Derreen Garden facts for kids

Derreen House and Garden

Derreen Garden is a beautiful garden located on a piece of land sticking out into Kilmakilloge Harbour. It's in the Beara Peninsula in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, close to Kenmare. The garden was started in 1863 by the 4th Marquess of Lansdowne. However, it was his son, the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, who really shaped it into what it is today, starting in 1870. He was a very important person, serving as the leader of Canada (called Governor General of Canada), the leader of India (called Viceroy of India), and even a top British government official for foreign affairs. Today, Derreen Garden is huge, covering over 60 acres and having almost 12 kilometers of walking paths.

History of Derreen Garden

The land where Derreen Garden sits was once home to the Mac Finin Dubh Ó Súilleabháin family. They lived there from about 1320. After a big historical event called the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the mid-1600s, the land was taken away from them. It was then given to Sir William Petty, a doctor for Oliver Cromwell.

The Lansdowne Family's Connection

The land eventually came into the Fitzmaurice family in 1692. This happened when Sir William Petty's daughter, Anne, married Thomas Fitzmaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry. Later, one of their grandsons, the 2nd Earl of Shelburne, became the Prime Minister of Great Britain. In 1784, he was given the special title of Marquess of Lansdowne.

For a while, the land was leased to other people. In 1864, the 4th Marquess of Lansdowne visited Derreen House. He loved the beauty of the place and decided he wanted to live there part of the year. Sadly, he passed away suddenly in 1866 before he could make it his home.

Creating the Garden Wonderland

When the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne inherited Derreen in 1866, he also loved its peaceful, faraway location. In 1870, he started making changes to Derreen House. From 1871 onwards, he and his wife, Lady Maud Evelyn Hamilton, began using Derreen as their summer home.

Lord Lansdowne then started an amazing project. He wanted to turn the rocky land around the house into a lush, green woodland garden. It's said he hired 40 people to help create it! They planted 400 acres of land with many different shrubs and special trees. Many of these plants were brought back from his travels when he was Governor General of Canada and Viceroy of India. He also bought exotic plants from a famous plant nursery called Veitch.

In 1903, even King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited Derreen. They planted two special bamboo plants to remember their visit. The 5th Marquess of Lansdowne continued to visit Derreen for three months each year until he passed away in 1927.

Later Ownership

During the Second World War, Derreen Garden was passed down differently than the main Lansdowne family titles. The 7th Marquess of Lansdowne died in 1944 during the war. His sister, Lady Katherine Evelyn Constance Petty-Fitzmaurice, inherited Derreen. Today, her grandson, Charlie Bigham, owns and manages the garden.

Exploring Derreen Garden

The famous Derreen Garden covers most of the land it sits on. It's about 60 acres in size and has nearly 12 kilometers of paths. These paths wind through old and varied woodlands. The climate here is moist and mild, which means many delicate and unusual plants can grow very well. As you walk along the paths, you'll get amazing views of the sea (Kilmakilloge Bay) and the mountains in the distance, like the Caha Mountains and MacGillycuddy's Reeks.

Special Plants at Derreen

Derreen Garden is especially known for its beautiful rhododendrons, including the Tree rhododendron, and its tall tree ferns, like the Dicksonia antarctica. All around the garden, you'll see a rich covering of moss, lichens, ferns, and saxifrages. This gives the whole area a sub-tropical feeling, almost like a jungle! There are also large natural rock formations that add to the garden's wild beauty.

Good news! Derreen Garden is open to visitors every day, all year round.

Derreen House

Derreen Garden is designed around Derreen House. The Mac Finin Dubh Ó Súilleabháin family originally built the house in the early 1700s. After this family's last male member died in 1809, the house was passed to Peter McSwiney.

Changes and Rebuilding

The house was made bigger between 1863 and 1866 when the 4th Marquess of Lansdowne added a new section. Then, from 1870 to 1873, the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne made it even larger.

Sadly, Derreen House was damaged and burned in 1922 during the Irish Civil War. But the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne rebuilt it in a similar style in 1924. He even received some financial help from the Irish Free State. The house had more work done between 1925 and 1926 because of a problem with dry rot. Today, Derreen House is a private home and is not open to the public.

Images for kids

• 

  Woodland in Derreen Garden

• 

  Two tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica)

• 

  View along the coastline at the north-western side of Derreen Garden, with Mount Knockatee in the background