Simon Harris TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) today, (26 January), visited Kilmacurragh House and Gardens in Wicklow.

Managed by the National Botanic Gardens, the Kilmacurragh Estate is the remaining part of a larger estate planted during the 19th century by Thomas Acton in conjunction with David Moore and his son Sir Frederick Moore, curators of the National Botanic Gardens at that time.

Speaking on his arrival Minister Harris said:  "It gives me great pleasure to visit the historic gardens at The Kilmacurragh Estate and to see at first hand the restoration and enhancement that has taken place in the last number of years.   My office, the OPW, continues to work with Wicklow Co. Council to improve signage to encourage even more visitors from both at home and abroad to come and enjoy all that the estate has to offer and a planning application will be lodged with the Council to increase road signage in the coming months".

The arboretum at Kilmacurragh has been managed by the National Botanic Gardens since 1996 but by then the house was in ruins due to a series of disastrous fires in 1978 and 1982.

The Minister also noted that "The gardens at Kilmacurragh hold a special place in the riches of the Garden County of Wicklow and my Office continues to emulate the spirit of 19th century botanical exploration with a forthcoming Spring lecture called 'In the Shadow of Mighty Kangchenjunga' which I am sure will delight and intrigue all who attend".

In addition, the Minister confirmed that he was  "pleased that the new Tearooms are well underway and are expected to open in the second quarter of 2015 and I am confident this, along with the OPW's developing plans, will enhance the overall visitor experience at the Kilmacurragh Estate."

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For further information or if you wish to interview Minister Harris please contact Colette Davis, OPW Press Officer – mobile 087 947 5552 or email colette.davis@opw.ie  

Notes for Editors:

Kilmacurragh Gardens, Co. Wicklow:

Free guided tours twice daily from April onwards: 12noon & 3pm.

Please check the website or locally for seasonally themed guided tours. Group tours should be pre booked.  For all tours and events please meet at the car park. 

Further information: Jan - March: 01 857 0909 April onwards: 0404 48844

Lecture: In the Shadow of Mighty Kangchenjunga - A botanical expedition to the Bhutan and Sikkim Himalaya:

Thursday 19 March 2015, 8pm Education and Visitor Centre, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.

The Head Gardener of the National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh, Séamus O'Brien, led an expedition of Irish horticulturists and tree enthusiasts to the mountains of Bhutan and Sikkim in 2014, following the routes of early botanical explorers like William Griffith, Joseph Hooker, Frank Ludlow and George Sherriff, from tropical valleys to icy glaciers.

For details of all events please see www.botanicgardens.ie/news/events