Johnstown Castle Gardens

Places to See | Co. Wexford, Ireland

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Johnstown Castle in County Wexford is one of the great Victorian revival Castles in Ireland.

This is a wonderful place for a stroll on a fine day. The Gardens are open to the public and there are some really lovely walks around the grounds. The pathways throughout the Castle grounds meander through woodland garden and around lakes. If staying in Wexford we highly recommend a visit here.

A Brief History of Johnstown Castle Estate
Johnstown Castle Estate has been home to two prominent Wexford families. The Castle was built by the Esmonde family who settled in Co Wexford in 1169.

During the Cromwellian period of 1640s the estate was confiscated and changed hands several times. It was then acquired by the Grogan family in 1692 who developed the castle, grounds, lakes and estate that you see today and whose descendants remained at Johnstown up until 1945. The property was presented as a gift to the Irish Nation in 1945 and was later occupied by the Department of Agriculture who established an agricultural institute here and undertook to maintain but not to alter the ornamental grounds.

The ornamental grounds and gardens surrounding this Irish 19th century castle were designed by Daniel Robertson who is famed for designing the garden terraces at Powerscourt Estate, Co. Wicklow and Wells House, also in Co. Wexford. The grounds are greatly enhanced by two lakes with folly towers which are populated with a range of waterfowl.

Johnstown Castle Gardens is part of the Wexford Garden Trail : An exploration of Wexford’s beautiful and historic gardens.

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