. The church itself dates from 1860 and features
a fine Gothic doorway.
Location; Bridge Street, Tullow, Co. Carlow
Wild Irish Crafts is
a craft centre specializing in the conservation and propagation
of wild Irish flowers. Visitors can follow the Centre’s
new nature trail, which climbs to a viewing point with
wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. If inspired,
they can then buy plants and seeds for their own garden.
The trail has wheelchair access. Other attractions include
a windmill, a pond, a picnic area and a shop selling
everything from pressed flowers to Victorian jewellery.
Location; Kilquiggan, Tullow, Co. Carlow
Lisnavagh
Victorian Gardens are set against the
Gothic splendour of Lisnavagh House, built in 1847
by Daniel Robertson. He also designed the gardens which
were laid out around the same time. Much of their original
design has been preserved, and visitors can still see
a walled garden, rock gardens and mixed borders. Look
out for the old Irish yews and, in spring, snowdrops,
daffodils and bluebells. The gardens are open to groups
by appointment.
Location; Rathvilly, Co. Carlow
Shankill Castle started life
as a Butler tower house. In 1708 it was rebuilt as a castle and set into landscaped
grounds. Now the castle’s best feature, they have been evolving and growing
over the last three centuries. Highlights now include Victorian laurel lawns,
Giant Redwood trees, a restored ornamental canal, fragments of 18th-century
lime walks and a walled garden. In the Castle, there’s a Georgian staircase
and plenty of ornate plasterwork. Visitors can join guided tours of the house.
Location; Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow
Clonmore Castle is
a typical 13th-century Anglo-Norman castle - plain and
square with two rectangular towers and two turrets at
its corners. These fortifications were not enough though,
to stop it being captured by the Earl of Kildare in 1516,
the Earl of Ormond in 1598, and Cromwell in 1650. Near
the castle a high cross can be seen and the remains of
another nearby. Inside the castle, some of the original
layout can still be seen.
Location; Clonmore, Co. Carlow
Only half of Ferns Castle is
still standing, but it’s an impressive half. The centrepiece, a massive
wall fragment, is from a round tower. Another more intact tower stands next
to it, its curtain wall still attached. Both have survived from the 13th century.
Other highlights include a dungeon carved out of solid rock, a circular chapel
with a carved ornament and some original fireplaces. Ferns Castle is managed
by the state and guided tours are available.
Location; Ferns Village, Co. Wexford
Mill
Gardens are
Victorian in origin and they have retained many features
and plants from that time. Highlights include an orchard
full of ancient gnarled apple trees, a bog garden,
an interesting Zen garden planted among rocky outcrops
and a reclaimed island planted with native Irish trees.
Year-round interest is provided by spring bulbs, summer-flowering
perennials and evergreens. Look out for the newly restored
Victorian Fernery, sandwiched between two old railway
bridges.
Location; Borris, Co. Carlow
Leighlinbridge Black Castle is
one of Ireland’s earliest Norman castles and nearby
lie the ruins of the country’s first Carmelite
priory, built in 1270 by Carew. The castle was rebuilt
in 1547 by Edward Bellingham, but sacked by Cromwellian
forces in 1650. A broken castle tower, which is 50 feet
tall, and the bawn wall make up the ruins seen today.
Leighlinbridge is a pretty and ancient riverside village
on the Barrow Way.
Location; Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow
Borris
House is
one of Ireland’s most important country estates.
It’s also one of the few with an unbroken history
going all the way back to Ireland’s oldest Royal
families. The McMorrough Kavanagh family have lived
here since the 15th century. Attractions include 600
acres of parkland, a walled garden, an ancient oak
woodland, lavish interiors and magnificent scenery
all around. Events include opera and exhibitions and
guided tours of the house can be arranged.
Location; Borris, Co. Carlow
The
Bay Garden. Francis and Iain MacDonald
have transformed a neglected orchard into a series
of stunning garden rooms. Among them, a woodland garden,
with many rare and unusual trees, a formal rose garden
and a pool garden, planted with pastels and silvers.
Another garden offers a range of herbaceous borders
including a hot border and an unusual funereal border
with black flowers and grasses. Other attractions at
the Bay Garden include tearooms and plants for sale.
Location; Camolin, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
Duckett’s
Grove is an enormous Gothic ruin surrounded
by nearly 11 acres of walled and landscaped gardens.
Access to the estate is through one of Ireland’s
most elaborate gate lodges. Its embattled towers, Gothic
windows and great archways were designed by John MacDuff
Derick in the mid 19th century. Duckett’s Grove
is the former home of the Duckett family. Nearly completely
destroyed by fire in 1933, it was never rebuilt. It’s
now owned by Carlow County Council.
Location; Rainstown, Carlow Town, Co. Carlow
Cathedral of St Lazerian This
is one of Ireland’s smallest medieval cathedrals,
but it was once one of the most important in Leinster.
It’s now regarded as one of the finest 12th-century
cathedrals in Ireland. Founded in 632 by Saint Lazerian,
the current building mostly dates from 1181, although
there have been many additions since then. They include
the tower and the north chapel. Highlights include a
four-bay sedilia from the 13th century, probably unique
in Ireland, an 11th-century font. Guided tours are available
by prior request.
Location; Old Leighlin, Co. Carlow
St Aidan’s Cathedral was
built in 1843. It was designed by the same person who
co-designed London’s Houses of Parliament. Augustus
Welby Pugin created Enniscorthy’s cathedral in
the same neo-Gothic style. Features include a fine façade,
a beautiful reredos carved from Caen stone and a great
north window with intricate stone tracery. The cathedral
was severely damaged over the centuries but restored
to its original design in 1994 when authentic colours,
materials and techniques were used. The restoration took
almost a year.
Wexford County Museum in
Enniscorthy is a treasure trove of local artefacts. They
include agricultural, military and domestic items. Just
as interesting is the Museum’s home, the 13th-century
Norman castle in which Edmund Spenser wrote his epic
poem, ‘The Faerie Queene’. A later resident
was Sir Henry Wallop, whose mistreatment of his staff
gave us the word wallop. In the 1798 Rising the United
Irishmen took the castle. Their made their last stand
at Vinegar Hill near here. Memorabilia from that time
can also be seen in the Museum.
Location; Enniscorthy Castle, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
Although
situated in Bunclody this golf
and fishing club is within the area of Clonegal and Kildavin.
It is a wonderful attraction for the whole area and provides
facilities second to none in Ireland. Bunclody golf and
fishing club is a touch of paradise for the golfer or fisherman
or woman but it also is a wonderful venue for meals or
a visit just to get away from it all. The website is worth
a visit as it leads you through the beauty and glory of
this top class club on our doorstep.
http://www.bunclodygfc.ie/
To
discover other places of interest around the Carlow area
you can log on to the Carlow Tourism site by clicking
on the link below:
http://www.carlowtourism.com
