What is Castletown House, and how do I visit it?
Castletown, at Celbridge, is Ireland's largest and earliest Palladian house, built from 1722 for William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. The state rooms are seen on guided tours, and the house was saved from ruin in the 1960s by Desmond Guinness and the Castletown Foundation; it is now in the care of the Office of Public Works. The house opens from mid March to early November; the parkland, laid out along the Liffey, is free and open every day of the year. Come by car from the M4 at junction 6, or by Dublin Bus to Celbridge Main Street and a ten minute walk through the grounds.
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