Fota Arboretum and Gardens

Fota Arboretum and Gardens Welcome to the official page for Fota Arboretum and Gardens, an OPW managed Heritage site.

It's a good time to make hay in Fota Gardens.The weather has been very mixed of late and while Monday morning was very c...
24/06/2026

It's a good time to make hay in Fota Gardens.
The weather has been very mixed of late and while Monday morning was very cloudy and overcast, we took a chance that the forecast for the week was right and we could cut some of the high grass in the Walled Garden (Originally, the Old Fruit & Vegetable Garden for Fota House 🌽🧅🥦🫛).
The grass will not be wasted, but following a few days of good drying it makes a high quality hay, which we deliver to a Horse Rescue Centre in Cobh. 🐎🐴
Since Monday, we are certainly getting the temperatures for a quick drying with 30.4 degrees Celsius recorded on our outdoor thermometer in the shade yesterday😎🥵
Hopefully we will get some more settled weather in the weeks to come so we can complete the harvest for this year.
Enjoy the POV video of the mower in action. Very satisfying machine to be operating in these situations!

Thirty years ago today, Fota Arboretum & Gardens was officially signed over to State care. At the time, there was a staf...
10/06/2026

Thirty years ago today, Fota Arboretum & Gardens was officially signed over to State care. At the time, there was a staff of six and three of those are still here today. (I've included a staff picture from 1996)
In the early years, having worked with some of the former staff that started working here in the 1940's, we have tried to protect their legacy and that of all previous gardeners going back to those original gardeners from the 1820's. During our time, we have endeavoured to restore and develop the grounds in order to leave our own legacy for future generations.
There won't be any celebration to mark the occasion, but it will be an opportunity for the staff to reflect on our former colleagues and to share some memories of all that has happened over those extremely rewarding 30 years.

This weekend, our colleagues in Kerry are hosting their annual 'Discover Derrynane'. As can be seen from the programme, ...
04/06/2026

This weekend, our colleagues in Kerry are hosting their annual 'Discover Derrynane'. As can be seen from the programme, a comprehensive and wide ranging series of events have been organised to suit all tastes. So if you are passing by, be sure to drop in and enjoy what they have to offer.

Did you know that from the 15-24th May, we are recognising Biodiversity in Ireland. Organised by the National Biodiversi...
19/05/2026

Did you know that from the 15-24th May, we are recognising Biodiversity in Ireland. Organised by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, it's an annual event encouraging us to learn more about the wildlife all around us and the small steps we can each take to protect it.
At this time of year birds are in full voice, when their song can be heard not only at dawn but throughout the day. One of the more modern ways to learn about birds living near you is the use of Bird Song apps. Here in Fota we gave one a trial recently and were amazed at the range of birds it picked up. Many will be familiar, but some are summer visitors and are rarely seen as they reside mainly in a Woodland setting.
If you're interest in what birds are sharing your Garden, Public Park or Forrest, I'd encourage you to give it a go.
Who knows what you might discover?

They say that 'The eyes are the windows to the soul'.If we don't want to look that deep, many of us will be drawn to peo...
18/05/2026

They say that 'The eyes are the windows to the soul'.
If we don't want to look that deep, many of us will be drawn to people by the colour of the iris.
Here too in Fota at present, we are attracted by a range of plants, which also come under the name of Iris.
Gathered together over many years they are particularly appealing at this time of the year.
A selection are added here for you to enjoy.

18/05/2026

After 12 days of dry but cool weather, the sun came out last Friday.
While passing a plant of Libertia in the Walled Garden, I was stopped in my tracks by the sound of bees.
Obviously, encouraged out of their hive by the warmer temperatures, they certainly were homing in on a plant which hopefully rewarded all their effort.
For a more accurate representation of what I heard....PUMP UP THE VOLUME!!

For the past week, during a spell of settled weather, we've being enjoying what I like to call a "Waterfall of Wisteria'...
13/05/2026

For the past week, during a spell of settled weather, we've being enjoying what I like to call a "Waterfall of Wisteria'
Not only has it been an awe inspiring vista, it also bowls one over with the scent that fills the air around it.
Originally planted at some unknown date, a follow up planting took place in 1960
After many years of neglect, major restoration work was required on it and was carried out in 2000.
Now it receives an annual pruning in late winter/ early spring to keep it in control.
If fortunate to be in Fota at this time keep an eye out for the other cultivars of Wisteria added to the collection over the years.

Hi there,Today I want to tell you about some special workers from the ‘hidden world’ of Fota.Unlike Ruairí who likes to ...
23/04/2026

Hi there,
Today I want to tell you about some special workers from the ‘hidden world’ of Fota.
Unlike Ruairí who likes to scamper around and pose for photographs, if he’s not in a hurry to find his next meal, others are more the shy type who mainly come out at night to wander the grounds of Fota.
Whom am I talking about? It is the Hedgehog family. Rarely seen, but have had some adventures in recent years, which has caused their paths to cross with the OPW staff.
Two years ago, Harry Hedgehog inadvertently went on a journey to Cobh. He had decided to rest up overnight in a nice warm, dry Haycock but was loaded into a trailer and taken away. Luckily, he was discovered when the trailer was being unloaded and returned to Fota none the worst for his adventure. When safely back in Fota, he was happy to pose for pictures before scurrying off in to the bushes. We haven’t seen him since but we hope he’s keeping well.
This week Henrietta Hedgehog turned up in the Walled Gardens. Her encounter with staff was not as dramatic but she also was happy to stand for a few pictures before returning to hide in the shrubs.
While Ruairí thinks he’s God’s gift to wildlife, I think you have to agree with me that Harry and Henrietta have the most beautiful eyes.
Bright, gentle, dark. If only for the coat you’d give them a hug!

All-Ireland Squirrel and Pine Marten Survey 2026 Hi Everyone, See the shout out below from the National Biodiversity Dat...
13/04/2026

All-Ireland Squirrel and Pine Marten Survey 2026

Hi Everyone,

See the shout out below from the National Biodiversity Data Centre asking you to assist in an All Ireland Survey covering Red & Grey Squirrels along with the Pine Marten.
This is really important work as it shows if Grey Squirrels, introduced from North America in 1911, are continuing to have an impact on the native Red population or if Pine Martens have halted and maybe even reduced their spread across the country.

Thanks for your help with this. Ruairí.

We invite members of the public to assist with a new survey throughout 2026, to investigate the distribution of squirrels and the pine marten in Ireland. CEDaR has teamed up with University of Galway, Ulster Wildlife, Vincent Wildlife Trust and the National Biodiversity Data Centre in this research, which follows similar surveys conducted in 2007, 2012 and 2019.
Please submit sightings of red squirrels, grey squirrels and pine martens via the online recording form, and include a photograph, if you have one. Besides the location we would be interested to hear any other details, such as how often you see the animal, or if you have noticed a change in the frequency of seeing the animals, using the ‘Comments’ box. We may contact you subsequently to help verify sightings.

For sightings in the Republic of Ireland, please report via National Biodiversity Data Centre at the address below:
https://records.biodiversityireland.ie/start-recording

Address

Fota
Carrigtohill
T45Y642

Telephone

0214812728

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