Herb Garden at Kilgraney House

The Herb Garden at Kilgraney House lies in the County Carlow countryside, a few kilometres from Bagenalstown off the R705 road towards Borris and overlooking the valley of the River Barrow. The gardens surround a Georgian country house whose name comes from the Irish for “sunny hill”, and they take the form of a series of interconnecting herbal spaces that are revealed gradually as you walk through the secluded grounds.

At the heart of the property is an enclosed kitchen garden that supplies the house with fruit, vegetables and herbs and has long been worked on organic lines. Beyond it, the planting is arranged into distinct themed gardens. A medicinal garden set within a granite courtyard is laid out as raised oak beds, each planted with herbs traditionally associated with a particular part of the body, while a monastic herb garden offers a contemporary take on medieval design, grouping plants used for medicine, for flavouring drinks, for ceremony and for strewing. Elsewhere you will find a fragrant sanctuary planted with roses and jasmine, a circular cosmic garden, orchards of heritage Irish apple and other fruit trees, and walks among native trees.

Visits are by prior appointment, so it is worth contacting the house before travelling. There is parking and there are toilet facilities on site, and admission has in the past included tea or coffee. Wheelchair access is restricted, the gardens are described as unsuitable for children, and dogs are not permitted. As opening arrangements and any workshops vary through the season, check the current details with Kilgraney House directly before planning your visit.