Killruddery House & Gardens
| County: | Co. Wicklow |
| Tel: | 01 2863 405 |
| Fax: | 01 276 0577 |
| Email: | info@killruddery.com |
Killruddery, the Gateway to the Garden of Ireland and on Dublin's doorstep, is home to the Earls of Meath since 1618 and currently the home of the 15th Earl of Meath.
Killruddery House was commissioned in the 1820's by the 10th Earl and designed by Richard and William Morrisson. With much of the Morrisson's design and architecture still remaining, it is the most significant Elizabethan Revival mansion in Ireland.
The Orangery built by William Burn in 1852 houses an interesting collection of marble statues gathered between 1830 and 1850.
Killruddery is unique in having one of the most extensive early formal gardens, in their original style, surviving in Ireland today. Laid out in the 17th century and added to in the 19th century, they are amongst the most important of their type in Ireland and the UK, while its Sylvan Theatre is the known one of the 18th century in Ireland.
General Information
| Address: | Southern Cross Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow |
|---|---|
| Telephone; | 01 2863 405 |
| Fax: | 01 276 0577 |
| Email: | info@killruddery.com |
| Website: | http://www.killruddery.com |
| Location: | Bray, Co. Wicklow |
| Season: | April - September. All year for pre-booked groups. |
| Open Times: | Gardens: May to Sept 7 days, April & Oct weekends 9.30-17.00. House: July to Sept 13.00-17.00 |
| Tours: | Yes, House only. Duration: approx. 45 minutes. Groups of 20+ |
| Booking Contact: | William Kinsella - william.kinsella@killruddery.com |
| Manager: | Willaim Kinsella |
| Average Visit Length: | 90 minutes |
| Entrance Fees: |
Guided Tours Adult: €10, Child: €3, Student/OAP: €8, Family (2A +2C): €18 Gardens Only Adult: €6, Student/OAP: €5, Child (aged 3-12): Free (with Adult) |
| Audio Visual: | Yes |
| Restaurant: | Café within the Gardens, requiring Gardens ticket. Open: May-Oct 12.30-5 |
| Picnic Area: | Yes |
| Shop: | Craft shop, selling wide range of locally crafted goods. |
| Information Guide: | English, French, German, Italian, Japanese |
| Coach Parking: | Yes |
| Group Booking Necessary: | Yes |
| Car Parking: | Yes |
| Disabled Access/Parking: | Yes, Limited |
The Gardens
The Gardens at Killruddery are the oldest in Ireland still surviving in their original 17th century unique style together with 18th and 19th century additions. The Gardens were designed for the entertainment of a large number of people and therefore the scale is comparable to that of a park. The Gardens should be regarded as mainly the work of the 4th and 6th Earls. A French Landscape architect named Bonet, a pupil of Le Notre, was known to have been employed by the Earl of Meath in 1682.
The Angles are the middle section of the garden of entertainment. They consist of a series of walks flanked by the hornbeam, lime or beech hedges which meet at two centre points. The design of the Angles as seen from the Long Ponds is known as "patte d'oie". Beyond the Angles is an avenue of Ilex trees dating from the 17th century and steps leading to what was known as the bowling green. This area is under restoration.The Long Ponds are twin canals 187 metres long and known as "miroirs d'eaux". Apart from the magnificent view they offer, they were also used to stock fish for the house. The gardens of Chateau de Courances, 50km south of Paris, have a similar design of twin canals on approach to the house.
Opposite the Angles on the far side of the Long Ponds is a wooded area known as the "Wilderness". A gate leads out to the Park and nearby is a statue of Venus. From here one can look back through the centre of the Beech Hedge Pond and beyond.
For more information on the gardens click here.
The Orangery
The Orangery was designed and built by William Burn in 1852 after the fashion of the Crystal Palace in London. The original glass dome was the work of Richard Turner who designed the curvilinear range at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin and at Kew Gardens in London.
The Orangery houses an interesting collection of marble statues gathered in Italy in the 1830 - 1850 period. Classical figures include Ganymede giving water to Zeus disguised as an eagle; Cyparissus with his dying deer; Cupid with Pysche and Venus. Other prominent busts include Homer, Socrates, Napoleon, William Pitt and Wellington. This building was restored in the year 2000 with financial help from the European Regional Development Fund administerd by Bord Fáilte.
The Orangery is available for Special Event Hire.
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