Green Limerick: A look at the beautiful grounds of Glin Castle ahead of open day

THE GARDENS surrounding the mighty Glin Castle are brimming with biodiversity, offering those who explore them, sights, smells and sounds that will delight the senses.

This Sunday, September 3, Glin Castle will be opening its gates to the general public, following on from a successful outing last year.

Those who attend will be given the opportunity to explore the land surrounding the castle from the luscious wooded walkways and the various gardens that make Glin Castle a wooded wonderland.

Catherine FitzGerald is the current chatelaine of Glin Castle and according to John Culhane of Glin Development Association, she takes great pride in caring for the gardens and has a big interest in keeping the gardens environmentally friendly.

When walking through the gardens of the castle there is a distinct sound of the buzzing of bees, the sights of butterflies, showcasing that the gardens are very much alive.

“The gardens at Glin have a long history. We had the Knights of Glin but going through the years, the females were responsible for the gardens and the work that was done in the gardens,” John said.

“Going back, there was once a lady called Rachel Quinn who was the daughter of the Earl of Desmond at Adare Manor.

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“She married the 27th Knight of Glin and she worked the gardens. There is a beautiful walled garden, a vegetable garden, you have fabulous specimens of mature oaks and beech and many species of trees both native and from all over the world,” John added.

According to John, Veronica Villiers FitzGerald who married the 28th Knight of Glin in the 1900s was always struggling to make ends meet. When the flying boats came to Foynes she began selling vegetables and food that were sowed in the gardens of Glin Castle.

“When you come to our open day, you’ll get the chance to see the castle and the gardens but they also can ramble about the lawns and woodways and paths that they have through the woods,” John said.

Glin Castle has been the home to the FitzGerald family in Limerick for over 800 years, having first settled on the grounds in the 1200s.

The old castle in Glin was built around the 1250s.

Following on from the Nine Years’ War (1594 - 1603), the Knight of Glin at the time was displaced from the castle as it was taken over by British forces following three attempts to take it. The Knight of Glin went on the run but returned to his lands following the war.

The old castle was abandoned and then the Knight of Glin built a big house on the existing site where the Glin Castle now stands.

In 1790, John Bateman FitzGerald started building the castle that is known today.

Glin Castle Open Day kicks off at 12pm this Sunday and those in attendance will get an opportunity to hear about the history of the FitzGerald family, view the interiors and admire the collection of Irish furniture and paintings.

There will also be guided tours of the formal gardens and kitchen garden. Light refreshments will be made available and entry costs €10.