World-class gardens

Powerscourt House was built in 1741 and designed by the famous German architect Richard Cassels It is regarded as one of Ireland’s finest mansions and its gardens were also recently voted No.3 in the World’s Top Ten Gardens by National Geographic. The Gardens stretch over 47 acres under the watch of Sugarloaf Mountain.  This was originally the site of a 13th-century castle owned by the ‘le Poer’ family who was Anglo-Norman and gave their name to the estate. Three sides of the original castle are still within the walls of this house. Powerful Irish families including the O’Tooles and the Fitz-Geralds have fought for its possession over the centuries. Queen Elizabeth I, however, granted it to Richard Wingfield in 1603 for his military achievements. His descendants remained and improved the house and entire estate for the next 350 years. In 1974, the house was almost totally gutted by fire but has since been lovingly restored. It is now a visitor attraction and one of the country’s top designer outlets.