Welcome toBlarney Gardens

Conservation, Biodiversity and Wildlife

The estate boasts an impressive range of native wildlife. Blarney Castle & Gardens are the first estate in Ireland to be awarded the prestigious title of ‘Wildlife Estate’ from the European Landowners’ Organisation.

The native woodlands, rivers and lake within the inner estate and also in the separate pockets of ground around the village area, provide support for many increasingly rare species including otters, red squirrels, badgers, barn owls, buzzards, kingfishers, river lampreys, trout and salmon.

Thanks to Frank Brady for the wonderful photos!

Through the Artist's Eye 2024

The ‘Through the Artist’s Eye’ series of exhibitions originated in 2013 when Séamus O’Brien, Head Gardener at the National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh, invited six artists to generate a collection of work that could be referred to in the future, providing an artistic record of the garden at that time. The artists worked in the gardens over two years and in 2015 an exhibition was held at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.

From that positive beginning, the idea developed into a moving exhibition, taking place in different notable gardens on the island of Ireland. In the succeeding years, Tourin House and Gardens, Co. Waterford, Burtown House Gardens, Co. Kildare, and Birr Castle Demesne, Co. Offaly have all been seen ‘Through the Artist’s Eye’. This year, the exhibition comes to Blarney Castle Gardens, and botanical artists, fine artists, sculptors and photographers (22 artists in all) have been working in the gardens since early 2023. The resulting exhibition will be officially opened on the evening of the 27th August and will open to the public on the 28th August, running until the end of September.

The event will take place in The Stable Yard at Blarney Castle & Gardens which is point no.12 on our map.

If you have any enquiries please email [email protected]

Our Horses

Blarney Castle has a very strong history with equestrian. Visitors love to see the many horses and donkeys that we have on site.

The old stables can be seen at our Coach House Café but now the stables are located on the avenue as you walk towards the lake. Historically the estate was a venue for International Horse Trials and in more recent years was a host for a Irish Draft Horse event.