Shankill Castle facts for kids
Shankill Castle and Gardens is a cool old castle with beautiful grounds near Paulstown, right on the edge of the Carlow and Kilkenny counties in Ireland. You can explore the gardens and even take a guided tour inside the castle!
Shankill Castle started as a strong tower-house built by the Butler family, close to an old church. In 1708, Peter Aylward bought the land from his wife's family, the Butlers. He rebuilt the castle and designed the surrounding landscape with a clear view in front and a canal behind it.
In the 1800s, the castle was made even bigger and given a castle-like look with battlements. The canal was changed to have curvy sections. A special sundial with many sides was placed in a proud spot on a sunken lawn. Other new parts included a Gothic-style porch with the Aylward family symbol and a glass conservatory. The stable area and the grand entrance to the estate are thought to have been designed by Daniel Robertson. Inside, the castle still has many features from the 1700s, like a fancy Georgian staircase, Gothic plasterwork, and a Victorian drawing-room.
Who Lives There Now?
The Toler-Aylward family, a branch of the Butlers, lived at Shankill until 1991. Some of them still live in the Kilkenny area. Today, Shankill Castle is home to the artist Elizabeth Cope and her husband Geoffrey. They have three children: Phoebe, Reuben, and Sybil.
Shankill Castle also runs a special program for artists and creative people. They can come and stay at the castle to work on their art. This program is part of ResArtis, a worldwide network for artist residencies.
Exploring the Gardens
The gardens at Shankill Castle are full of history! You can still see parts of lime tree avenues from the 1700s and laurel lawns from the 1800s. There are also some huge sequoia trees, which were popular in Victorian times. You'll also find ash trees that have grown by themselves since the 1900s.
The moated garden, which once was a rose garden, was forgotten for a while and then planted with Sitka spruce trees. Now, it's a beautiful spring garden. The graveyard nearby has flowers blooming all year round. The walled garden features an apple arch with red tulips growing underneath. There are also old pear trees shaped like goblets, trained against a warm brick wall.
Special Trees
Shankill Castle Gardens are home to three very important trees. These trees are listed in the Tree Register of Ireland, which is put together by the Tree Council of Ireland. The special trees include a Common Lime, a giant Wellingtonia Giant Sequoia, and two Cupressus macrocarpa trees.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Shankill para niños
