Strokestown Park Grounds Tour

The grounds are quite lovely, and you can tour a lovely garden and trek through the wooded area beside it.  As we started out going through the woods, we came upon this artistic display.  They have an Annual National Famine Commemoration which includes students submitting displays in honor of the memorial.  This was one such display.

Interestingly, when we walked back down this path, we didn't see the display again.  Haley felt it was pretty creepy, as it seemed to just disappear as we made our way back!

Here I believe Haley is saying, "Did you just take a picture?"

These shots are part of the gardens belonging to the estate.  They have been largely restored to how they would have been when the mansion and grounds were in active use.   They were quite lovely and peaceful.  Disconcerting to think how large and glorious the gardens were when  people were dying from the famine, being evicted or forced to emigrate for failing to pay rents, and trying desperately to survive.  The disparity between the lives of the landowners and the people trying to make a living working on the land is truly humbling. Now it is open to everyone to enjoy and it is lovely to see.

According to a posted sign, this is a sunken foundation of a glasshouse built around 1780.  It was discovered  in 2000 while they were excavating and restoring the gardens. They believe it was originally a pineapple pit house which went out of use in the mid-1800's when the cultivation of pineapples went out of fashion.

Bottom line, the Stroketown Park is an excellent place to visit.  The tour of the House was wonderful, the museum was amazing, and the wood and garden walk was a lovely cap to the day.  We had a beautiful day to tour, and enjoyed our time there.  We learned a lot, and it made us think about hardship and caring for other people.  I would go back to Strokestown any time.  It was definitely worth seeing.