Visitor Guide LISMORE CASTLE GARDENS & GALLERY About Lismore Castle There has been a castle at Lismore ever since 1185 when Prince John built a ‘castellum’ on the present site. When John became King of England he handed the Castle over to the Church and it was used as a Bishop’s Palace until 1589. In 1589 the Castle was leased and later bought outright by Sir Walter Raleigh. In 1602, he sold Lismore to Richard Boyle, who later became the first Earl of Cork. Richard Boyle’s youngest son, Robert Boyle, the philosopher and father of modern chemistry, was born at Lismore in 1626. In 1753, the Castle and its lands passed to the fourth Duke of Devonshire following his marriage to Lady Charlotte Boyle, the only surviving daughter and heiress of the fourth Earl of Cork. With the help of Joseph “We are delighted to welcome you to Paxton, the sixth Duke undertook an extensive Lismore Castle Gardens and Gallery restoration of the Castle and Gardens in the nineteenth century. Botanist, inventor, engineer and architect, Paxton designed the Crystal Lismore Castle is our family’s private Palace for The Great Exhibition of 1851. He home in Ireland and it is an honour to played a leading part, between 1840 and share its wonderful gardens and gallery 1858, in creating Lismore Castle and Gardens with visitors from far and near. as they are today. In the gardens you will find evidence of Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire’s sister, married the changing tastes and requirements Charles Cavendish and lived in the Castle of succeeding generations of our family between 1932 and 1944. The present over a period of more than 400 years. owners are Lord and Lady Burlington. The Castle is their private family home and is not Today the gardens continue to evolve, open to visitors. ensuring there is always something new or different to enjoy. Similarly, the gallery hosts a dynamic programme of exhibitions and events which, we hope, will engage and challenge visitors. We very much hope you enjoy your visit and look forward to welcoming you back again soon.” Lord Burlington & Lady Burlington Lismore Castle Gardens The historic gardens at Lismore Castle are reputed to be the longest continually cultivated gardens in Ireland. The gardens are set within the castle walls and feature spectacular views of the Castle and surrounding countryside. The walled Upper Gardens were first constructed by Richard Boyle, the 1st Earl of Cork in about 1605, where most of the walls and terraces remain the same, although the plantings have changed to suit the tastes of those living within the Castle. The gardens are divided into distinct areas of fruit and vegetable Lismore Castle Arts production, herbaceous borders and wildflower meadows. Lismore Castle Arts, a not-for-profit The Lower Gardens were mostly created in the initiative, is a key contemporary visual arts 19th century for the 6th Duke of Devonshire, venue in Ireland, founded in 2005. Sir Joseph Paxton’s patron. Meandering paths lead you through this informal setting of trees We are committed to the presentation of and shrubs and out onto open lawns. The contemporary art, at two separate exhibition stately yew avenue in the heart of the garden venues. The main gallery space within is much older than the garden itself. From the Lismore Castle hosts one major exhibition of spring flowering magnolias and rhododendrons international art per year, while St Carthage through to the later flowering shrubs and Hall, based within Lismore town, presents borders, there is always something in bloom. a diverse programme of contemporary Since 1999 contemporary sculptures have been international art, Irish art, graduate work, installed in the gardens, including works by learning and community projects. Lismore Bridget McCrum and Franz West. Castle Arts has also developed an offsite programme, including partnered exhibitions in Ireland and overseas. Lismore Castle Arts has commissioned and presented unique projects by over 200 artists since 2005 including Gerard Byrne, Anne Collier, Dorothy Cross, Rashid Johnson, Richard Long, Wilhelm Sasnal, Pae White and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye amongst many more. Limited edition exhibition catalogues can be purchased at the Gallery reception, along with refreshments, such as apple juice from the gardens, tea, coffee and ice cream. Visitor Map MONKEY TOWER Lismore Castle Arts A Gallery CHILDREN'S PLAY AREA PERGOLA B W J Z Y H U H LILY POND X THE ICE HOUSE V I 8 Plant Sales G F : ; K THE SUNDIAL GARDEN L E G T c d M N b 9 THE STORY TREE < D ORCHARD Stairs to E a Lower CHILDREN'S SWING Gardens C BROGHILL’S TOWER = e C B F YEW AVENUE Lismore Castle S Gardens & Gallery R Q Entrance & Exit NO ENTRY D P O FOLLOW SIGNS ON FOOT BERLIN WALL N72 TO WATERFORD 200M WALK TO ENTRANCE DOGS ARE WELCOME BUT MUST BE KEPT ON A LEAD AND CLEANED UP AFTER. PLEASE N72 PARK HERE TO CORK PLEASE OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES, ON-SITE SIGNAGE AND ALL COVID-19 GUIDELINES. Plant Guide Lower Gardens B Magnolia hypoleuca – A native of Japan, L Arbutus unedo – This shrub, native of this Magnolia blooms in mid-summer with Killarney, thrives in acid soil. Former President creamy white scented flowers followed by large Mary Robinson planted this specimen in 1991, seedpods. however a large part was uprooted in a storm C Davidia involucrata – The Handkerchief Tree in 2014. The edible fruit look delicious but from China is so called for the showy white bracts ‘unedo’ in latin means ‘you eat only one’. that surround the tiny flowers in the spring. M Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ – All true Irish D Hoheria sexstylosa – Endemic to New Yews, such as this one, are descended from Zealand, this evergreen Lacebark produces a specimen discovered in Co. Fermanagh in masses of white scented flowers in summer. 1778. E Luma apiculata – A native of Chile, this N Rhododendron augustinii – Large clouds of myrtle has an abundance of flowers in summer flowers in shades of blue to purple appear in and a luminous, cinnamon bark that flakes spring on this small leaved Rhododendron from into patches of orange and white. the Himalaya. F Nothofagus dombeyi – Dombey’s O Camellia x williamsii ‘St Ewe’ - Bred in southern beech hails from southern Chile and Cornwall in the U.K in 1926 as one of the first Patagonia. A relatively fast growing elegant Williams hybrids, this early flowering camellia evergreen tree that can reach 40ft. In its has a mass of pink flowers over a long period. native land it grows in groves mixed with the P Rhododendron arboreum ssp. Monkey Puzzle tree and is completely happy in cinnamomeum - This Rhododendron has a the Irish climate. distinctive dusty brown underside to its leaves G Rhododendron luteum – Sweetly scented with large trusses of white flowers produced in yellow flowers open in early summer on this spring. deciduous azalea from the Caucasus. Q Magnolia sprengeri ‘Diva’ – This native of H Magnolia delavyi – A beautiful and rare western China is an attention grabber when in evergreen Magnolia, of which this is a fine full flower in the spring when it is covered in specimen and an Irish champion. Large rose to magenta blooms. fragrant blooms sporadically open through the R Rhododendron barbatum – Introduced by summer amongst the large glossy leaves. Joseph Hooker from the Sikkim Himalaya this I Zelkova serrata - Related to the Elm, this fine Rhododendron has brilliant red flowers in elegant tree has good autumn colour and is spring. often used in the art of Bonsai. S Schisandra rubriflora – The Magnolia vine J Eucryphia x intermedia ‘Rostrevor’ - Bees is a deciduous twining climber producing love the abundant nectar rich white flowers clusters of dangling crimson red flowers in that cover this columnar evergreen in the late early summer. summer. K Paulownia tormentosa – A native of China, the Empress Tree flowers in the spring as the large leaves unfurl. It can also be coppiced to produce even larger leaves. Plant Guide Upper Gardens T Abutilon vitifolium – This fast growing : Prunus ‘Shirotae’ – Gently weeping is shrub from Chile likes a sheltered sunny spot probably the best way to describe the habit of where it will happily produce lilac flowers from this small but vigorous tree with a profusion of early summer. semi double white flowers in the spring. U Aralia elata – The angelica tree is a ; Styrax japonicas – The graceful spreading wonderfully architectural plant that can sucker habit of the Japanese snowbell shows of the to create thickets of spiny stems up to 20ft numerous pendulous white bell shaped flowers tall with huge bi -pinnate leaves growing from that appear in early summer beautifully. the tips. The new shoots can be eaten and in Japan are harvested in the spring and fried < Cercidiphyllum japonicum – The Katsura in tempura batter and served as a dish called tree has lovely shaped leaves that colour tara-no-me. orange, yellow and red in the autumn and give off a scent of burnt sugar. V Phellodendron amurense – The Amur Cork Tree is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used = Rosa filipes ‘Kiftsgate’ - A very vigorous, in traditional Chinese medicine. As it matures tough rambling rose that produces large it develops a deeply corrugated bark. clusters of small creamy white flowers with a strong musky fragrance. W Osmanthus yunnanensis – Native to the Yunnan province in China, this evergreen shrub a Acer capillipes – A small tree whose has sweetly scented flowers in late winter that foliage unfurls red, turning green and then red last up to two months - weather permitting. in the autumn. The bark provides additional interest being striped green and white in the X Tetradium daniellii – When in flower in juvenile stage.