Overview
Lakemount is a two-acre garden on a hill above Glanmire, and the first thing to know is practical: you can’t just turn up. It opens by appointment only, for groups and events, not for casual individual visits, so a trip here starts with a phone call or an email. What you get in return is a garden the Royal Horticultural Society counts among Ireland’s flagship gardens, planted for year-round interest and walked at an unhurried pace rather than shuffled through with a crowd.
History & design
The ground was a fruit-and-chicken farm a century ago, on sandy, acidic soil that took decades of farm manure to enrich. From the 1950s the layout was reimagined by the Cross family – Peggy Cross planted the first windbreak hedges against the Atlantic weather – and her son Brian Cross, one of Ireland’s best-known plantsmen, developed it into the layered garden it is now, balancing formal geometry with cottage-garden planting. New owners, Beata and Matt, took Lakemount on about six years ago and are restoring it, bringing back the fruit trees and the chickens that were here before it became a show garden.
Walking the grounds
The Millennium Pond
The garden’s central feature is a formal pond edged with Liscannor limestone from County Clare. The stone steps and surrounding raised beds are planted with water lilies and irises, while a cast-iron arum lily sculpture anchors the composition. The water reflects the sky and the plantings around it, a calm focal point that shifts with the light through the day.
Cottage-garden arch and herbaceous borders
A woven wicker arch, trained with honeysuckle, clematis and sweet pea, frames the entrance to the main border area. Behind it, the Chatham Island forget-me-not stands out for its deeply lobed foliage. The surrounding beds rotate through seasonal displays of hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris and primulas, while sedums and penstemons hold up the late-summer structure and pull in butterflies.
Orchard and rose garden
An old apple orchard supplies mature shade and spring blossom, a soft backdrop to the more formal plantings. Beside it lies the ‘Rose’ garden, named for Brian’s wife. This section leans into cottage-garden schemes, mixing lupins, poppies, foxgloves and passion flowers with drifts of pink rhododendrons. In autumn, agapanthus, nerines and acers take over the palette.
Sculptures and seating
Small statues are placed through the grounds: a boy with a horn, a cherub beside a bird bath, a smiling clown face, and a cat perched above a dove-filled column. Turquoise wrought-iron benches on slate plinths, alongside terracotta urns and glazed pots, give you regular places to sit and read the layered planting.
Conservatory
A modest conservatory protects tender Mediterranean species from Ireland’s wet winters. Inside you’ll find abutilon, pelargonium, fuchsia, begonia and jasmine, a controlled counterpoint to the seasonal cycles in the main garden.
Planning your visit
Lakemount often features on specialist garden itineraries across the south-west, paired with bigger public gardens like Fota or estates such as Bantry House. Because it’s private and appointment-only, you arrange a visit directly with the owners; there’s no set ticket price, and the cost depends on how long you want and how many are coming. Spring and early autumn are the garden’s best weeks – blossom and bulbs in spring, rich colour in autumn.
Tips for visitors
- Book well ahead, particularly for weekend slots in summer.
- Confirm parking when you book; the private drive has limited space.
- The route to the pond involves steps, so the garden isn’t fully wheelchair-accessible. Mention any mobility needs when you arrange your visit.
- Bring a light layer; the south-facing hillside can feel breezy even on a warm day.
Practical information
Lakemount is on Barnavara Hill in Glanmire, a short drive from Cork city centre (address: Barnavara Hill, Glanmire, Cork T45X340). There’s no general admission fee; visits are arranged through the booking system, with costs tied to tour length and group size. To arrange one, email lakemountgarden@gmail.com or ring +353 83 440 8472. Allow an hour to ninety minutes for a full circuit; the pond and the herbaceous borders are the parts to linger over.