Ballindoolin House & Garden

Opening Months: May, June, July
Opening Days: Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Opening Hours: 12.00 - 18.00
Admission Charge: c. €6

• Appointment Only
• Admission Charge

The gardens at Ballindoolin are a shining example of what can be achieved with buckets of imagination and hard work, plus some help from EU friends. When the Molony family inherited Ballindoolin estate in 1993 little remained in the large walled garden behind the 1821 house except for some venerable espaliered apple trees.

Its restoration was carried out in 1997 with the help of the Great Gardens Restoration Scheme, to a design by Daphne Shackleton. A JCB was used to clear the jungle, uncovering a melon pit and original paths in the process, and the ground was ploughed before replanting began.

Now the garden looks much as it would have done in its heyday. There are 100 foot herbaceous borders with gold and white predominating, a lavender path running down the central axis of the garden, and a grid of paths delineating different areas for vegetables, fruit and new espaliered fruit trees, plus a curious whirling patterned parterre based on the original design.

Every bit as appealing are the woodland walks and displays of spring bulbs and flowering shrubs. There is a nature trail with curiosities like an iron age mound, and a lime kiln and the opportunity learn the Celtic lore of the trees which divided trees into chieftans and commons.

There is a tour of the ground floor of the house and also a museum, a coffee shop and a gift shop - and you can rest assured that fruit from the garden makes the most delicious home made jam, which is on sale in the shop.



 

Best time of year to visit: May, June, July

Groups & Tours

• Groups Accepted
• Groups Need Appointments
• Accept Only Groups
• Guided Tours

Tour Days:

Additional