Gardens & Grandeur

Life in the Big House

Duration: Approx. 60 minutes Fitness: Easy (short outdoor walk) Guided: Yes -  character-led Family: Adults & older children Accessibility: Limited - not suitable for those with reduced mobility The Art of Dining – Life in the Big House is a scripted, character-led experience at Mount Congreve Gardens, guided by a Senior Estate Steward who never quite left service! What to Expect: This is a 60-minute guided experience, delivered in two parts. Part I – The House  Begin in the Large Drawing Room, also known as the Chinese Room. Lined with rare, hand-painted Chinese wallpaper, this remarkable interior reflects 18th-century wealth, global trade, and taste. A carefully selected group of Irish silver dining and service pieces reveals how hospitality was staged through ceremony, control, and skilled labour. Mount Congreve was famously the last house in Ireland to employ liveried servants, giving particular depth to an experience shaped by hierarchy, discipline, and performance. Part II – The Gardens Guests are then brought outside, where the guide shares additional context on estate life and how the gardens sustained the house and its table. Visitors are then invited to continue to the Walled Garden, historically the productive heart of the estate, which they may explore independently. This is not a conventional house tour, but a focused, immersive experience that connects interior splendour with the working landscape beyond, bringing the elegance - and the hidden labour - of the Big House into sharp focus. Available on selected weekend dates | Booking is essential

Price: Various

Book tickets

Mar 1 2026 to Dec 20 2026

Various Dates & Times