- Birr Castle Demesne: This award-winning historic demesne spans 120 acres of magnificent parklands and gardens, renowned for its vast collection of over 5,000 rare trees and plants from around the world. Highlights include the world’s tallest box hedges (over 300 years old), formal terraces laid out in the 1930s, tranquil riverside walks with waterfalls, a serene lake, and magnificent champion trees, creating a botanical wonderland of international importance.
- Woodland Cottage Garden: A charming, intimate cottage-style garden located in a woodland setting near Birr, featuring delightful informal planting schemes, winding paths through mature trees, colourful herbaceous borders, and a peaceful, natural atmosphere that appeals to those seeking a more relaxed and enchanting gardening experience.
- Bellfield House Gardens: These elegant gardens surrounding a historic house showcase well-maintained lawns, mature specimen trees, formal flower beds, and carefully designed borders, offering a classic example of traditional Irish country house gardening with seasonal displays and scenic views across the grounds.
- Lough Boora Discovery Park (gardening and landscape elements): While primarily a biodiversity and sculpture park, this expansive site features thoughtfully landscaped walking trails through wetlands and woodlands, natural planting schemes, wildflower meadows, and interpretive areas that highlight native Irish flora and bogland ecology, providing an inspiring showcase of landscape gardening on a grand scale.
- Charleville Forest Castle Grounds: The demesne surrounding this dramatic Gothic Revival castle includes extensive wooded parkland with ancient trees, sweeping lawns, and atmospheric garden features set against the castle’s romantic backdrop. The grounds offer scenic walks and a sense of historic grandeur in a landscaped estate setting.
Gardens to Visit
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Offaly:
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