Fota House and Grounds
Access
| Location: |
On Fota Island, Cork Harbour |
| Road access: |
Take E30 (N25) to Cobh interchange
15km East of Cork city.
Follow R624 (direction Cobh) for 3 kms to singposted entrance. Parking
EUR 2.00 (untimed). |
| Rail: |
Fota Island has its own suburban rail
station with direct rail services from Cork (Kent) and Cobh stations.
Journey time from Cork 13 mins. Train frequency
approximately hourly. Schedule times available from
Irish Rail website (station names: Cork, Fota, Cobh). |
| Bus: |
No scheduled bus service. |
| Opening Times: |
Mon-Sat 10.00 to 17.00 (last
admissions) Sunday 11.00 to 17.00 |
| Admission: |
EUR 5.00 |
| Time allocation: |
House: 45 minutes
Grounds: 45-90 minutes |
History
Fota House was originally an 18th century hunting lodge forming the
centrepiece of the Fota Island estate which covers the entire island and
comprises over 300 hectares of land. The house was extended in the
19th century by architects Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvius
for John Smith Barry.
The estate became the family home of the Smith Barrys and the grounds have been developed by successive generations of the
family, including the addition of walled gardens, an arboretum, stables, an
orangery, glass houses, stone barns, and other outbuildings. The house
is now the property of The Fota Trust Company, a charity dedicated to the
preservation of the building.
The house has been undergoing renovations for several years and the first
phase of the completed areas are open to the public.
Arboretum
The arboretum which was started in the
1840s features tropical plants from South America, the Canary Islands
as well as many local species.
Further information:
Telephone +353 21 481 5543 Fax
...5541
Mail address:
Fota House
Fota Island
IRL-Carrigtwohill (Co Cork)
www.fotahouse.com
Related Links:
Fota Wildlife
Park
Fota Island Golf
Club
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