Project Description

This project invovles the re-planting of Kilkenny's 19^th century formal gardens including Noble Fir Walk and Monkey Puzzle Avenue. The renowned Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum in Inistioge was developed from the 1737 by Sir William Fownes when he commissioned an elegant mansion for the steep slopes of the Nore Valley overlooking Inistioge village below. The main gardens development occurred in the Victorian era, circa 1840 to 1900, under the direction of Lady Louisa Tighe (nee Lennox) and William Tighe who developed a magnificent garden to the south east of the house. A troubled history followed during the Irish Civil War when in 1922 the house was burnt and fell into disrepair. Neglect also followed in the gardens until the late 1990’s when a local community group began to cut back the undergrowth to reveal some of the gardens original structure. Kilkenny County Council in partnership with the local community then commenced an ambitious scheme of restoration which continues to this day. Recently the focus has been on the planting of trees in the arboretum to replace many losses suffered during recent storms. The next phase of this work will involve the replanting of the Noble Fir Walk dating to the 1890’s and the Monkey Puzzle Avenue dating to 1845 both of which have lost significant trees recently.

About the Kilkenny County Council

This project is managed by the Kilkenny County Council. It is the local Authority for County Kilkenny, delivering local public services and promoting economic, social & cultural development.