Castletown House and Parklands
Ireland’s first and finest Palladian mansion
Castletown House and Parklands
Ireland’s first and finest Palladian mansion
Limited Access
House open Wednesday – Sunday, until 7 November 10:00 – 12:45 and 14:15 – 17:00 (Last entry 16:45)
Biodiversity Garden open 7 days 10:00 – 17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Parklands open 7 days, 07:00 – 21:00.
Café open 7 days, 10:00 – 17:00.
Admission
The pleasure Garden and Biodiversity Trail are open daily 10:00 – 17:00 (last admission 16:30)
Garden Admission Prices
Adults: €3.00., Senior: €2.00, Children (3yrs+) and Students: €2.00, Family €10.00, Summer Pass €40.00
Self Guided (House)
Adults: €8.00
Senior Citizens: €5.00
Students/Children of 12 and over: €3.50
Family: €15.00
Groups: 20 adults €5.00
Pre-booking essential due to restricted capacity.
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Castletown House and Parklands
Castletown is set amongst beautiful eighteenth-century parklands on the banks of the Liffey in Celbridge, County Kildare.
The house was built around 1722 for the speaker of the Irish House of Commons, William Conolly, to designs by several renowned architects. It was intended to reflect Conolly’s power and to serve as a venue for political entertaining on a grand scale. At the time Castletown was built, commentators expected it to be ‘the epitome of the Kingdom, and all the rarities she can afford’.
The estate flourished under William Conolly’s great-nephew Thomas and his wife, Lady Louisa, who devoted much of her life to improving her home.
Today, Castletown is home to a significant collection of paintings, furnishings and objets d’art. Highlights include three eighteenth-century Murano-glass chandeliers and the only fully intact eighteenth-century print room in the country.
It is still the most splendid Palladian-style country house in Ireland.
Highlights
Gallery
Opening Times
Parklands:
Open daily.
Gate Opening times are as follows:
Batty Langley Gate (pedestrian access):
07:30 – 21:00 April & September | 07:30 – 22:15 May – August | 07:30 – 22:00 October – March.
Celbridge Avenue Gate (pedestrian access):
07:15 – 21:15 April & September | 07:15 – 22:15: May – August | 07:15 – 19:45 October – March
M4 Gate (vehicle access):
07:00 – 21:30 April & September | 07:00 – 22:30 May – August | 07:00 – 20:00 October – March
Notice
For group / school bookings (more than 8 people), please e-mail castletown@opw.ie or call 01 6288252.
Castletown can close at very short notice for Government business. Tours may have limited access if there is an event or private function running in the house.
For enquiries about Events and Conferences, Country Markets and Craft Fairs etc. please email castletown@opw.ie
Facilities
- Baby Changing
- Bike Trail
- Brochure
- Cafe
- Car park
- Exhibition
- Gift Shop
- Lift
- Picnic Area
- River Walk
- Toilets
- Walking trails
- Wheelchair Accessible Toilet
- WiFi
Restrictions
- Hold hand rail
- Stay back from edge
- Uneven walkways
Nearby sites to visit
Castletown House and Parklands
Maynooth Castle
A glimpse of life in a Norman fortress
Approx. 5.5 km from Castletown House and Parklands
Farmleigh House and Estate
An eclectic Edwardian mansion and the Irish state guesthouse
Approx. 11.5 km from Castletown House and Parklands
Phoenix Park
Where Dublin goes to breathe
Approx. 13.3 km from Castletown House and Parklands
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Social Guide
Download, print and read our social guide (PDF) about visiting Castletown House and Parklands. This will help first-time visitors, families and people with developmental and learning disabilities to prepare for a visit to Castletown House and Parklands.
Download the Social Guide