A place providing group accommodation let me know that my “places to visit and stay” pages for each county can cause confusion, since places of accommodation are not necessarily ones you can visit. Therefore I am separating into pages of places to visit, and places to stay. I will be republishing these over the next few weeks.
Carlow:
1. Altamont, Kilbride, Co Carlow – gardens open to public, see OPW entry
2. Borris House, Borris, County Carlow – section 482
3. Carlow Castle, Carlow, Co Carlow – a ruin
4. Duckett’s Grove, Carlow – a ruin
5. Hardymount House, Castlemore, Co Carlow – can visit gardens
6. Huntington Castle, Clonegal, Co Carlow – on section 482
7. Old Rectory Killedmond, Borris, Co Carlow – section 482
donation
Help me to pay the entrance fee to one of the houses on this website. This site is created purely out of love for the subject and I receive no payment so any donation is appreciated!
€15.00
Carlow:
1. Altamont, Kilbride, Co Carlow – gardens open to public
See my OPW entry:
2. Borris House, Borris, County Carlow – section 482
See my write-up:
https://irishhistorichouses.com/2020/10/04/borris-house-county-carlow/
www.borrishouse.com
Open dates in 2026: Open: Apr 1, 2, 7-12, 14-26, 28-30, May 5-10, 19-24, June 12-14, 16-18, 23-25, 30, Aug 5, 12-23, 25, 26, Sept 1, 2, 8, 9, 22, 23, 29 12pm-4pm
Fee: adult €12, OAP/student €10, child under 12 free
3. Carlow Castle, Carlow, Co Carlow – a ruin
“Carlow Castle in located in Carlow Town was at one stage one of the finest Norman castles ever built in Ireland. It was built around 1213 by William Marshall and the site was carefully chosen because of its strategic defensive location close to the River Barrow. In 1361 it was strengthened when it became the headquarters of the Exchequer of Ireland when it was moved here from Dublin. Although it was attacked and withstood a number of attempted assaults in 1494 and 1641, it’s great ‘low point’ came not through war but by a physician named Middleton. Middleton attempted to convert the castle into a lunatic asylum in 1814 when he tried to diminish the thickness of the walls by using explosives. He however made a gross miscalculation and ended up blowing most of the castle to pieces. All that remained were the 2 towers and a bit of the original wall.” [2]
4. Duckett’s Grove, Carlow – a ruin
Maintained by Carlow County Council. Destroyed by fire in 1933 but there is a walled garden open to visitor and one can see the impressive ruins.
The National Inventory tells us of the house:
“Remains of detached three-storey over basement country house, c. 1745 now in ruins. Gothic style mantle added, c. 1825. Designed by Thomas Cobden. Extended, c. 1845, with granite ashlar viewing tower on an octagonal plan, turrets and entrance screens added. Designed by J. McDuff Derick. Stable complex to rear.” [5]
The property was once part of a 12,000 acre estate with eight acres of gardens.
See my entry https://irishhistorichouses.com/2024/07/18/ducketts-grove-county-carlow-an-impressive-ruin-and-a-walled-garden/
Driving to Duckett’s Grove, you first come across the impressive entrance gates:
The walled garden has also been redeveloped.
The brick walls of the walled garden retain the sun’s heat better than the granite of surrounding building structures.
5. Hardymount House, Castlemore, Co Carlow R93 XN24 – can visit gardens https://www.carlowgardentrail.com/venue/hardymount-gardens/
Check website for times.
https://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/the-garden-hardymount-house/70913
The website tells us: “Hardymount Gardens comprise of 1 hectare of lawns and shrubs surrounded by magnificent beech and oak trees. Located near Tullow, County Carlow, the colourful, lively gardens feature many unusual plants and flowers.
“One of the largest Spanish chestnut trees in the country greets visitors on arrival to 1 hectare of lawns and shrubs surrounded by magnificent beech and oak trees. Found just outside Tullow, County Carlow, Hardymount Gardens features a wonderful walled garden that sits behind the house and contains many unusual plants and flowers in the herbaceous border: lilac-coloured Erysimum, yellow helianthus, beds of old roses, downy variegated mint, mimosa, blue agapanthus, California tree poppies, Chinese foxgloves and much, much more.
“The grass paths take visitors past the pond with lilies and fish, and by espaliered apple trees, lobelia tupa, a pergola clothed with wisteria and under planted with hollyhocks and foxgloves. There is a vegetable garden and a summer house at the end of the garden which provides a quiet area for rest and relaxation. Hardymount is a truly amazing walled garden full of colour and vigour thanks to its owner and her dedication to gardening.
“Group lunches and teas are available upon request. Car Parking available (a coach may park on road). No dogs or picnics.”
Mark Bence-Jones writes of Hardymount House in his A Guide to Irish Country Houses (1988):
p. 149. “(Eustace-Duckett/IFR; Maude, sub Hawarden, PB). A two storey bow-ended Georigan house with giant pilasters at each end of the entrance front. The recent owner, Mr H.A.C. Maude, introduced some chimneypieces from Belgard. Now the home of Mrs Patrick Reeves-Smith.”
6. Huntington Castle, Clonegal, Co Carlow Y21 K237 – on section 482
See my write-up:
https://irishhistorichouses.com/2019/06/28/huntington-castle-county-carlow/
Postal address: Huntington Castle, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
www.huntingtoncastle.com
Open dates in 2026, but check website as sometimes closed for special events: Jan 31, Feb 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 28, Mar 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 28-31, Apr 1-6, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, May 1-31, June 1-30, July 1-31, Aug 1-31, Sept 1-30, Oct 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-31, Nov 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 28-29, Dec 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 11am-5pm
Fee: house and garden, adult €13.95, garden only €6.95, OAP/student, house and
garden €12.50, garden only €6, child, house and garden €6.50, garden €3.50, group
and family discounts available
7. Killedmond, Borris, Co Carlow.(Old Rectory, Killedmond) R95 N1K7 – section 482
See my write-up:
https://irishhistorichouses.com/2020/07/16/the-old-rectory-killedmond-borris-co-carlow/
https://www.blackstairsecotrails.ie/
Open dates in 2026: July 1-31, Aug 1-31, 9am-1pm
Fee: adult €10, OAP/student €6, child free.
[1] https://www.irelandscontentpool.com/en
[2] https://curiousireland.ie/carlow-castle/
[3] Carlow Castle, 1954, Dublin City Library and Archives. https://repository.dri.ie
[4] p. 113, Bence-Jones, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
Text © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Irish Historic Houses 