One of the world’s great gardens situated 20 km south of Dublin in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. The gardens were begun by Richard Wingfield, Viscount Powerscourt, in the 1740s. The word garden belies the magnitude of this creation which stretches out over 20 hectares. It is a sublime blend of formal gardens, sweeping terraces, statuary and ornamental lakes with secret hollows, rambling walks, walled gardens and over 200 variations of trees and shrubs. The 18th century house, which was gutted by fire in 1974 has an innovative new use, incorporating a terrace restaurant overlooking the garden, speciality shops and an exhibition on the history of the Estate. New Garden Centre opened in Spring 2000. The gardens have been restored with the assistance of an ERDF grant through the Great Gardens of Ireland Restoration Programme. Read more ….