Ardgillan Castle facts for kids
Ardgillan Castle is a lovely country house located near Balbriggan, in County Dublin, Ireland. It is found within the large, 200-acre (0.81 km2) Ardgillan Demesne. This big park is open to the public. It is looked after by the Fingal County Council.
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Exploring Ardgillan Castle and Park
The castle building has cool, old-fashioned 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 goes under the south lawns. When people lived here, the ground and first floors were for the family. The west and east parts were for servants and offices. The basement held the kitchen and storage areas. Today, the castle has been fixed up. You can visit it and explore inside.
Ardgillan Demesne, the park around the castle, is open for everyone to enjoy. It has a mix of pretty woodlands and big open grassy areas. In the park, you can find a special walled herb garden. There is also a beautiful rose garden and a Victorian glasshouse. You can grab a snack at the tea rooms. There is even an old ice house. A fun playground for kids was built in 2006.
Things to Do and See
You can take a guided tour of the castle's ground floor rooms and kitchens. The tea rooms are near the main entrance. They are open when the castle is open. Upstairs, the old bedrooms are now used for classes and art shows. There is a special display of old "Down Survey" maps. These rooms can also be used for small meetings and workshops.
In 2005, the park hosted some outdoor concerts. Famous music artists like Moby, REM, Meat Loaf, and Status Quo played here. No more concerts have been held since then. It is not known if the Fingal County Council plans to have more in the future.
History of Ardgillan Castle
The land where Ardgillan Castle stands was once owned by Robert Usher. He was a wine merchant. Reverend Robert Taylor bought the land in the past. It was a very wooded area back then. He hired former soldiers to help clear the land.
Reverend Robert Taylor built the house in 1738. The Taylor family lived in the house for many years. They owned it until 1962. Then, the estate was sold to Heir Henrich Potts. In 1982, the estate was sold again. This time, Fingal County Council bought it. With help from a group called Fás, they fixed up the house. It was officially opened to the public in 1992. The president at that time, Mary Robinson, opened it.
The Railway Line and "The Lady's Stairs"
The railway line that goes from Dublin to Belfast passes right by Ardgillan Demesne. You can see different trains passing by. These include the Enterprise, Dublin Commuter trains, and freight trains.
A bridge called "The Lady's Stairs" connects Ardgillan Demesne to the coast. It goes over the R127 road. You can reach the bridge by walking up concrete stairs. It is a short walk from the park's car park number one. The bridge has tall metal fences with small holes. You can also see the railway line from the top of the hill near the playground.
The bridge was damaged by a truck in 2005. It was fixed and opened again in 2007.
The Ghost of "The Lady's Stairs"
There is a local legend about a ghost at "The Lady's Stairs" bridge. People say the ghost of a woman haunts the bridge. This bridge is at the edge of the property, near the Irish Sea. The story says her husband loved to swim. One night, he did not come back. The lady went to the bridge to wait for him. Sadly, her husband had drowned. She stayed at the bridge, waiting for him, until she also passed away.
Another local story says that if you go to the end of the bridge at midnight on Halloween, the lady's ghost might appear. Some say she might even throw people into the ocean.
A more common version of the story is about Lady Langford. She was newly married to Lord Langford. He brought her to Ardgillan Castle while he went hunting. Against advice, she went swimming in November and drowned. Lord Langford died soon after. The ghost seen on the bridge is said to be Lady Langford. She is reportedly in her wedding dress, looking for her husband in the Castle.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Ardgillan para niños
