These days, not much thrills me more than visiting a botanical garden in bloom on a cool, overcast day. My boyfriend recently took me to Powerscourt House & Gardens in the Wicklow Mountains near his hometown of Dublin, and it was a real stunner.

Powerscourt, as we know it, dates back to 1730 when the very first Viscount Powerscourt hired German architect Richard CASTLE (gah, how apropos) to construct the Palladian-style mansion.

The mansion was built around an existing 13th-century medieval castle belonging to the Le Poer (“Power”) family, from where the Powerscourt name came.

Fast forward to 1961 when Ralph and Gwen Slazenger bought the Powerscourt estate from Richard Wingfield; the 9th Viscount Powerscourt and heir of the Wingfield family who had long held ownership of it.

Ralph had a serious interest in renewable energy and had plans to use the waterfall to generate hydroelectricity.

Spoiler alert:  it did not work, but the waterfall is amazing.

In 1974, the home was opened to the public as a tourist attraction until a fire reduced it to bare bones just months later.

It would be more than two decades until the house was completely restored and opened to the public again, this time by Ralph and Gwen’s son, Dr. Michael Slazenger.

Today, Michael’s daughter, Sarah, runs the estate. Michael’s nephew, Alex, is the head gardener. Read more details about Powerscourt history and its legacy on the Powerscourt website.

I should probably care more about the house itself, but honestly I don’t. It’s big and grey. There are some overpriced shops inside. We went for the gardens and to shop the garden center.

National Geographic named Powerscourt third place for Finest Garden in the entire world, and more than half a million visitors tour these gardens each year.

However, I would be remiss not to mention that Lonely Planet voted Powerscourt as one of the Top Ten Houses in the world and that many famous movies and serials were filmed in various parts of the Powerscourt estate including an essential Irish film called Barry Lyndon, Vikings, Jurassic Park: Battle at Big Rock, Penny Dreadful, Breakfast on Pluto (with Cillian Murphy), The Count Of Monte Cristo, Tudors, Willow, King Arthur (2004), Camelot (2011), and more.

The Italian Garden
When you buy your ticket and exit the house, you will immediately be greeted by the Italian Garden and its large terrace, filled with statues and intricately designed stonework. Gasp as you take in Triton Lake and Sugarloaf Mountain in the distance.

The first stone of the terraces, influenced by Villa Butera in Sicily, was laid in 1843. It took another twelve years for the rest of the process to be completed.

I adore the twin Pegasi statues and the astrological courtyard.

Powerscourt has the distinction of being the first attraction in Ireland to be certified by Sustainable Travel Ireland, which is recognized by the UN-managed Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

This was a huge boost for Powerscourt to meet its objective to become environmentally sound, as much as it is biodiverse.

I especially appreciate that as a nod to Ralph Slazenger’s passion for renewable energy and sustainability.

We admired the abundance of sexy pottery depicting the horned god Pan, Bacchus, naked ladies, and various mythological creatures.

The Sundial Fountain features two figures of Eolus with water jutting out of each mouth, and it was designed by the same architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Statues of Apollo and Diana also have twin pegasi carved into their bases.

Follow either side of the narrow footpath to Triton Lake for the most beautiful view of all.

The Japanese Garden
South of Triton Lake is the Japanese Garden, a commission of the 8th Viscount & Viscountess Powerscourt in 1908.

Japanese Maple trees, Azaleas, and Chinese Fortune Palms give this garden a very distinct appearance.

Stone lanterns and small waterfalls create a flowing path through this garden past a pond, a pagoda, and to the wishing well where many visitors drop in coins for good luck.

Wander through the grotto, which is actually one of the oldest and original parts of the garden dating back to 1740.

The grotto is made of fossilized sphagnum moss taken from the River Dargle, and stepping inside its walls feels like entering another world.

Ireland’s Tallest Tree & The Riverwalk
We saw some astoundingly tall trees in the dense forest as we made our way from the Japanese Garden to the Pepperpot Tower.

Powerscourt’s Riverwalk is home to the Tallest Tree in Ireland, a 202-feet tall Douglas Fir, as well as a transcontinental collection of Corsican Pines, Atlantic Cedars, Giant Redwoods, and Noble Firs.

We did not have enough time to explore the Pet Cemetery or the Walled Garden before Powerscourt closed for the day, but we spent the remainder of our visit ogling all the exotic plants that we rarely, if ever, see back in the US.

Holler at me if you know what any of these are.

Tower Valley & Pepperpot Tower
Long before the Powerscourt estate was built, the Fitzgerald and O’Toole families had battled over this land for centuries.

Ultimately the O’Tooles won, but the clan’s elder chieftain was known to be a bit of a disloyal mercenary. He was tracked down and executed by Englishmen on a part of the land called the Killing Hollow, where the Pepperpot Tower is.

Legend has it that the Pepperpot Tower was modeled and named after an actual pepper pot that Lord Powerscourt had on his own dining room table.

The tower is surrounded by an impressive mix of trees including Giant Sequoias, Sitka Spruces, Torrey Pines, Dawn Redwoods, European Silver Firs, and Western Red Cedars.

You can walk up the spiral staircase to look out across the forest and into the mountains.

Powerscourt Estate sits on over forty seven acres and boasts a distillery, hotel, golf course, shopping boutiques, a café, and a gift shop.

Best of all, they have a garden center!

After you have perused all that the Powerscourt House & Gardens have to offer, do not miss out on the opportunity to visit the Powerscourt Waterfall. It has an additional entry fee but it is completely worth it, and it is just a short distance from the Powerscourt House.

The Powerscourt Waterfall is Ireland’s highest waterfall at nearly 400 feet. It is sourced by the River Dargle and is surrounded by massive trees like Giant Redwoods, Oaks, and what I recently learned is called the Monkey Puzzle Tree.

You may recognize this waterfall from the famous film that swept the world off its feet, Cocaine Bear. Scenes from that film were shot at the Powerscourt Waterfall, in a cabin built in its parking lot, and in the forest nearby.

Powerscourt and its Waterfall are part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park, Ireland’s largest national park.

In the area for a while? Follow me to see more of Wicklow Mountains National Park, Lough Tay, and Glendalough.

Super special thanks to John P. Clare for capturing some of these lovely photos during our trip so that I could share them here. I took my own, but his turned out way better. It’s almost like he’s a professional or something ❤

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