Powerscourt

What would be a trip to Ireland be without a visit to a castle or estate or two?  Having loved watching the series Downtown Abbey, we thought it would be fun to go see an estate called Powerscourt.  Powerscourt is located a little less than an hour south of Dublin in Wicklow County.  You may have heard of Wicklow as it was the area where the movie P.S. I Love you was predominately filmed. Other movies have been filmed there as well such as Braveheart, Michael Collins, Evelyn, and the HBO TV series The Tudors. Some even call this region the Hollywood of Europe.  Powerscourt sits on 47 acres of beautifully manicured gardens. The building which we see today was greatly altered in the 18th century by a German architect, and sadly in 1974, a fire broke out on the top floor destroying much of the top levels of the home and thus when you visit Powerscourt you will not be able to tour the rooms of the estate.  What you will find a handful of gift stores that include everything from an Irish general store, a toy store, a clothing store selling Irish knits, a cafe, and visitors information center where you can purchase your tickets to enter the grounds.   Also located on the estate is a golf course, spa, and hotel.  The gardens were lovely, but I think we were just a couple weeks too early as I imagine the gardens are just beginning to explode with color. We enjoyed a little picnic lunch with items obtained from the general store and the children loved getting their faces painted in the gardening center. Today Powerscourt is owned by the Slazenger family but for many centuries the Wingfield family walked its halls.  It was definitely worth the visit!

Have a lovely weekend!  We are off to Holland for the weekend to see the tulips.  Do you have anything fun planned for this weekend?