Trails

Every Thursday between March and October you can join us for a scheduled guided tour of the gardens at 2:00pm (weather permitting). Meet at Mount Congreve House before entering the gardens, through the house, as the Congreve Family once did. From there your guide will take you on a gentle stroll through the woodland gardens, fragrant walk, as well as the walled gardens. Throughout the tour you will experience all that the gardens have to offer, while learning about the estate’s history, including anecdotes about its former owners. This is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in a world-renowned garden.

Following a grand arrival through the main entrance of Mount Congreve House, visitors will enjoy a gentle stroll through Mount Congreve's gardens. Following the terrace path, past the rolling west lawn, highlights include the delicately leafed Acer Tamukeyama and vibrant pink-green tinged Pseudowintera “Marjorie Congreve” named after Mr. Ambrose Congreve's wife. From there, stroll towards the Bell Gate Lawn, overlooked by ancient trees like Oak and Yew and also many rare trees such as the Handkerchief tree. This guided tour includes the Walled Gardens, where fruit and vegetables have been grown to support the estate over centuries. TO BOOK email our Estate Team at [email protected] or telephone +353 (0)51 384 115

Elmer Dool, a respected horticulturist, leads the 'Herman Dool Guided Tour' at Mount Congreve Gardens in honor of his father, Herman Dool. Herman Dool was Garden Director at Mount Congreve Gardens from the 1960s working alongside Ambrose Congreve to design and plant the gardens over forty years. The gardens feature mass plantings of many varieties, creating stunning, colorful vistas year-round. Elmer Dool is proud to continue his father's legacy by offering guests a chance to explore the gardens and learn about their history. In recognition of his achievements to horticulture, Mr Herman Dool was honoured with the Orange Order of Nassau by the Queen of The Netherlands, which is the equivalent of a British Knighthood. Elmer is delighted to take guests on this tour and to have the opportunity to walk in his father's footsteps. TO BOOK email our Estate Team at [email protected] or telephone +353 (0)51 384 115

A must for nature and garden enthusiasts, this tour offers a rare opportunity to explore the formal and woodland gardens with Mount Congreve Estate’s Director who originally started work in the Estate in 1989. On this tour, visitors will hear of the stories and the origins of rare species and plants that are both native to Ireland and present in these gardens. Visitors will also hear stories and anecdotes about the Estate's former owners including Mr Ambrose Congreve the last owner of the Estate as well as those that worked at Mount Congreve over the years. As visitors move through the gardens, they will also learn innovative techniques and methods along with some surprises about plants, trees and shrubs that have been used throughout history for dietary and medicinal purposes. How plants have helped shape our history and how we can continue to learn from the plants and nature around us. TO BOOK email our Estate Team at [email protected] or telephone +353 (0)51 384 115