Lismore Castle Arts

About the museum

Lismore Castle Arts is a not-for-profit contemporary art initiative founded in 2005 in the grounds of Lismore Castle in County Waterford. Its main gallery lies within the castle's historic gardens and shows exhibitions by international artists, among them Anne Collier, Nancy Holt and Ai Weiwei. Its programme is supported by the Arts Council and by Waterford City and County Council.

The gardens are in two parts inside the castle walls and cover about seven acres. The Upper Garden was laid out around 1605 by Richard Boyle, the 1st Earl of Cork, and still has its old walls and terraces, with ornamental borders and areas for growing vegetables, herbs and fruit. The Lower Garden was largely created in the nineteenth century for the 6th Duke of Devonshire, who was a patron of the gardener and architect Joseph Paxton, and is a landscape of winding paths, trees, shrubs and lawns. Since 1999 contemporary sculpture, including works by Antony Gormley, Eilís O'Connell and Franz West, has been installed in the gardens.

The programme has grown beyond the castle. St Carthage Hall, a former chapel in Lismore town, opened as a second project space in 2011, and The Mill, a historic building outside the town, was brought back into use in 2022 for larger and more demanding works. Admission to both is free.

Highlights

• Contemporary art gallery in the castle gardens
• Upper Garden of about 1605 and 19th-century Lower Garden
• Permanent sculpture by Eilís O'Connell, Franz West and others
• St Carthage Hall and The Mill, free project spaces in Lismore
• Café with free Wi-Fi

Permanent exhibitions

• Sculpture in the gardens – Contemporary sculpture installed in the castle gardens since 1999, including permanent works by Eilís O'Connell and Franz West and pieces by Antony Gormley.
• The historic gardens – Two walled gardens of about seven acres: the Upper Garden of about 1605 with ornamental and productive planting, and the 19th-century Lower Garden with a yew avenue and open lawns.

Founded

2005

Operated by

Lismore Castle Arts

Admission & discounts

One combined ticket covers the gardens and the gallery (2026 prices). From July to October garden visits are booked online. Admission to St Carthage Hall and The Mill is free. Friends of Lismore Castle Arts have unlimited free visits.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Wheeled access is available throughout much of the garden, but the Lower Garden can only be reached by steps and the Upper Gallery has four steps; the rest of the main gallery is accessible. The route from the car park rises slightly and can be uneven. The café, reading room and bathrooms are wheelchair and buggy accessible. Service and assistance dogs are allowed in all gallery areas.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly

Family events include the reading day "Towers and Tales" and the free creative event Cruinniú na nÓg, and families can download art activities to do at home. A family ticket is offered.

Getting there & parking

The route from the car park rises slightly and may be uneven and dusty.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Wi-Fi

Café and reading room in the Upper Garden gallery building, with free Wi-Fi in the café. Public toilets need no key or code.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit