The splendid Lismore Castle in Waterford, the Irish home of the Duke of Devonshire, is located on the outskirts of the town of Lismore and enjoys stunning views of the Blackwater River and the Knockmealdown Mountains. It is a 30-minute drive from Dungarvan, a 35-minute drive from Youghal and a 40-minute drive from Ardmore and is probably one of the most impressive castles in Ireland.
It was built as a sister castle to Ardfinnan Castle in Tipperary by the future King John in 1185.
Once he became king, John turned the castle into a church for use as a monastery.
Lismore Castle’s History
Price John built the first castle at Lismore in 1185. Once he became king, he gave it to the Cistercians for use as a monastery. The latter maintained it until 1589, when they sold it to Sir Walter Raleigh, the man responsible for introducing potatoes to Ireland.
However, Sir Walter was imprisoned for high treason in 1602 and forced to sell the castle. The castle was purchased by Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork, who added gabled extensions to the courtyard, as well as a boundary wall and a guardhouse.
The earl had 15 children. Number 14, Robert Boyle, was known as the father of modern chemistry. Cromwell visited the castle, which was later restored with Georgian additions.
The 4th Duke of Devonshire, William Cavendish, inherited the castle in 1753. He later became prime minister of Great Britain and Ireland. The 6th Duke, Duke Batchelor, commissioned architect Sir Joseph Paxton to rebuild the castle in the Gothic style in 1811.
In modern times, the 9th Duke was married to Adele Astaire, sister of Fred Astaire, who lived in and used the castle until shortly before his death in 1981. Many famous names have visited the castle, including, of course, Adele’s brother Fred Astaire, JFK, Cecil Beaton and Lucian Freud, as well as royalty and celebrities from sports and music.
Unlike many other historical places to visit in Waterford, this is the only one you cannot enter…unlike Lismore Castle Gardens which is open 7 days a week and Lismore Castle Arts offers several exhibitions throughout the year.
The gardens
The historic gardens of Lismore Castle cover nearly 7 acres and are actually two gardens. The upper garden was designed by Richard Boyle in 1605 and is almost identical to what it was then; only the plants have changed. The gardens are 2 separate spaces spread out over 7 glorious acres. Richard Boyle commissioned the upper walled garden in 1605, and only the plantings have changed since then. Stone steps, high hedges and a flower meadow all add to the 17th Century charm of this secluded garden.
The lower garden was once divided by a road, but when Joseph Paxton (the designer of Crystal Palace) came to the Castle, he saw the area quite differently.
Peat was drawn in from the Knockmealdown mountains, and the lower gardens were born. Camelia, magnolia and rhododendrons are but some of the species laying a carpet of petals for visitors. The gardens are connected by The Riding House, another innovation from Paxton.
Beginning in the late 1990s, the family started to introduce sculpture to the gardens. In 2005 the West Wing was renovated and turned into an art gallery, open to the public.
The Castle and gardens were awarded an Eco-Merit award in 2014. This award recognises the Castle’s Environmental Policy and Improvement Plan, a system to monitor performance and prevent pollution.
