Parks & Gardens in Donegal

The country estate garden of Glenalla is a hidden world surrounded by native woods and moorland. Established in the late 18th century with extensive landscaping by the Franklin family since 1913. Beyond the house and walled kitchen garden are the formal elements of the rockery, rose beds, arbour and stone edged lily pond. There are collections of rhododendrons together with summer and autumn flow…

A very remarkable traditional walled garden associated with a 1742 country house. Many wonderful gardens are to be found within one large walled area (2 acres), rich collections of ericaceous plants, early 20th century terraced rose beds and a towering Redwood stands sentinel towards the centre with paths radiating from it. Imaginative use of plants over arches, traditional fruit and vegetables…

Oakfield Park is located near the Heritage town of Raphoe, Co Donegal and is a privately owned estate and home to Ireland's longest miniature gauge railway. Nestled in a lush landscape consisting of award winning walled gardens to ponds, lakes, a lakeside Nymphaeum, a hedge maze, heritage trees and sculptures. Our crowning glory is a 4.5km miniature gauge railway with a diesel and steam train ope…

The country estate garden of Glenalla is a hidden world surrounded by native woods and moorland. Established in the late 18th century with extensive landscaping by the Franklin family since 1913. Beyond the house and walled kitchen garden are the formal elements of the rockery, rose beds, arbour and stone edged lily pond. There are collections of rhododendrons together with summer and autumn flow…

A gem of a rose garden on a modern housing development. Featuring a huge range of varieties (Climbers, Hybrid Tea and Floribunda) in every colour and with fragrances that will knock your socks off. Admission: €5 to charity and garden maintenance Directions: From N15 in the centre of Ballybofey turn on to R252 (Glenfin Road) passing Jackson’s Hotel on the right. Blue Cedars is on the left a…

Castle Grove is a four star family run Country House set in 200 acres of mature parkland. It is the perfect base to explore Donegals Wild Atlantic Way and other gardens on the Donegal Garden Trail. The house was built in 1695 and boasts a fascinating history, with gardens designed by Lancelot Capability Brown. There is a four acre Walled Garden dating back to the 1800s. Visitors are welcome t…

A private garden romantically set in the former grounds of nearby Drumbeg House and retaining some of the features from the Estate namely a lake and tree lined driveway now a scenic walk connecting the more ornamental section of the garden to a wild flower meadow. Bluebell woods with an insect hotel, a stream, a dam, a birch grove, sweeping perennial beds and a mixed hedge fairy ring all blend to…

Salthill is well illustrated in “The Irish Garden” (2015) by Jane Powers with photographs by Jonathon Hession. She aptly describes the space “The 0.5 hectare enclosure has that delightful feeling of privacy and mystery that is particular to old walled gardens”. So, come and witness the “great gatherings of herbaceous plants amid mature shrubs and noteworthy trees”. Admission: €5 Adults, €2 …

Established in 1972 by Mrs Jessie Mahaffy, a relative of William Robinson and a granddaughter of the forester at Lissadell, Co Sligo, Blackrock is a garden constructed completely upon rock. A charming rockery sits above the farmhouse. A grassy corridor winds between a shrubbery and a shady border to a small cottage garden where perennials are interspersed with free-seeding aquilegias, foxgloves …