SATURDAY 4TH JULY 2026

KILLRUDDERY MEMBER TICKET: €216

STANDARD TICKET: €240

ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP

Join us this Spring and learn to create a Botanical Cast with the beautiful botanical artist Erica Devine. You will create your own wall piece, immortalising seasonal blooms from Killruddery Flower beds for years to come. This workshop is a good introduction to working with plaster where you will be shown the techniques Erica uses to create sculptural wall pieces for clients including Jo Malone in Paris and The Powerscourt Hotel. All materials are provided and if you wish to bring some stems from your own garden or surrounding to include you are welcome to bring them along.

Hosted by Fionnuala Brabazon, all materials for this workshop are provided and this day promises bounty in plenty as everyone will leave with their own wall piece, detailed notes and a suppliers list to help you pursue this art-form further, nourishment with warm drinks and a long table lunch in The Grain Store cooked by our Head Chef Niall O'Sullivan. 

ABOUT ERICA DEVINE

Erica Devine is an artist and maker. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Durham University, she worked as a conservator at the National Museum of Ireland, the National Trust in the UK and as an advisor to award-winning historic houses and museums. 

Seeking a creative direction in her career led her to pursue the art of botanical casting. Within a short period she was featured in solo and group exhibitions including the Design and Craft Council of Ireland's Craft Village at Bloom in the Park and Sculpture in Context in the National Botanic Gardens. Erica's work is to be found in private collections from Japan to the USA and closer to home, in The Powerscourt Hotel. Most recently, she was commissioned to create botanical casts to decorate Jo Malone's new flagship store in Paris. 

WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR?

• This workshop is for complete beginners & intermediate practitioners 
• Those looking to explore and expand their ability in craft making
• Those looking to grain confidence with a new creative outlet
• Anyone looking to spend time with like-minded individuals doing something new and creative

FAQ:

• This workshop will take place from 10am - 4pm
• All materials are supplied
• Please wear warm thick soled shoes, and dress to suit the days weather
• Please wear clothes you don't mind getting the odd splash of plaster on - an apron is highly recommended!
• Please allow yourself plenty of time to get here, park in our main customer car park and follow signs to Killruddery Cut Flowers workshop 

SUNDAY, 5TH JULY

ADULT MEMBER: FREE   CHILD MEMBER: FREE 

ADULT NON-MEMBER: €10.50   12 - 18 YEAR OLDS/CONCESSION: €9.50 CHILD NON-MEMBER: €4.00

CHILD (UNDER 4): FREE 

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Originally founded in 2006, Killruddery’s Enchanted Garden continues its evolution this year, placing storytelling at its heart.

This Storytelling Day at Killruddery is a gentle, immersive series of encounters, rooted in nature, imagination, and the timeless tradition of sharing stories.

This is not a festival.

It is a quiet gathering.

A day shaped by slow moments, listening, and the simple magic of words spoken aloud beneath the trees.

Curated by Killruddery, and now kindly supported by the YARN Storytelling Festival, this year’s programme is designed for wandering rather than scheduling. It brings together a carefully chosen mix of artists and storytellers whose work is rooted in nature and place.

Audiences are guided by subtle signposts and the Story Maidens, who lead them between spaces, moving from one sheltered setting to another, as stories repeat throughout the morning and early afternoon.

Free for Killruddery Members. Included with garden entry for visitors.

We encourage young and old to come dressed as your favourite fairy tale character – whether a dragon, a knight, a woodland sprite or Cinderella – and prepare for a day of joyful memory-making and imaginative adventure.

This event is free for Killruddery Members. Yet to become a Killruddery Member? Sign up via our website HERE

Storytellers

We are delighted to bring together a group of stoytellers whose work spans folklore, myth, contemporary narrative, and a deep connection to nature and place.

Fiona Dowling

Fiona Dowling is a French-Irish storyteller based in the west of Ireland.

She tells traditional tales from around the world to spark wonder, ignite imaginations, and reawaken forgotten connections.

Fiona will play traditional Zimbabwean tunes on her mbira, weaving its mesmerising sound with the singing of birds, trees and bees, allowing the gardens gentle happenings to tell their own story alongside her tales.

Senem Donatan Mohan

Senem is an internationally renowned storyteller, storytelling coach, and author from Turkiye, now based in Dublin. Holding a PhD in natural sciences, she blends science with art to spark aliveness in people of all ages.

Over the past two decades, her shows, books, and courses have delighted thousands. She engages audiences expressively and playfully, emphasising interactivity and spontaneity. 

For children, Senem tells stories from around the world that cultivate curiosity about natural phenomena beyond definitive answers.

Carol Barrett

Carroll Barrett shares Irish myths and folktales rooted in the natural world, offering both stories and inspiration for families to deepen their relationship with nature through narrative.

Shane McGrath

Shane uses songs and sounds stories to shape his tales. Today he brings Woodland Hootenanny, a story themed around a great oak tree, with mice playing at its foot. A mischievous woodpecker visits and shakes the tree, causing chaos. A mole emerges and scares off the woodpecker.

The Enchanted Garden Storybook

Created in collaboration with artist David Fortune of Me and The Moon, long-time creative partners of Killruddery. 

As stories unfold beneath the trees, families are invited to become storytellers too. At drawing tables inspired by the plants, trees, creatures, characters, places and tales they encounter throughout the day. Those drawings will be gathered by David and incorported into a large  mural storybook, collaged together into a giant collaborative picture book that grows and evolves throughout the day.

No booking required. Drop in at any time.

WHO IS THIS EVENT FOR?

• Families and children of all ages
• Visitors who wish to explore the grounds of Killruddery through a day of imaginative, outdoor fun
• Anyone who loves storytelling, creativity and magical moments

FAQ:

• All materials are provided
  
• Please dress for the day's weather, costumes and storybook inspired outfits are welcomed!
  
• WHERE TO EAT: The Tea Room and in the near by Killruddery Yard: Pizza Shed (from 12pm - 6pm) and the Grain Store (from 12pm bookings recommended) and Farm Shop Cafe. Picnics are also welcome!
  
• Car parking is free - Park in our main customer car park and follow signs to Killruddery's Garden Entrance Shop
  
• When purchasing a ticket, please review all of the ticket information to ensure you are selecting the correct ticket types
  

THURSDAY 9TH + FRIDAY 10TH JULY

TIME: 8PM

ADULT MEMBERS / CONCESSION: €13

ADULT: €15

CHILD: €8

Lord & Lady Ardee are delighted to invite you to an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s 'The Comedy of Errors’ performed by Dublin’s Balally Players Theatre Company in the enchanting surroundings of Killruddery’s Sylvan Theatre. Shakespeare's 'The Comedy of Errors' is a fast paced delighted, blending slapstick humour, mistaken identities and witty wordplay into an endearingly entertaining play.

The Balally Players are delighted to present 'The Comedy of Errors' one of Shakespeare's earliest and most beloved comedies, in a lively new production packed with wit, romance and theatrical chaos. The story follows two sets of identical twins, separated in childhood after a terrible storm. Unknown to one another, both pairs now reside in Ephesus, setting the stage for a whirlwind of mistaken identities, comic confusion, and escalating hilarity that throws an entire town into disarray.

Balally's ensemble cast delivers a high-energy performance that breathes life into Shakespeare's classic text. Combining physical comedy, flirtation, and pantomime-inspired humour, the production make the language accessible and entertaining for modern audiences while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original play. While laughter lies at the heart of the production, The Comedy of Errors also explores themes of family, loss, belonging and reconciliation. Moments of romance and emotional depth balance the comedy, creating a production that is as touching as it is entertaining.

Audiences can expect an evening of infectious humour, fast-paced performances, and theatrical mayhem as estranged brothers unknowingly cross paths and confusion reigns supreme in the streets of Ephesus. The vibrant production promises something for everyone - from longtime Shakespeare lovers to those experiencing his work for the very first time.

ABOUT BALALLY PLAYERS:

The Balally Players Theatre Company has been part of the amateur theatre movement in Ireland since its first performance in 1983. A vibrant group of passionate performers, most years the company produces two full-length productions and a run of one-act plays in the Mill Theatre in Dundrum, a Christmas Variety show, competitive one-act plays for the drama festival circuit, and an outdoor Summer Shakespeare show.

Balally Players started competing on the Drama Festival circuit in Ireland in the late 1980s. The group has enjoyed considerable success on the One-Act Festival Circuit. Members have taken plays to France, Denmark, Belgium, Canada and the USA.

Balally Players Theatre Company is delighted to be back at the stunning venue of Killruddery House and Gardens with their Summer Shakespeare, and hope you enjoy the production of ‘The Comedy of Errors’.

FAQ:

• Please wear warm clothing and dress appropriately for the weather
• The tea room will be open prior to the performance for drinks and snacks
• Please bring picnic blankets and low-backed chairs
• Performance will end at approximately 10pm
• Please allow yourself plenty of time to arrive for the performance, park in Killruddery’s main car park and follow signs to the performance

SATURDAY 11TH JULY 

ADULT: €165

ADULT MEMBER: €148.50

EVENT DESCRIPTION

ABOUT YANNY PETTERS 

Yanny Petters paints Irish wild plants. Through her work Yanny raises awareness of the wonders and fragility of wild habitats in a time of climate change. Collections which feature her work include Dr. Shirley Sherwood Collection, London, the Office of Public Works, National Botanic Gardens, Dublin and The Watercolour Society of Ireland.

A member of the Irish Society of Botanical Artists, Yanny is represented by the Olivier Cornet Gallery in Dublin. She teaches watercolour technique at the Schoolhouse for Art in Enniskerry and exhibits regularly with the Watercolour Society of Ireland and the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club. Yanny is delighted and honoured to have had two of her works acquired for the Irish nation by the National Museum of Ireland and the National Gallery of Ireland.

For more information, visit www.yannypetters.net or follow Yanny on Facebook - @PettersBotanicalArtist

WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR?

• This workshop is for complete beginners & intermediate practitioners
• Those looking to explore and expand the art of watercolour painting and nature drawing
• Those looking to gain confidence with a new creative outlet
• Anyone looking to spend time with like-minded individuals doing something new and creative

FAQ:

• This workshop will take place from 10am - 5pm
• Participants must supply some materials for this workshop, please see below
• Please allow yourself plenty of time to get here, park in our main customer car park and follow signs to The Flower Studio in Killruddery Yard 

lPARTICIPANTS OF THIS WORKSHOP SHOULD BRINNG

Water soluble colour pencils, set of 12 or more (Derwent Inktense is a good make, can be bought singly in Art & Hobby)

• Two round pointed watercolour brushes, large (about 10mm thick) and medium (about 5mm thick)
• Flat brush, 2 sizes
• Palette, can be a white ceramic plate or tile
• Watercolour paints Winsor and Newton pans set or tubes. Colours: Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, Alizerin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue, Violet
  
• Kitchen towel 
• A small note book

All paints and pencils etc are available from the Art and Hobby Shop, K & M Evans and Cork Art Supplies

SUNDAY, 19TH JULY

TIME:   12:00PM

PRICE: €10

PLACE: THE ORANGERY

ABOUT THE EVENT:

An interactive musical journey from opera, musical theatre, folk songs and more! With LOTS of audience participation, bring your children to the magic of live music delivered by a professional opera singer and educator Máire Flavin. With her instrumentalist friends you will be grinning and grooving, singing and smiling. Aimed at ages 4- 8 but younger siblings will love it too.

FAQ: 

• This concert will begin in the Orangery at 12:00PM and last for 45 - 50 minutes
• Please park in our main car park and follow signs to the Entrance Shop
• Up to 2 children free per adult, all other children €5 each

SUNDAY, 19TH JULY

TIME:   2:30PM

PRICE: €75

PLACE: THE ORANGERY

ABOUT THE EVENT:

VDISC'S annual Killruddery event, Opera in the Orangery with new up-and-coming Irish opera singers, interval wine and canapés reception on the lawn. Come and hear the operatic talent of the future.

FAQ: 

• This concert will begin in the Orangery at 2:30PM 
• Please park in our main car park and follow signs to the Entrance Shop

SUNDAY, 19TH JULY

TIME:   7:00PM

PRICE: €50

PLACE: THE ORANGERY

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Soprano, Claudia Boyle and tenor, Dean Power join Artistic Director, Dearbhla Collins for an exciting evening of song and opera favourites. 

FAQ: 

• The wine reception will begin at 7:00PM with the concert beginning at 7:45PM.
• Please park in our main car park and follow signs to the Entrance Shop
  

SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST 

ADULT MEMBER: FREE   CHILD MEMBER: FREE

ADULT NON-MEMBER: €10.50   12 - 18 YEAR OLDS/CONCESSION NON-MEMBER: €9.50

CHILD NON-MEMBER: €4.00

UNDER 4: FREE

EVENT DESCRIPTION 

As the season begins to soften, join us at Killruddery for The Last of the Summer Fling - a joyful end-of-summer garden party set within our 17th-century heritage gardens.

This is a day to slow down and savour the last long days of summer. Bring a picnic, gather family and friends, and settle into the lawns for a relaxed afternoon of traditional games, gentle activity, and imaginative play.

From welly throwing and croquet to roaming teddy bears and creative workshops, the Gardens will come alive with simple pleasures designed for all ages.

Garden Games & Lawn Activities

Enjoy a classic summer fête atmosphere with:

• Welly throwing

• Croquet

• Traditional lawn games for all ages

A chance to play, pause, and reconnect outdoors.

Teddy Bears’ Picnic

A much-loved tradition returns.

The Killruddery bears will be out to greet their little guests - bring your favourite teddy along for a picnic and gentle adventure throughout the Gardens.

Teddy Bear & Doll’s Hospital

In aid of Barretstown

Located in the Orangery, the hospital will be open:

• 10.30AM - 1.30PM

• 2PM - 3.30PM

Leave your cherished toys in the care of our volunteer nurses while you explore the Gardens. Collect them later, fully restored.

All proceeds support Barretstown, helping rebuild lives affected by childhood illness.

Food & Picnics

Guests are warmly encouraged to bring their own picnics and rugs.

A selection of seasonal food and drinks will also be available to purchase across the estate throughout the day.

WHO IS THIS EVENT FOR?

• This event is suitable for all the family
• Those wishing to explore the grounds of Killruddery with a day of family fun
• Advance booking is advised but not essential as entry will also be available on the door, however priority entry will be given to those who pre-book

FAQ: 

• This event will take place from 10am - 3pm
• Car parking is free
• Advance booking is not essential but is advised
• Please dress for the day’s weather, bring along your picnics and cuddly toys 
• Please allow yourself plenty of time to get here, park in our main customer car park and follow signs to Killruddery’s Garden Entrance Shop
• When purchasing a ticket, please review all of the information to ensure you are selecting the correct ticket types

SUNDAY, 23RD AUGUST 

TIME: 12.00PM

Adult member: Complimentary 

Adult non-member €10.50 (concession non-member €9.50)

EVENT DESCRIPTION

To mark Heritage Week 2026, Killruddery is honoured to host Peter Cox, Managing Director of Carrig Conservation International, for a special talk exploring this year’s theme: Heritage at Risk.

Taking place in the Library at Killruddery House, Peter’s talk will consider the risks facing our built heritage today — from climate change and under-funding to the challenges of legislation, regulation and inappropriate energy retrofitting.

Peter Cox is the founding member of Carrig Conservation International Ltd. and brings more than thirty-five years of international experience in the conservation of historic buildings and porous building materials. With qualifications in chemical engineering and material science, his work has focused on the analysis of masonry decay and the treatment of stone and mortar in heritage buildings.

A long-standing member of ICOMOS Ireland, Peter served as President from 2003–2006 and continues to work internationally with governments and organisations on conservation policy, particularly in relation to traditional buildings and energy efficiency.

This talk will take place in The Library at Killruddery House, home to the Brabazon family since 1618 and a member of Historic Houses of Ireland.

WHO IS THIS EVENT FOR?

Suitable for those with an interest in history, architecture, conservation and Irish heritage.

FAQ

• Free parking available onsite
• Advance booking essential
• Recommended for ages 12+
• Please allow time to park and walk to the House & Garden Entrance
• Please review ticket information carefully before booking

SUNDAY, 23RD AUGUST 

TIME: 3.00PM

Adult member: Complimentary 

Adult non-member €10.50 (concession non-member €9.50)

EVENT DESCRIPTION

To celebrate Heritage Week, Killruddery is delighted to host our own Head Guide, Barbara Cafferky, in conversation with Sarah Greene, one of our volunteer archivists, for a special talk exploring the lives of three exceptional women connected to Killruddery:

• Harriot Brabazon (1811–1898)
• Her daughter Kathleen Brabazon (1850–1930)
• Her daughter-in-law Mary Jane Brabazon (1847–1918)

Barbara and Sarah will discuss the legacy of each woman in relation to Killruddery, Bray, and wider Irish society, drawing on archival research, family history, and the social history of the estate.

The talk will take place in The Library at Killruddery House, home to the Brabazon family since 1618 and a member of Historic Houses of Ireland.

This event is suitable for those interested in:

• Irish history
• Architectural heritage
• Historic houses
• Social and cultural history
• Genealogy and archival research

FAQ: 

• This talk will take place at 3.00pm in The Library of Killruddery House. 
• Car parking is free
• Advance booking is essential 
• This talk is not suitable for children under the age of 12
• Please allow yourself plenty of time to get here, park in our main customer car park and follow signs to Killruddery’s Garden Entrance Shop
• When purchasing a ticket, please review all of the information to ensure you are selecting the correct ticket types

FRIDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER

PRE-CONCERT DINNER + CONCERT TICKET:  MEMBER: €64  STANDARD: €71

CONCERT TICKET ONLY: MEMBER: €25   STANDARD: €27.70

ABOUT THE EVENT

An intimate, stripped-back evening of songs, tunes and hopeful music in the atmospheric setting of The Orangery at Killruddery.

Fiachna Ó Braonáin and Clare Sands bring together voice, strings and spirit in a performance shaped by quiet respect for each other’s roots, and by the living landscape around Killruddery House, Gardens and Estate. Their music moves between tradition and new expression; between two streams, with warmth, depth and a sense of wild nature close at hand.

Note: Seating is unreserved. Doors open 30 minutes before the performance.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Fiachna Ó Braonáin

There’s a look in Fiachna Ó Braonáin's eye, a gleam, a glint, and a hint: the mark of the true believer. A carrier, and a carrier on. It bit deep into him when he was a teenager, the wild wail of the blues guitar and the pulse of rock n’ roll, mixing with the already ingrained DNA of the traditional Irish music, language and song he was raised on. There was - and there is - no cure.

The mind that had already been blown wide open by traditional music sessions in the Dún an Óir hotel in West Kerry, in the Geantraí of the Cultúrlann and in the halls and passageways of his Dublin school, Coláiste Eoin, heard whispered magic names like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and The Rolling Stones from Alexis Corner on the BBC.

His thirteen-year old brain got properly rewired at a Bob Dylan show in Paris and he was long gone. His mother’s Spanish guitar became his focus, his obsession, his first ticket on a lifetime’s journey jumping between jigs, reels, sean nós and paint-stripping guitar solos, and he’s still out there.

Fiachna has worked the six strings in the four corners, getting down with African gospel singers, Moroccan tribesmen, Texan swingers and Irish balladeers. There’s also the very considerable matter of his own crew, Ireland’s greatest rock n’ soul merchants, Hothouse Flowers, who have been dealing the real stuff for over forty years. When The Flowers took a step back, he holed up in Paris between 2006 and 2011, recording his first solo album Bougainvillea in a one-bedroom apartment near Montmartre. It’s available on iTunes and across all digital platforms, and the curious should make their first stop at the gentle beauty of ‘Ghosts’ or ‘City Of Love’ and pour themselves something sweet for the sailor’s love lament of ‘Bottle Of Rum’. Question the title of the opening track though; there’s never been anything hidden about this man’s soul.

Side-stepping into broadcasting, it was still all about the music as Fiachna worked on several Irish and American television shows as featured guest and presenter, and produced several award winning music documentaries.

What we used to call the wireless was the logical next move, and in recent years Fiachna has commandeered his rightful seat as a presenter on Ireland's national broadcasting service, sharing the musical connections he’s been making all his life on RTÉ Radio 1 whenever his touring schedule allows!

When touring stopped for all musicians in March of 2020, it allowed Fiachna to find the time to search through his store of unreleased songs and instrumentals, and with his friend Clare Sands' encouragement he recorded and released an EP entitled Winter Sun. To his amazement Winter Sun reached Number One in the iTunes album downloads charts in October 2020!

With all of his plate-spinning his primary musical impulse remains writing , recording and performing, whether on his own, with Hothouse Flowers or with his old pals Tom Dunne and Alan Connor, whose Live At The Pavilion album was a recent release. Finding the time remains a challenge.. however the song sparks are being collected and a new body of work is in the dreaming!

Instagram: @fiachnaobtaonain
Twitter: @fobraonain
Facebook: @fiachnaobraonain
Bluesky: @fiachnaobraonain.bsky.social 

Website: www.fiachnaobraonain.com

FAQ: 

• Pre-concert dinner will take place in The Grain Store at 18.30, and will feature a three course menu 
• This concert will take place in The Orangery of Killruddery House and will begin at 9pm, lasting for one hour 
• The Gardens will open from 8pm and the Pizza Shed will open for pre-concert food & drinks
• Please allow plenty of time to arrive and park in our main customer car park. If you are attending our pre-concert dinner please follow signs to The Grain Store, otherwise please follow signs to The Orangery for the concert