Many historic Irish houses are open to the public as attractions and welcome daily visitors. From ancient castles to grand mansions, we hope you will find something of interest. Clicking on each listing below will bring you directly to each website where you can find out about opening hours, admission prices, tours, events, etc.
Co. Clare
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Bunratty, Co. Clare
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park is a must on your itinerary to Ireland. This is your chance to experience a window on Ireland’s past and explore the acclaimed 15th century Bunratty Castle and the 19th century Bunratty Folk Park. Our award winning Banquet’s at Bunratty Castle are renowned world wide. Experience a glorious banquet at our majestic 15th century castle where The Earl’s Butler welcomes guests from the four corners of the world, toasting an era of great Irish taste with excellent food, fine wine and honey mead.
Co. Dublin
Malahide Castle and Gardens, Malahide, Co. Dublin
Generations of the Talbot family have called Malahide Castle home. Hear their stories, explore the private rooms and collections, and discover the central part this castle played in Irish political and social life on a guided tour. Set on 260 acres of parkland, the gardens and Butterfly House at Malahide Castle are a tranquil retreat just minutes away from Dublin city centre and airport. Discover 5000 plant varieties, perfect picnic spots and much more during your visit.
Newbridge House & Farm, Donabate, Co. Dublin
Step back in time in Ireland’s only intact Georgian mansion. Visitors to Newbridge House can learn about its illustrious history on a guided tour through three centuries of history in Ireland’s only intact Georgian mansion and estate. Don’t miss the ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’; created in 1790 it is one of the few remaining family museums in Ireland and the UK filled to the brim with antiquities and oddities. Get up close with the animals on our interactive farm trail or book an ideal venue for a meeting, team-building session or school tour.
Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
Ardgillan Castle and Demesne is situated in North County Dublin on an elevated coastline between Balbriggan and Skerries, 32 km north of Dublin City. The park consists of 194 acres overlooking the Irish Sea with views of Mourne Mountains to the north and Lambay to the south-east. It is a sanctuary for many species of animals, mammals and birds for which the wooded areas provide a safe retreat from surrounding agricultural land. Book castle tours, theatre events, afternoon tea, children’s parties plus much more!
Co. Galway
Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, Co. Galway
Visit the Abbey with its beautifully restored period rooms and fascinating Visitor Experience and learn about its history of tragedy, romance, education, and spirituality. Explore the 6-acre Victorian Walled Garden with its delightfully restored garden buildings, formal flower, vegetable and herb gardens. Discover woodland and lakeshore walks that will take you on a beautiful journey through our 1,000-acre estate. With great options for dining and shopping, we have all you need for the perfect Connemara day out.
Portumna Castle, Portumna, Co. Galway
Portumna Castle and Demesne occupy a magnificent location on the shores of Lough Derg on the River Shannon. Although gutted by fire in 1826, the Castle is still an imposing example of Irish architecture of the early 17th Century. Built before 1618 by Richard de Burgo, 4th Earl of Clanricarde, the castle became the main seat of the de Burgo family for over 200 years. The ground floor of the castle is open to the public and houses an exhibition on the history and restoration of the building and the de Burgo family.
Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara, Co. Galway
Dunguaire Castle has the most picturesque location at the shores of Galway Bay near Kinvara in County Galway. The castle comprises of a 75 foot tower and defensive wall against a stunning backdrop making this castle the most photographed castle in Ireland! In the tradition of the medieval ‘King Guaire’ you are also welcomed to savour a delicious four course dinner at Dunguaire Castle. Enjoy fine wines, stories and excerpts selected to lift the soul and lighten the heart.
Co. Kildare
Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare
When it was built in the 1720s, Castletown set a radical precedent and it is an extraordinary part of our cultural inheritance. Now, as the OPW breathes contemporary life into Ireland’s earliest and finest Palladian house, it is trailblazing once more. Built for William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, the house was designed to reflect its owner’s power and to serve as a venue for political entertaining. In true Palladian fashion, the house consists of a central block flanked by two pavilions, connected by Ionic colonnades.
Co. Offaly
Birr Castle, Birr, Co. Offaly
The Award-Winning Gardens of Birr Castle Demesne in Ireland are both rich in amazing feats of science and engineering as well as rare trees and flowers, wonderful wildlife and walks along peaceful rivers and the lake. This remarkable family have resided at the romantic and inspirational setting of Birr Castle Demesne that is now home to the 7th Earl of Rosse. The Parsons family invite you to explore one of the most extraordinary places in Ireland. Created over generations it is an environmental and a scientific time capsule.
Co. Roscommon
Strokestown Park House, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon
Strokestown Park is a unique historic property in the west of Ireland and is the home of the first landlord to be assassinated during the height of the Great Famine of Ireland in the 1840s. Strokestown features a Georgian Palladian Mansion with its original furnishings and fabrics, the National Famine Museum & Archive and Historic Gardens & Woodlands. A range of cultural events for all ages and interests take place throughout the season including garden, craft, seasonal and family events, evening concerts and seminars.
Co. Westmeath
Belvedere House Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
Belvedere Estate today is a very important example of cultural built heritage that has been transformed into a tourism asset of national importance for the region. The Jealous Wall is the largest and one of the most celebrated and most spectacular follies. The word Folly is commonly used to describe an ornamental building serving no useful purpose. The parklands offer stunning views, a Victorian Walled Garden, many splendid woodland & lakeshore walks and four children’s play areas in a safe and serene lakeside setting.
Tullynally Castle & Gardens, Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath
Welcome to the Gardens at Tullynally. Like the castle itself, they date back over 350 years. The Pakenhams (later Earls of Longford) settled here in the 17th century and three generations still live here as their family home. The layout of the gardens and magnificent parkland date mainly from the early 1800s, but the present owners, Thomas and Valerie Pakenham, have added many new features. Take the main path to the Walled Flower Garden and visit the llamas and the stone ‘Nandi’ (sacred Indian bulls) next door.
Co. Wicklow
Killruddery House & Gardens, Southern Cross, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Killruddery is a great historic house of Ireland. The magnificent 800-acre estate in Co. Wicklow is a sustainable, bio-diverse farm that includes flowering woodland, painterly formal 17th century gardens, a high-hedge sylvan theatre, long ponds and a walled garden. The estate’s heritage horse yard is a space to shop, eat, make and celebrate the seasonal bounty of Killruddery’s gardens. House tours, garden tours, events, farm market and a shop – its all happening at this living, working house, gardens and farm.
