The Japanese Gardens
Category: Public Services & Government Landmarks & Historical Buildings Landmarks & Historical Buildings [Edit]
Kildare TownKildare
(045) 522963
6 reviews for The Japanese Gardens
6 reviews in English
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Review from Cherryl D.
28/4/2011
My Ratings:
Quantity: 5 - Lots to see
Quality: 5 - Nice tour
Price: 4 - Good for a short tour
Location: 5 - Gorgeous place
Service: 4 - Good
Overall: One of the things to see in Dublin.
My Opinion/Story:
I enjoyed my tour here not only because the place is beautiful but because I'm with awesome company. There are so many beautiful spot for pictures and the place is so big that most of our time was spent in the Japanese Garden.
We got to see the horses and they are all so beautiful. The land is vast and well-kept. So many walking trails that by the end of the day, we were so tired.
The garden is stunning. I love the little hills, little ponds, little riverwalk around the garden. You definitely won't get bored with the little surprises they have all around. I love the cave and their tea house. It's a beautiful place and everything was green. -
Review from Debbie H.
6/3/2012 2 Check-ins Here
What a beautiful little place this is!
Stunning scenery. It's really amazing to see some of the wonders this place has to show for itself, and the size of some of the trees! They are minute!
The garden is laid out in a manor to bring you through each stage of life, start off when you were born.....right through until the end. It's very pretty and well worth a look! Mini streams, stepping stones and bridges, sheer heaven to any gardener! -
Review from Sue P.
15/10/2009
This was a great little detour that we took on our drive back to Dublin from Cashel. While we probably weren't there during the peak season for the gardens (not much was in bloom), it was still a really interesting little walk through 'life.'
Don't miss the National Stud while you're there as well- it was wonderful to walk around and pet the mares and then view the beautiful racing stallions in their paddocks. -
Review from Annie L.
14/8/2009 1 photo
This place is just a tiny patch of heaven. You really do feel like you are in Japan! I love the red wooden bridge. It dates back to the start of the 20th century and was, 'devised by Colonel William Hall-Walker (later Lord Wavertree), a wealthy Scotsman of a famous brewery family and laid out by the Japanese Eida and his son Minoru.'
They are on the grounds of the Irish National Stud and are reputed to be the best Japanese gardens in the west or as they put it, 'when East meets West.'
The variety of plants to be found there are a horticulturalists dream. But for people with less knowledge of plants like me, I can confidently assert that it's really pretty! -
Review from Peter L.
18/5/2010
Awesome Japanese garden on the the grounds of the national stud in Kildare, not far from Kildare Village if you are down for a shopping trip or just passing through. The garden follows a path of life theme which is quite enjoyable (bridge of marriage, hill of ambition, path of disagreement) with a lovely red bridge over some of the water features and also a tea house. It's the centenary this year, so well worth a visit and there are special events on; last weekend saw classes on sushi making on Saturday, ikebana (Japanese flower arranging, hopefully spelt correctly) and tea ceremony and kimono held over the weekend, although they are extra.
It would be nice if the garden was a little bigger but the layout makes it seem much larger than it is.
Entry is €11 adult, €8 for seniors or students but this also includes the National stud and St. Fiachra's garden and there are also family tickets. -
Review from Liam B.
Co. Kildare
21/8/2010
Myself and the clan popped over for what was a great day last week.
The gardens are well nice, if not a little confusing as to the proper route to follow, but this just added to the fun.
We ate on the terrace in the cafe before we headed off into the gardens and let me say, this was an experience that I really hope to have again soon, I had the Irish stew, herself had the chicken and mushroom pie (I use the term loosely as it came in a bowl with out pastry of any kind, I can never understand how someone can call anything other than a filling encased in pastry to be a pie, if it has a lid on top of a bowl, isn't it just an upside down vol au vent?) and the wee man had the soup.
Who ever cooked this food definitely knows what they are doing, the food was fabulous, so full of flavour and plenty of it. I had a salad and roast baby potatoes with my stew, both of which were perfect, herself opted for boiled rice and the wee man had a load of homemade brown bread all this plus drinks for €32 was pretty good value.
As I said to herself, "sure its a pity that the cafe isn't the other side of the pay desk as I would gladly pop back in here for the grub alone" and she agreed.
If you are down that neck of the woods, I would highly recommend that you pop in for the grub and some pretty impressive gardens.
