Doneraile Park And House (Walks, Fancy Afternoon Tea + The Tour)

A visit to the beautiful Doneraile Park is one of the more popular things to do in Cork.

Located in Doneraile, County Cork, the 166-hectare park is a great place to spend the day touring the former residence of the St Leger Family and exploring the wildlife in the parklands. 

In the guide below, you’ll find everything from info on the various Doneraile Park walks to what to see on a visit to Doneraile House.

Some quick need-to-knows about Doneraile Park

Although a visit to Doneraile Wildlife Park is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

1. Location

You’ll find Doneraile House and its glorious park located in the small town of Doneraile in County Cork. Occupying land either side of the River Awbeg, it’s just 12km north of Mallow town. 

2. Opening hours

• Doneraile Gardens: Guided tours run from 10am – 4pm (mid-March – October)
• Doneraile Park: Spring/Summer (Monday – Sunday 8am – 8pm) Autumn/Winter (8am – 5pm)

3. Admission

The park and estate are free to visit while guided tours cost:

• Adult: €8
• Senior: €6
• Student/Child: €4
• Family: €20

About Doneraile House and Wildlife Park

Doneraile Court and Wildlife Park comprise one of the most beautiful historical estates in Ireland. Straddling both sides of the Awbeg River, the estate was the residence of the St. Leger family.

The house dates back to the 1720s and was originally built by Arthur St Leger, before being modified and improved extensively during the 19th century. 

Doneraile Park is around 166 hectares of deciduous trees, restored water features and ponds.

There is a network of well-maintained walking trails from which you can wander and enjoy herds of grazing deer and rare breed Kerry Cattle. 

Things to do at Doneraile Court

The area around Doneraile House and Park is homes to heaps of things to see and do, which make it perfect for a day out.

Below, you’ll find information on the various Doneraile park walks and the house tour to the tea rooms, the gardens and more.

1. The Doneraile Park walks

 

The Doneraile Park trails are some of the finest favourite walks in Cork. The park and estate are best explored on foot with a number of trails offering great vistas.

If you walk all the trails, you’ll be covering 10km, but there’s distances to suit everyone.

You’ll find a map of the trails on-site.

2. The Doneraile Court Tour

A guided tour of the Doneraile Court is a great way to enjoy the history of the estate and unique architectural features. Tours run for 30 minutes.

The experienced guides take you from the foundations of the house right up to today, through the tales of the St Leger family and the great novelists and legendary horse races in its history.

After the tour, you can head into the gardens to explore at your own pace. 

3. Explore the gardens

After the Doneraile Court tour, you can explore the 18th and 19th century formal gardens around the house.

It was all designed in a naturalistic style known as the famous Capability Brown. The gardens include the Pleasure grounds, the Parterre Gardens and Walled Gardens.

Things to do nearby

One of the beauties of Doneraile Wildlife Park is that it’s a short spin away from a clatter of other attractions, both man-made and natural.

Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw from Doneraile Court.

1. Visit the Donkey Sanctuary

The Donkey Sanctuary is an animal rescue service and registered charity helping donkeys and mules.

Located in Liscarrollm the sanctuary has rescued donkeys from all parts of the country after neglect or cruelty.

2. Mallow Castle

 

This national monument is located in the town of the same name in County Cork.

The long rectangular castle has distinctive polygonal turrets at the corners and was built in the 16th century.

3. Blarney Castle

The medieval stronghold of Blarney Castle is located in Blarney near Cork City. Built nearly six hundred years ago by Cormac MacCarthy, it has since become one of Ireland’s greatest treasures. 

It’s heavily tied to an old legend which says that by kissing the Blarney Stone, you’ll never be lost for words again.

4. Bridgetown Abbey

 

The Bridgetown Abbey was a 13th century Augustinian monastery of the Canons Regular of St Victor.

It was dissolved in 1540 by Henry VIII but its ruins remain. It’s free to visit with some interpretive signs at the entrance.