Discover a history that dates back more than 800 years

Explore the turreted castle’s sumptuous interiors to understand what life was like for the colourful characters who lived and worked here, and connect with nature in the surrounding parkland and tree-dotted gardens on a fun and informative Wexford day out, whatever the weather!

Take time to learn more about rural Irish lives when you visit the Irish Agricultural Museum. Its huge collection of original farming-related machinery, vehicles, and artefacts (some of which date back around 100 years), along with exhibitions and recreated scenes, fascinate visitors of all ages!

The Castle

Johnstown Castle stands on an estate first granted to the Esmonde family as thanks for their role in the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, and its fortunes over the centuries reflect the richly layered story of this storied region in the centuries that followed.

In the 19th-century, the Grogan family re-imagined and remodelled the castle with a romantic, neo-Gothic design – delivered with the help of Daniel Robertson, who also shaped the gardens at the Powerscourt Estate.

Together they created the neo-Gothic castle you see today, adorned with turrets and towers, and Johnstown’s sumptuous gardens and parkland, studded with three lakes and bordered by woodland walks.

Gardens and Lakes

Enjoy the tranquillity and beauty of our Johnstown Castle gardens and discover the vibrancy of a fairytale estate that’s teeming with gorgeous planting and native wildlife!

The Johnstown Castle gardens and lakes you see today were developed by the Grogan family, who brought their romantic vision to life with the help of the extraordinary 19th-century garden designer Daniel Robertson, who also designed the impressive gardens at the Powerscourt Estate and Wells House.

The 4-acre walled gardens and hothouses, which were originally laid out between 1844 -1851, are being painstakingly restored by Head Gardener Ciarán Fitzgerald and our enthusiastic team of over 100 local volunteers, so they can be enjoyed by locals and visitors throughout the seasons for centuries to come.

Irish Agricultural Museum

Explore one of the most comprehensive exhibits of farming and rural life in Ireland at the Irish Agricultural Museum.

Agriculture has been at the heart of Johnstown Castle Estate since time immemorial. Housed in the Johnstown Castle Estate’s farm courtyard buildings, this absorbing, family-friendly stable courtyard, brings together intriguing objects and stories that reflect the realities of life in rural Ireland over the centuries. The museum’s plentiful collections – carefully built up over 40 years – reflect traditions and progress in rural Ireland.

Over three floors, you’ll find 19 fascinating exhibitions that shed light on Irish rural life for farmers and tradespeople. Every object has a story, and artefacts retrieved from across the country reveal details about family life and community in Irish society from the 18th century onwards too.