Kilkenny Castle & Gardens
Kilkenny Castle is a must visit during your stay in Kilkenny. Whether you take in a tour or just grab a coffee and take a stroll around the Castle gardens – it’s a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.
Woodstock Gardens, Inistioge
The beautiful Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum are located overlooking the River Nore Valley and the picturesque village of Inistioge.
The gardens date to the 1740’s with the main development taking place in the 1800’s. A period of disrepair followed during the 1900’s following the burning of Woodstock House, however in 1999, Kilkenny County Council undertook an ambitious programme of garden restoration which is now well advanced. Features include a walled garden, rose garden, rockery garden, a recreated Turner Conservatory, a collection of rare and exotic trees in the arboretum and much more including many tranquil woodland walks.
Castlecomer Discover Park
Castlecomer Discover Park is just a 15 minute dirve from Rosquil House and is home to an exciting range of recreational, team-building and educational activities including Ireland’s longest over-water zipline, new Advanced High Ropes Course, Tree-Top Adventure Walk, Boating, Elf & Fairy Village, great walking trails and a craft village & café.
The Garden of Remembrance, Newmarket
Gáirdín an Ghorta is a National Garden of Remembrance located in Newmarket, County Kilkenny. The path through the garden is a metaphor for Irish history. The journey along the path is synonymous with the journey of the Irish people from pre-famine era to the future.
Gáirdín an Ghorta remembers the Great Famine. In the decade 1841 to 1851 Ireland changed dramatically. Two million people disappeared, one million died and one million emigrated. 1851 marked the end of the potato blight, however, disease and destitution remained. The Garden honours those who died of fever, hunger and starvation in their own homes and work house as well as people who emigrated and those who held onto their meagre holdings and passed them down to generation after generation.