Is the Irish National Stud worth visiting if I know nothing about horses?
Yes, and plenty of visitors arrive knowing nothing. The guided tour, included in the ticket, explains the place as it goes: why thoroughbred foals are born in spring, how they are raised, and what makes the stallions worth fussing over. The Irish Racehorse Experience walks you through a racehorse's life interactively, the Horse Museum holds the skeleton of Arkle, the most famous Irish steeplechaser of all, and retired champions such as Hurricane Fly and Beef or Salmon graze in the Living Legends paddock. Then there are the two gardens, which need no horse knowledge at all. Allow two to three hours: one ticket covers the stud, both gardens and the museum.
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