Fota House is a Regency house now open daily to the public. Built originally as a hunting lodge for the Smith Barry family, it was extended in the 1820s by Richard and William Vitruvius Morrison to include fine reception rooms with intricate plasterwork, painted ceilings and substantial servants’ quarters. Much of the original kitchen and scullery areas remain, together with a well preserved game larder. Restoration was carried out by the OPW. The long established gardens and arboretum are world famous due to the great variety of unusual trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants which flourish in the mild climate of Fota Island. The gardens are in the care of the State.
Location:
Located 12 km east of Cork City, just off the main Cork-Waterford Road (N25). Take the exit for Cobh
(R624) and continue for 2 km. Entrance is shared with Fota Wildlife Park. Access also by train.