Killruddery House & Gardens

Opening Months: April, May, June, July, August, September
Opening Days:
Opening Hours: April weeekends only; Daily May - September; 1-5pm
Admission Charge: Gardens only - ault €6, group €5 - House & Garden adult €10; child €3; Family €18; Group €8

• Appointment Only
• Admission Charge

The venerable garden at Killruddery, beautifully situated on the flank of the Little Sugar Loaf, is a unique survivor of history. Edward de Brabazon commissioned a Monsieur Bonet, trained at Versailles, to create the formal gardens there in 1682.

The Brabazons may have been influenced by James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who returned from exile in France in 1662 after the Restoration, and introduced French baroque style to Ireland, notably in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham and at Kilkenny Castle. Other gardens from this period were swept away by “improvements” as French formality made way for romantic landscapes.

The main elements of the design are the 152m twin long ponds or miroirs d’eaux, similar to those at the Chateau de Courances, designed to reflect the house originally built in 1652 and Tudorized in 1820. Beyond them is a curious water feature known as the Stops, fed by an aqueduct from half a mile away, beyond them again an avenue of limes continues the perspective of the ponds.

Designed for symmetry and mastery of nature, gardens from this period were also about outdoor entertainment, witness the sylvan theatre screened by beech hedges and the Angles or Patte d’Oie (goose foot). A central point between triangular hedges offered viewers different perspectives on the surrounding countryside. A circular fountain pool, guarded by statues of the four seasons and encircled by a spectacular beech hedge, and a rectangular wood known as the Wilderness, also date from the period.

Later additions to the garden include the Statue Gallery and orangerie, designed by William Burns in 1852, with a dome by Turner and also an ornamental dairy by George Hodson, overlooking the Ribbon Garden.


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

Groups & Tours

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

Tour Days:

Tour Times

Groups (20-50 Persons) are welcome throughout the year by appointment

Additional