Ardgillan Castle facts for kids
Ardgillan Castle is a beautiful country house located near Balbriggan in County Dublin, Ireland. It sits within the large Ardgillan Demesne, which is a public park. This park covers about 200 acres (0.81 square kilometers) and is managed by Fingal County Council. The name "Ardgillan" comes from the Irish language words "Ard Giolláin."
Contents
Discovering Ardgillan Castle and Park
Ardgillan Castle is a grand building with special castle-like decorations. It looks out over Barnageera Beach, the Irish Sea, and the town of Balbriggan. The castle has two main floors above a basement. The basement even extends under the south lawns.
When people lived in the castle, the ground and first floors were for the family. The west and east wings were for servants and offices. The basement was where the kitchen and storage areas were. Today, the castle has been fixed up and is open for everyone to visit.
Ardgillan Demesne is a wonderful public park. It has lots of woodlands and big open grassy areas. You can find a special walled herb garden and a beautiful rose garden there. There's also a Victorian glasshouse, which is like a big greenhouse. If you get hungry, there are tea rooms. You can also see an old ice house. A fun playground for kids was built in 2006.
Things to Do at Ardgillan
You can take guided tours of the castle's ground floor rooms and kitchens. The tea rooms are right by the main entrance and are open when the castle is. Upstairs, the old bedrooms are now used for classes and art shows. There's even a special display of old "Down Survey" maps. These rooms can also be used for small group meetings and workshops.
From 2016 to 2019, there was a special café called Paws at Ardgillan. It was in the old gardener's cottage. This café was unique because it let dog walkers eat with their dogs. It was one of the first places like this in Ireland, especially in a public park. Sadly, the café closed in 2019.
History of Ardgillan Castle
The land where Ardgillan Castle stands was once owned by Robert Usher, a wine merchant. In 1738, Reverend Robert Taylor bought the land. It was very wooded back then. He hired former soldiers to help clear the land. They were paid a small amount, given a meal, a bed, and even a bit of Irish whiskey each day.
The Reverend Robert Taylor built the house in 1738. The Taylor family owned the castle until 1962. Then, it was sold to Heir Henrich Potts. In 1982, Fingal County Council bought the estate. With help from a group called Fás, they fixed up the house. It was officially opened to the public in 1992 by the president at the time, Mary Robinson.
The Dublin to Belfast Railway Line
The railway line that connects Dublin to Belfast runs right past Ardgillan Demesne. You can see different types of trains passing by, like the Enterprise, Dublin Commuter trains, and freight trains.
There's a bridge called "The Lady's Stairs" that connects Ardgillan Demesne to the coast. It goes over the R127 road. You can reach the bridge by concrete stairs from the park's car park number one. The bridge has tall metal fences. You can also see the railway line from the top of the hill near the playground.
In 2005, a truck hit and damaged the bridge. It was repaired and reopened in 2007.
The Ghost of "The Lady's Stairs"
There's a local ghost story about the bridge known as "The Lady's Stairs." People say the ghost of a woman haunts this bridge. The story goes that her husband loved to swim. One night, he didn't come back. The lady waited for him on the bridge, but he had drowned. She stayed there, hoping he would return, until she also passed away.
Another version of the story is more widely known. It says that Lord Langford brought his new wife to Ardgillan Castle while he went hunting. Even though she was told not to, she went swimming in November and drowned. Lord Langford himself died soon after. The ghost seen on the bridge is said to be Lady Langford in her wedding dress. She is believed to be searching for her husband in the castle.
