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Walled Garden at Bunratty House

Sinead at work in Bunratty Walled Garden Picture Courtesy of Richard Johnston Photography

The walled garden at Bunratty House is a surviving component of the demesne which was originally formed around Bunratty Castle. The garden was guilt for the house c 1804. As walled gardens go it is very just less than half an acre and this was due to the fact that a large garden would have existed within the demesne, located north of the castle. This large garden would have functioned as a kitchen garden for Bunratty House and therefore it was unnecessary to have another large production garden.

The garden was built on the east side of the house and beyond the stables protected from the prevailing westerly winds. It is enclosed by four original stone walls forming an irregular space. Apart from the walls, no original features a disused entrance to the south wall near the house, which would have been used by the family and a cart entrance near the south east corner, with original Iron Gates. Views from the garden to the east overlook the reclaimed salt marshes of the Owengarney River Valley and to the south toward the River Shannon Estuary. The garden was authentically restored to its former glory in the late 1990's with the assistance of an ERDF grant, through the Great Gardens of Ireland Restoration Programme. The restored garden is modeled on the Original Regency period garden.

 The gardeners working at Bunratty Walled Garden assisted by the resident Irish Wolfhounds

Photography courtesy of www.richardjohnstonephotographer.ie