The historic and literary associations of Lissadell House & Gardens in County Sligo, and the wild dramatic natural beauty of its setting surrounded by mountains, sea and woodlands, makes Lissadell a must visit heritage attraction in the north west.
Follow in the footsteps of WB Yeats in wandering through this beautifully restored estate on the shores of the Atlantic. Childhood home of Constance and Eva Gore-Booth, built by Sir Robert Gore-Booth in 1830 and designed by Francis Goodwin, the house is now fully restored and open for guided tours Wednesdays through to Sundays every week, June to August.
Lissadell secured its place in the turbulent revolutionary history of 20th century Ireland through Constance, later Countess Markievicz, who turned her back on a life of privilege to become a leading member of James Connolly’s Irish Citizen Army and a 1916 Rising leader. Countess Markievicz risked her life for Ireland's freedom, being condemned to death, a sentence later commuted to life imprisonment. She was the first woman to be elected to the Westminster Parliament, but declined to take her seat, and was Minister for Labour in the first Irish Dáil.
Along with her sister Eva, who was an active suffragist, Constance blocked an early election bid by Winston Churchill in Manchester, and supported their brother Josslyn in his efforts with a local co-operative movement tracing their social conscience back to witnessing and assisting poor relief to their tenants in times of food shortages.
Both sisters featured in a famous Yeats elegy, "The light of evening, Lissadell, Great windows open to the south, Two girls in silk kimonos, both beautiful, one a gazelle".
Today the estate has been fully restored by the owners Edward Walsh and Constance Cassidy with the large courtyard complex now serving as a multipurpose visitor centre which features five exhibitions, featuring topics around the life of Countess Markievcz; Women's Suffrage; and the 1916 Easter Rising, along with a Yeats Gallery and a Celtic Revival Gallery.
The restored and refurbished stable block and riding arena houses the newly designed tearooms serving a high standard of cuisine in comfortable surroundings.
The Victorian Walled Garden has been magnificently restored as a flower garden, and a must see is the exquisite Alpine Garden perched over the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors can enjoy woodland trails and walks, always under the watchful eye of Benbulben.
Lissadell House & Gardens is perfect for a family visit and adventure, where children will learn about important events of the past, what it was like to be a servant downstairs in a big house and explore the grounds seeing wild deer and sometimes even a sea eagle. Younger visitors will also be able to see the home of the famous 'Lily at Lissadell', heroine of the Judi Curtin book series.
