Spring at Portumna Castle

Opening to the public from March 17, 10am-6pm daily; last entry: 5.15pm.

The castle and gardens will open to the public next week for St Patrick’s Day. The gardens have been worked on this past couple of months in preparation for the many people that will visit during the 2023 season.

The daffodils are blooming and with them the woodland anemones, primroses and hyacinths, the camasses and tulips will follow in a few weeks. There will be a succession of flowers in the gardens during spring and summer, right through to Halloween, with many types of blossoms to keep our native Irish black honey bees and bumble bees buzzing. The gardens will be full of colour and there’s always something different for visitors to see and smell! The wisteria arch in May and the roses in the formal rose garden from the end of June are two highlights worth catching.

Portumna town is in a fantastic location for biodiversity with Lough Derg alongside, wetlands and bogs, woodlands and farmland all coming together here. Where different habitats overlap like this you get lots of biodiversity.

The castle itself is well worth a visit, dating back to 1618, with the ground floor rooms open. There is an audio visual and panels of information on the history of this important building, the de Burgh Family history and the progression of the restoration works carried out by the Office of Public Works to date. Works are ongoing.

The café/tea rooms in the old stable block will also open on St Patrick’s Day, providing teas, coffees, cakes and lunches. This same block includes toilet facilities and an art gallery upstairs with a range of exhibitions and events throughout the season. Parking close to the site.

Our experienced guides will provide guided tours of the site to all visitors on an hourly rotation. Pre-booking is essential for groups.

Contact 0909741658 or portumnacastle@opw.ie. Keep updated on the Portumna castle Facebook page.