Please note that the Castle may be closed for renovations. Check website for further details, www.heritageireland.ie

Rathfarnham Castle has a very colourful and interesting history. The date of the foundation of the castle is uncertain but research would suggest 1583. It was built by Adam Loftus, a Yorkshire man who became Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

It was built as a comfortable defensible residence and by end of the 16th century it was acknowledged as one of the finest castles in County Dublin.

Visitors to the castle can view 18th century interiors by Sir William Chambers and James 'Athenian' Stewart.

The castle is presented to visitors as a castle undergoing active conservation. The visitor can see tantalizing glimpses of the layers of the castle's earlier existence uncovered during research.

The Castle is currently hosting a 10-year exhibition of 18th and 19th period costumes, dolls and toys from the Berkeley Collection. Displayed in the elegant rooms of Rathfarnham Castle and covering a period of some 80 years from 1740 – 1820, the exhibits range from rare and delicate artefacts to simple and robust playthings, and everyday garments of the past many of which were once owned by Irish families. A regular programme of short-term exhibitions is programmed to complement the Berkeley Costume and Toy Collection at Rathfarnham.

Facilities:
Toilets, car/coach park, tearooms, restricted access for people with disabilities. Access for visitors with disabilities to tearooms (open all year). How to Get There:
By car: Rathfarnham by-pass, between Rathfarnham Road and Grange Road (near Rathfarnham Village).
Buses: 16 (from city centre), 17 (Blackrock-Rialto), 75 (Dun Laoghaire-Tallaght).

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