Russborough worth a visit

It's the start of the Rhododendron season at Russborough House, and well worth a visit if only for the fresh air you get while going up through the Woodland Walk to where the Beit family set up that flower area in the 1950s, writes Brian Byrne.

It's a rolling reveal, with the various plants flowering at different times through the next month or so. One of the local undervalued places to head for, there's a lot of stuff to see, in heritage and simply how the rich of the 19th century left us a lot of things to be appreciative of. Not to mention the Beits, who left it all to the state much more recently.



Walking shoes recommended for outside, but there's a lot to see if you just want to stay inside and go through the house and its history. A kiddie's playground and maze make it a real family day out.