Russborough House always worth a summer walk

Image: Russborough House.

Removing a willow hedge in the playground area because it was attracting wasps is just one small detail of the work that has been going on in the grounds of Russborough House over the last few months, writes Brian Byrne. Another is the removal of ivy by local TY students, which had been growing through the beech hedge maze.

The estate is a popular walking area for Kilcullen people along with very many more from other communities in south Dublin, west Wicklow, and across Kildare, and it's worth referencing some of the clearing and restoration work that goes on behind the scenes to keep the space attractive and safe.

So this year there has been a very visible transformation of the main avenue, with extensive clearance of overgrown laurel and snowberry. It's now a more open and visually attractive arrival point for those coming to visit the house or the various walking tracks. 

Trees which suffered damage during the storms of the winter have been dealt with by specialist arborists, and in the walled garden there's ongoing refurbishment of the lean-to glasshouse. The same space is a nursery for the future with potted oak trees grown from acorns collected in 2022 being raised for addition to and replacement of the existing trees that are such an important part of the estate's beauty.

Small things to reflect on as you take an afternoon to the estate's parklands over the coming weeks and months. 

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