Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [133]
James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Joyce’s fictional dinner-table argument wasn’t about a murderer or any such criminal, but about Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–91), the ‘uncrowned king of Ireland’ and unquestionably one of the key figures in the Irish independence movement. Avondale House, a marvellous 209-hectare estate, dominated by a fine Palladian mansion ( 0404-46111; adult/student & child €6.50/6; 11am-6pm May-Aug, Sat & Sun only Apr, by appointment only rest of year), designed by James Wyatt in 1779, was his birthplace and Irish headquarters. Of the house’s many highlights, the most impressive are the stunning vermilion-hued library (Parnell’s favourite room) and beautiful dining room.
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WICKLOW GARDENS FESTIVAL
More than 40 private and public gardens participate in the yearly Wicklow Gardens Festival ( 20070; www.visitwicklow.ie), which runs from Easter roughly through to the end of August. The obvious advantage for green thumbs and other garden enthusiasts is access to beautiful gardens that would ordinarily be closed to the public. Some of the larger gardens are open throughout the festival, while other smaller ones open only at specific times; call or check the website for details of entrants, openings and special events, including all manner of horticultural courses.
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From 1880 to 1890 Avondale was synonymous with the fight for Home Rule, which was brilliantly led by Parnell until 1890, when a member of his own Irish Parliamentary Party, Captain William O’Shea, sued his wife Kitty for divorce and named Parnell as co-respondent. Parnell’s affair with Kitty O’Shea scandalised this ‘priest-ridden’ nation, and the ultraconservative clergy declared that Parnell was ‘unfit to lead’ – despite the fact that as soon as the divorce was granted the two lovers were quickly married. Parnell resigned as leader of the party and withdrew in despair to Avondale, where he died the following year.
Surrounding the house are 200 hectares of forest and parkland, where the first silvicultural experiments by the Irish Forestry Service (Coillte) were conceived, after the purchase of the house by the state in 1904. These plots, about half a hectare in size, are still visible today, flanking what many consider to be the best of Avondale’s many walking trails, the Great Ride. You can visit the park during daylight hours year-round.
SLEEPING & EATING
Old Presbytery Hostel ( 0404-46930; www.hostels-ireland.com; The Fairgreen, Rathdrum; dm/d €18/48; ) A modern, centrally located IHH hostel that looks more like campus accommodation. There is a mix of large, comfy dorms and well-appointed doubles with en-suite bathrooms, as well as family rooms. A laundry and a TV room round off the facilities. You can also camp in the grounds.
Brook Lodge & Wells Spa ( 0402-36444; www.brooklodge.com; Macreddin; r/ste from €260/330; ) The favourite chill-out spot for Dublin’s high-flyers is this luxurious country house about 3km west of Rathdrum in the village of Macreddin. The 39 standard rooms set a pretty high tone, with four-poster and sleigh beds dressed in crisp Frette linen. But the suites sing an altogether more harmonious tune, each a minimalist marvel that wouldn’t seem out of place in a New York boutique hotel – massive beds, flat-screen plasma TVs, top-of-the-range sound system and every other style sundry. The accommodation is pure luxury, but it’s the outstanding spa that keeps guests coming back for more. Mud and flotation chambers, Finnish and aroma baths, hammam (Turkish bath) massages and a full range of Decléor and Carita treatments make this one of the top spas in the country. Your credit card will never have nestled in softer hands.
The village hosts an organic market ( 10am-5pm Sun, Apr-Oct) on the first Sunday of the month during the summer months.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Bus Éireann ( 01-836 6111; www.buseireann.ie) service 133 goes to Rathdrum from Dublin (one way/return €6.90/9.50, 1¾ hours,