Dublin Environs
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Dublin Environs - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Killruddery House
The 17th-century formal gardens at Killruddery House are precisely arranged, with fine beech hedges, Victorian statuary, and a parterre of lavender and roses. The Brabazon family, the earls of Meath, have lived here since 1618. In 1820 they hired William Morris to remodel the house as a revival Elizabethan mansion. The estate also has a Crystal Palace conservatory modeled on those at the botanic gardens in Dublin. Killruddery Arts organizes year-round events including an old-fashioned Easter egg hunt. You have to take one of the twice-daily tours to see the house itself, but the real draw are the gardens, which you are free to roam at your leisure. The teahouse in the old dairy is a perfect spot for a light snack and kids will love watching the sheep shearing and the chickens being fed on the adjoining farm. There's a wonderful farmers' market every Saturday.
Bray–Greystones Rd., Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland01-286–3405Sight Details
Rate Includes: Gardens €8.50, house and gardens €15.50, Closed Nov.--Mar., and weekdays in Apr. and Oct. -
2. Powerscourt House & Gardens
At more than 14,000 acres, including stunning formal gardens and a 400-foot waterfall, Powerscourt was truly one of the great houses of Ireland and Britain in its day. The grounds were originally granted to Sir Richard Wingfield, the first viscount of Powerscourt, by King James I of England in 1609. Richard Castle (1690–1751), the architect of Russborough House, was hired to design the great house. His was an age not known for modesty, and he chose the grand Palladian style. The house took nine years to complete and was ready to move into in 1740. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see much of it. A terrible fire almost completely destroyed the house in 1974, cruelly on the eve of a huge party to celebrate the completion of a lengthy restoration. The original ballroom on the first floor—once "the grandest room in any Irish house," according to historian Desmond Guinness—is the only room that still gives a sense of the place's former glory. It was based on Palladio's version of the "Egyptian Hall" designed by Vitruvius, architect to Augustus, emperor of Rome. The real draw here is not the house but Powerscourt Gardens, considered among the finest in Europe. They were laid out from 1745 to 1767, following the completion of the house, and radically redesigned in the Victorian style from 1843 to 1875 by Daniel Robertson. The Villa Butera in Sicily inspired him to set these gardens with sweeping terraces, antique sculptures, and a circular pond and fountain flanked by winged horses. The grounds include many specimen trees (plants grown for exhibition), an avenue of monkey puzzle trees, a parterre of brightly colored summer flowers, and a Japanese garden. The kitchen gardens, with their modest rows of flowers, are a striking antidote to the classical formality of the main sections. A cute café, crafts and interior design shops, a garden center, and a children's play area are also in the house and on the grounds. Kids love Tara's Palace, a 22-room Georgian-style dollhouse. The "Cool Planet Experience" is a high-tech, interactive exhibition focused on climate action in Ireland.
Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, Ireland01-204–6000Sight Details
Rate Includes: Gardens €8.50, waterfall €6.50, cool planet €10.50 -
3. Russborough House
A conspicuously grand house rising seemingly in the middle of nowhere—actually the western part of County Wicklow—Russborough was an extravagance paid for by the profits from beer. In 1741, a year after inheriting a vast fortune from his brewer father, Joseph Leeson commissioned architect Richard Castle to build him a home of palatial stature, and was rewarded with this slightly over-the-top house, whose monumental 700-foot-long facade one-upped every other great house in Ireland. Today, the house serves as a showcase for the celebrated collection of Old Master paintings of Sir Alfred Beit, a descendant of the De Beers diamond family, who had bought and majestically restored the property in 1952. A 3D exhibition of his amazing photos from the 1920s and 1930s is a highlight. The first sight of Russborough draws gasps from visitors: a mile-long, beech-lined avenue leads to a distant embankment. Constructed of silver-gray Wicklow granite, the facade encompasses a seven-bay central block, from either end of which radiate semicircular loggias connecting the flanking wings—the finest example in Ireland of Palladio's "winged device." The interior is full of grand period rooms that were elegantly refurbished in the 1950s under the eye of the legendary 20th-century decorator, Lady Colefax. The Hall is centered on a massive black Kilkenny marble chimneypiece and has a ceiling modeled after one in the Irish Parliament. Four 18th-century Joseph Vernet marine landscapes grace the glorious stucco moldings created to frame them in the Drawing Room. The grandest room, the Saloon, is famed for its 18th-century stucco ceiling by the Lafranchini brothers; fine Old Masters hang on walls covered in 19th-century Genoese velvet. The views out the windows take in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains and the famous Poulaphouca Reservoir in front of the house. Kids will love getting lost in the huge hedge maze on the grounds. Additional attractions include a 200-acre park, tearoom, gift shop, sheepdog demonstrations, and a National Bird of Prey center. You can only see the house on a guided tour, but the guides are good storytellers and bring the old place to life.
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4. National SEA LIFE
Dedicated to the creatures of the sea, National SEA LIFE emphasizes those that occupy the waters around Ireland. Besides massive tanks that contain all manner of swimming things, there are major conservation projects focusing on breeding seahorses and stingrays. The Tropical Shark Lagoon is always a thrill for kids. Touch-screen computers and video games give the place a high-tech feel. There are also regular feeding demonstrations during the day. In winter, call ahead to confirm opening times.
Strand Rd., Bray, Co. Wicklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland01-286–6939Sight Details
Rate Includes: €14.50 -
5. Newgrange Farm
A two-hour tour of farmer Willie Redhouse's fully functioning farm includes feeding the ducks, bottle-feeding the lambs, a visit to aviaries stocked with exotic birds, and a straw maze and go-karts for the kids. A blacksmith gives demonstrations of his ancient art, and there's a nice tractor ride around the farm. Every Sunday at 3 pm the Sheep Derby takes place, with teddy bears tied astride the animals in the place of jockeys.
N51, Slane, Co. Meath, IrelandSight Details
Rate Includes: €9, Closed early Sept.--late-Mar. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Wicklow's Historic Gaol
Just above Market Square, the town's old jail has been converted into a museum and heritage center where it's possible to trace your genealogical roots. The "gruff gaoler" escorts you to your prison cell before computer displays, actors, and life-size models tell the gruesome history of the prison, from the 1798 rebellion to the late 19th century. The new "Gates of Hell" virtual reality experience adds an extra thrill.
Market Sq., Wicklow, Co. Wicklow, Co Wicklow, Ireland404-61599Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tour €10.50; Gates of Hell €16
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