Overview
On the north shore of Valentia Island, warmed by the North Atlantic Current and screened by its own windbreaks, Glanleam grows plants that would not survive a normal Irish winter: tree ferns, Chilean myrtle, palms from the southern hemisphere, all of it outdoors and unheated. The garden runs to around forty acres of these naturalistic walks, and it is the reason to come. Behind it, the Georgian house works as a bed and breakfast and the estate rents three self-catering cottages. The gardens open to day visitors from April to October for €6; if you are here for the plants rather than a stay, that is the whole visit.
History
The estate began as a linen mill built around 1775. In the following decades Sir Peter George Fitzgerald, the 19th Knight of Kerry, converted it into a Georgian L-plan house and, recognising how sheltered the site was, began importing tender plants – from South America, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Japan – to plant out from the 1830s. That planting is the backbone of the garden you walk today.
The estate then declined for decades until Meta Kreissig bought it in 1975. Working with her daughter Jessica, she restored the house and rebuilt the garden, adding a fairy garden and a healing well. The house keeps its original slate chimneypieces and a large library, and the family still runs the place.
Gardens and grounds
The walks lead you past specimens usually kept behind glass in Ireland. Look for the Chilean myrtle Luma apiculata ‘Glanleam Gold’, a variegated form first found here and named for the estate, and the New Zealand tree ferns that give the garden its jungly feel. Giant ferns and the Killarney fern survive as leftovers of the Victorian fern craze.
Beyond the specimen planting there is a walled kitchen garden laid out in radial beds, the fairy garden and the healing well, and a small beach at the foot of the grounds that makes a natural turning point for a walk.
Accommodation
The main house runs as a B&B from mid-March to early November, with four en-suite bedrooms; rooms start around €110 a night, singles from €80. Breakfast is in the old dining room and dinner can sometimes be arranged for €45–€55 a head. Three self-catering cottages take independent stays:
- Estate Manager’s House – sleeps up to ten, over the kitchen garden.
- Gardener’s Cottage – a one-bedroom retreat for two, with harbour views; noted as pet-friendly.
- Boathouse – a 250-year-old building right on a small beach, sleeping four to six.
Walks and nearby attractions
Valentia is small and easy to link together. The Valentia Island lighthouse at Cromwell Point is about twelve minutes’ drive; the Kerry Cliffs are roughly seventeen; and the Bray Head loop walk, which climbs to a wartime lookout tower with views out to the Skelligs, is about sixteen. Skellig Michael itself is visible on clear days, with boat tours running from Portmagee.
Practical information
Opening hours: the house takes guests from mid-March to early November. The gardens open to the public from April to October, 10am–7pm; group visits can be arranged year-round.
Admission: €6 per person for the gardens.
Getting there: Valentia links to the mainland by the Maurice O’Neill Memorial Bridge at Portmagee, and by a seasonal car ferry between Reenard Point and Knightstown from March to October. There is free parking on the estate.
Accessibility: the garden paths are naturalistic and uneven, with no dedicated wheelchair access.
Booking: the official website is only a holding page, so book by phone or email rather than online. Advance booking is worth it for the Boathouse and the Estate Manager’s House in high summer.
Contact: +353 (0)66 947 6176, or mail@glanleam.com.