Myrtle Grove

Myrtle Grove is one of the finest Elizabethan manor houses in Ireland and the former home of Sir Walter Raleigh. The house, which dates from the late 16th century, sits behind a high stone wall just below St Mary's Church. It is still a private residence and not regularly open to visitors, but the exterior is visible from the churchyard and the lane behind.

The connection to Raleigh gives the house outsized historical significance. His friend Edmund Spenser, author of The Faerie Queene, visited here and partly wrote the poem during his time in Ireland. The house itself has retained its period character better than almost any comparable building in Ireland. Opening times for guided visits are very limited — check locally.

things to do sight historic house
A story
Sir Walter Raleigh lived here from around 1588 to 1602 after Queen Elizabeth I granted him the house and over 40,000 acres of Munster lands. According to local tradition, he planted Ireland's first potatoes in the garden here, introducing the crop that would shape the country's history — and, eventually, its greatest tragedy.