Powerscourt Estate, a kilometre south of Enniskerry village, contains some of the finest formal gardens in Ireland. The main terrace garden descends from the house in a series of broad terraced lawns, formal parterres, and ornamental pools, with views across the Wicklow Mountains to the Sugar Loaf. It was laid out in the 18th century and extensively redesigned in the Victorian period by Daniel Robertson, who reportedly directed the work from a wheelbarrow while drinking sherry.
The estate covers 19 hectares of formal gardens, with additional walled gardens, Japanese gardens, and a pet cemetery. The house itself is now partly a retail centre and partly converted to the five-star Powerscourt Hotel — but the gardens are what justify the trip. Combined with a separate drive or walk to the Powerscourt Waterfall (Ireland's highest, about six kilometres further south), the estate makes for a full day out from Dublin.