The venue has much to offer and as it was a bank holiday weekend, we were not alone. Many tourists, both foreign and Irish, were taking advantage of the (mostly) fine weather conditions to spend a few hours in the extensive grounds.
We headed straight to the Japanese Gardens which were in full bloom with impressive displays of bluebells and other spring flowering bulbs. The gardens contain a number of pathways, designed to take you on a journey representing the different stages of life … from ‘the cave of birth’ to ‘the chair of old age’! There were many photographic opportunities including an authentic Japanese Tea House and a number of interesting sculptures.
Some of our members continued into the stud farm to take pictures of the newly born foals, along with their mothers, grazing in the open fields.
We regrouped in the Gardens cafe for a welcome snack and chat before heading home. A very enjoyable outing.
Some images (click on an image to open in full-screen mode) from the outing can be seen below:
