Terence Reeves-Smyth visits Ardgillan Castle in County Dublin, noted for its magnificent coastal views and fine gardens
Although the Georgian Grand Tourists much admired the coastal villas around Naples, they were slow to adopt the fashion back home in Ireland, where a combination of wind and salty air made planting for shelter difficult to overcome. Nonetheless, some notable 18th-century seaside demesnes were created. One of the finest of these is Ardgillan Castle, lying between Balbriggan and Skerries in County Dublin. Situated above a coastal inlet, this Romantic Gothic castellated house enjoys spectacular panoramas over Dundalk Bay and beyond, while the surrounding rolling landscape is graced with a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing parkland that has, remarkably, survived intact for over 230 years. Thanks to the local county council, who have owned the property for over forty years, Ardgillan not only retains its historic integrity and atmosphere, but has also been enormously enhanced with gardens that are now among the best in Ireland.
To read this article in full, subscribe or buy this edition of the Irish Arts Review
What is urgent for artists working in Ireland? Sarah Kelleher explores the RDS Visual Art Awards at the Irish Museum of Modern Art
John P O’Sullivan surveys Mick O’Dea’s paintings of characters from the playwright Seán O’Casey’s plays
There is a confidence about Mollie Douthit’s practice, which is slow and considered, writes Margarita Cappock
