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Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare |
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Castletown House is Ireland's largest and earliest Palladian style
house. Built between 1722 and 1729 for William Conolly, Speaker of
the Irish House of Commons and the wealthiest commoner in Ireland.
The façade was almost certainly designed by the Italian architect,
Alessandro Galilei, while the Irish architect Sir Edward Lovett
Pearce added the wings. Fortunately the house was saved in
1967 when along with 120 acres of the demesne lands it was
purchased by the Hon. Desmond Guinness. |
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Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens,
Tully, Co Kildare |
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Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens
established in 1946, the Irish
National Stud combines an active role in
the development and promotion of Irish
bloodstock with its role as one of the
country's major tourist attractions and
it is the only Stud farm in Ireland open
to the public. Tully
is also home to Japanese Gardens
the finest in
Europe. Also to be
seen at Tully is Saint Fiachra's
Garden for its
woodland and lakeside walks.
A Horse Museum
is also onsite, a state of the
art modern exhibition where the Sport of
Kings comes to life. |
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Leixlip Castle, Main Street, Leixlip, Co
Kildare |
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Leixlip Castle has always been the centre of Leixlip Built on a
rock at the confluence of the River Liffey and the Rye Water was
granted to the de Hereford family and dates from the Norman
Invasion of 1171 with the round tower added onto the square keep
in the 14th Century. |
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Lodge Park Walled Garden & Steam Museum |
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Lodge Park Walled Garden with brick
lined north wall of 18th century origin
is a plantsman's delight. From the axis
of the long walk it features garden
rooms, extending to a delightful rosarie.
The Steam Museum is housed in the Great
Southern & Western Railway Church,
re-erected here from Inchicore, Dublin.
The Richard Guinness model hall displays
his collection of historic prototype
locomotive models. The Power Hall
displays restored stationary engines
working in steam. Interactive area for
educational use. |
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Straffan Butterfly Farm,
Ovidstown, Straffan, Co Kildare |
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The Straffan
Butterfly Farm which is owned and run by
Des and Iris Fox has been open to the
public every summer since 1986. The
butterfly exhibition continues to run
every year during the months of June,
July and August in Straffan, Co.
Kildare, Ireland. This Butterfly
Exhibition is an attempt to introduce
people to the existence of the world of
butterflies that they may not have
really known about. |
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Gordon Bennett Route
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