Best Gardens to Visit in Northern Ireland
Powerscourt House and Gardens
The Powerscourt House and Gardens is a spectacular house and landscaped gardens near Enniskerry in County Wicklow, Northern Ireland. It is a private estate but the 47 acres gardens are open to visitors.
History of the splendid house which today serves as a private residence of the Slazenger family dates back to the 13th century but it got its present appearance in the 18th century. It was severely damaged by a fire in the 1970’s but it was beautifully renovated in 1990’s.
The today’s Powerscourt gardens was created by Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powersourt in the second half of the 19th century. He started working on the new gardens in 1860 and completed it in 1880. The following generations as well as the Slazenger family that bought the estate in 1961 maintained the gardens that was created by 7th Viscount Powerscourt and added several important features such as the Japanese Garden and the Pepper Pot Tower.
The Powerscourt House and Gardens can be visited daily except 25 and 26 December from 9:30am to 5:30pm. In the winter months, the gardens closes at dusk.
Mount Stewart House, Gardens and Temple of the Winds
The Mount Stewart House, Gardens and Temple of the Winds, commonly simply called the Mount Stewart refers to an 18th century house and gardens near the town of Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. The gardens were listed to the UK list of sites for potential nomination for UNESCO World Heritage site.
The current house and gardens were created by the Stewart family and later Vane-Tempest-Stewart, the Marquess of Londonderry which played an important role in the Irish and British political scene. The estate was acquired by the family in 1744 but the present appearance of the house and gardens date from the early 20th century. The splendid gardens were mostly created by the wife of the 7th Marquess of Londonderry, Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart. She added the Spanish Garden, the Italian Garden, the Sunken Garden and Shamrock Garden as well as the Menagerie, Dodo Terrace, Fountain Pool and other key features of the gardens. In 1957, the Marchioness gave the garden to the National Trust which also acquired the house from the Lady Mairi Bury in 1977.
The gorgeous Mount Stewart can be visited daily from 10am to 6pm.
Ilnacullin
The Ilnacullin, also known as the Garnish Island is one of the most famous botanic gardens in Northern Ireland. It is located on the Garnish Island in the harbour of Glengarriff in County Cork and can be reached by a ferry from the town of Glengarriff.
The lovely gardens were created by Harold Peto, the famous British garden designer in the early 20th century for Annan Bryce who bought the island in 1910. His son Ronald bequeathed the island and the gardens to Ireland in 1953. The gardens are since then maintained by the Office of Public Works.
The Garnish Island and its gardens can be visited daily all year round. Keep in mind that it opens later on Sundays and that the opening hours vary from season to season.