Gardens and galleries at Lismore Castle

Lismore Castle Gardens are the oldest continually cultivated gardens in Ireland, offering spectacular views of both the castle and the surrounding countryside of the Blackwater valley. The seven acres are open to the public by day, but exclusively to guests of the castle from early evening. Our Head Gardener, Colm O’Driscoll, presents one of Ireland’s favourite horticultural TV shows, Home Grown, with the second series airing in spring 2024 on RTE. Colm is on hand to share the castle’s meadows, orchards, kitchen gardens, and extraordinary natural specimens with our guests. He strives to innovate and introduce new and exciting plants while adopting sustainable methodologies, an endeavour that is clearly seen from his regular contributions to The Irish Garden Magazine, and through his lectures and workshops.

Located in the gardens is one of Ireland’s leading contemporary galleries, Lismore Castle Arts. The gallery hosts renowned art exhibitions, and an inspiring and engaging programme across the main gallery and other heritage spaces in Lismore town and the wider estate. Guests can enjoy private tours and exhibition talks with our curator Paul McAree.

The 2024 exhibitions are well underway, with previous solo exhibitions including Gerard Byrne, Dorothy Cross, Camille Henrot, Rashid Johnson and Wilhelm Sasnal.

Learn more about what a stay at Lismore Castle has to offer.