Built c. 1700, Beaulieu is one of Ireland’s earliest surviving country houses and is still lived in today by descendants of its original owners. The house is situated on the banks of the River Boyne and lying close by is a walled garden dating from c. 1720 which remains largely original to its early design. At the entrance to the walled garden is a three-sided pavilion dating from the 1760s with a pedimented portico overlooking lawns to one side, on its southern facing side, tripartite window openings allow light to flood in. 

The Irish Georgian Society has secured funding in the US, UK and Ireland to go toward the restoration of the pavilion, which stands today in a precarious state. The Heritage Council has also provided a grant toward the preparation of a conservation report for the restoration of the Garden Pavilion. 

For Heritage Week 2016 Beaulieu hosted a walking tour of the gardens on Thursday 25th August. The tour was led by architect Richard Mc Loughlin (of Lotts Architecture), who gave the group a history of the house, gardens and Garden Pavilion. Richard has prepared a conservation report on the Garden Pavilion, and will be advising the owners of Beaulieu on how to sensitively restore and conserve the pavilion for future generations of visitors to Beaulieu.

 

 

Photos: Cara Konig