Irish Agricultural Museum
What is it?The Irish Agricultural Museum in Johnstown Castle Estate, Co Wexford encompasses both a museum filled with agricultural artefacts and beautiful ornamental gardens and woodlands in the heart of the Co Wexford countryside.
Originally owned by the Esmondes, a Norman family who settled in the area in the 1170s, the castle changed hands several times. The Grogan family took ownership in 1692 and remained there until 1945, at which time the estate was gifted to the nation. Today, Johnstown Castle Estate is owned by Teagasc, the Agricultural and Food Development Authority.
Why visit?The gardens offer visitors a chance to stroll through woodlands with more than 200 different kinds of trees and shrubs. The castle, with its Gothic towers, has two ornamental lakes in its grounds – both of which are home to lots of waterfowl, including swans, water hens and herons. Other aesthetic backdrops include the ornamental walled and Italian gardens.
The castle itself is not open to the public but the agricultural museum is housed in the old stable and farmyard buildings on the estate. The agricultural museum has 20 different galleries that chronicle Irish agricultural life from the 18th century until the 1950s. It has horse-drawn vehicles, pony-drawn garden mowers, threshers, tractors and vintage bicycles. Other displays include a history of sugar-beet harvesting, dairying, poultry keeping, replicas of six craft workshops, and displays of Irish country furniture.
Why now?It's a perfect place for those holidaying in the southeast to visit for a day trip. Bring your own picnic to enjoy in the grounds. Also, there will be a craft market in the courtyard of the museum in Johnstown Castle on Sunday, August 19th from 11am to 4pm. Crafts such as ceramics, jewellery, quilting, knitting and crochet will be displayed and sold. Plants, bird boxes and garden furniture will also be on sale. Admission to the craft market is free with tickets to the gardens.
How to get there?Johnstown Castle is about eight kilometres from Wexford town, just off the N25 for Rosslare. There is a limited bus service from Wexford town. The gardens are open from 9am-5.30pm (April to October) and 9am-4.50pm (November to March). The Irish Agricultural Museum is open from 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am-5pm on Sundays and bank holidays (April to October), and 9am-4pm Monday to Friday and noon-4pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays (November to March). Tickets €3 for an adult, €1 for a child, €2 for a senior citizen. Combined tickets for the garden and museum are €8 for an adult, €4 a child/student and €6 for a senior citizen. Under 4s go free. Call 053-9184671 or see irishagrimuseum.ie.
