| Location: |
On Fota Island, Cork Harbour |
| Road access: |
Take E30 (N25) to Cobh interchange
15km East of Cork city.
Follow R624 (direction Cobh) for 3 kms to singposted entrance. Parking
EUR 2.00 (untimed). |
| Rail: |
Fota Island has its own suburban rail
station with direct rail services from Cork (Kent) and Cobh stations.
Journey time from Cork 13 mins. Train frequency approximately hourly.
Schedule times available from
Irish Rail website (station names: Cork, Fota, Cobh). |
| Bus: |
No scheduled bus service.
See rail service above. |
| Opening Times: |
Mon-Sat 10.00 to 17.00 (last
admissions)
Sunday 11.00 to 17.00 |
| Admission: |
EUR 5.00
|
| Suggested time allocation: |
House: 45 minutes Grounds: 45-90
minutes |
History
Fota House was originally an 18th century hunting
lodge forming the centrepiece of the Fota Island estate which covers the
entire island and comprises over 300 hectares of land. The house was
extended in the 19th century by architects Richard Morrison and his son
William Vitruvius for John Smith Barry.
The estate became the family home of the Smith Barrys
and the grounds have been developed by successive generations of the family,
including the addition of walled gardens, an arboretum, stables, an orangery,
glass houses, stone barns, and other outbuildings. The house is now the property of The Fota
Trust Company, a charity dedicated to the preservation of the building.
The house has been undergoing renovations for several
years and the first phase of the completed areas are open to the public.
Arboretum
The arboretum which was started in the
1840s features tropical plants from South America, the Canary Islands as
well as many local species.
Further information:
Telephone +353 21 481 5543 Fax ... 5541
Mail address:
Fota House
Fota Island
IE Carrigtwohill (Co Cork)
www.fotahouse.com
Related Links:
Fota Wildlife
Park
Fota Island Golf
Club
