Russborough House

About the museum

Russborough was commissioned in 1741 by Joseph Leeson, later the first Earl of Milltown, who wanted a house to show off his family’s rise. The architect Richard Cassels designed it in the Palladian style, and it was completed in 1755. The façade is among the longest in Ireland. Inside, the Lafranchini brothers, Italian craftsmen, created the rich stucco ceilings and walls.

The house passed through three families. The Leesons, later Earls of Milltown, lived here until the twentieth century, and the last countess left much of the family’s art to the National Gallery of Ireland. Denis Daly bought the estate in 1931 and kept its character while adapting it for modern life. In 1952 it was sold to Sir Alfred and Lady Clementine Beit, who brought a major collection of European fine and decorative art, including works by Vermeer, Raeburn and Goya.

The Beits set up the Alfred Beit Foundation in 1976 to protect the house and its contents, and the house opened to the public two years later. In 1987 they gave seventeen masterpieces to the National Gallery of Ireland. Today the foundation runs the house and parkland, with guided house tours, a museum in the basement about the Beits and the servants who worked here, a beech maze created in the 1980s, walled garden and woodland and lake walks.

Highlights

• Guided tour of the Palladian house with Lafranchini stucco ceilings and period furnishings
• Beit Museum in the basement with photographs, film and music from the Beit family
• Beech hedge maze with a statue of Fame at its centre
• 200 acres of parkland with lake and woodland walks, a walled garden and a playground
• Café, shop and the National Bird of Prey Centre on the estate

Permanent exhibitions

• Guided house tour – A guide leads visitors through the Palladian rooms, with their stucco ceilings, antiques and art, and tells the stories of the families and staff who lived here.
• Beit Museum – An exhibition in the basement uses film, sound and photographs to tell the story of Sir Alfred and Lady Clementine Beit, their art and music, and the servants who ran the household.

Founded

1978

Operated by

The Alfred Beit Foundation

Admission & discounts

The prices shown are for the guided house tour. Parking costs €4 for the whole day (free for members).

Accessibility

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

Wheelchair parking is on the left of the car park as you enter, and access to the house, café and shop is through the black gates in the courtyard. Lifts link the café, shop, Beit Museum and the main floor of the house, but wheelchair access to the house is limited because of its historic character; please contact the house in advance and check that the lift is in service. The West Wing is not wheelchair accessible. Accessible toilets are in the courtyard. Assistance dogs are welcome, and staff guides cannot always be guaranteed on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

The house tour is recommended for children aged 6 and over. In the parkland there is a magical children’s trail with fairy doors, a large playground and a maze, and outdoor play workshops for children aged 0 to 9 run by Twinkle Kids. The café has baby changing facilities.

Getting there & parking

Russborough is just off the N81 near Blessington, about 30 minutes from Dublin. The Eircode is W91 W284. Bicycle racks are provided.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Russborough Café has complimentary Wi-Fi, outdoor seating in a courtyard and vegetarian and gluten-free options; and the shop sells crafts, prints and homeware. Picnic areas are available in the parkland. No food or drink is allowed in the house.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

The restored West Wing, other rooms and the parkland can be hired for corporate and private events, and the estate is also used for film, TV and photo shoots.

Plan your visit