The name Tullynally is an adaption of Tulaigh an Eallaigh – the Hill of the Swan. The hill overlooks Lough Derravaragh, the legendary lake of the Children of Lir who were turned into swans. In Norman times, the land was owned by the FitzSimons who later moved to Wicklow. Henry Pakenham bought the estate in the wake of the Cromwellian civil wars – and built a square “plantation house” which is the core of the existing castle. Today the castle is still a private family home lived in by the Pakenhams.
Only minutes from the pretty town of Castlepollard, follow an oak avenue to one of Ireland’s largest castles, owned by the Pakenhams (later Earls of Longford) for over 350 years. Starting from the castle terraces, you can explore the walled gardens, bright with herbaceous borders, then the extensive woodland gardens, set around two ornamental lakes. Owner Thomas Pakenham has added many exciting new trees, collected as seed on his travels in China and Tibet. For children, there is a play area, special discovery trail, and a family of llamas to visit.
The Tearoom is set in the Castle Courtyard. The Tearoom was once home to the Earl’s hunters and coach horses and you can still see recesses for the individual stalls, and peer out through Georgian windows at his handsome clocktower. The Tearoom is open the same hours as the Gardens and you can choose to eat either in the cosy tearoom itself or in the sunny loggia outside. All the food (including delicious gluten-free cakes) is freshly made and there are plenty of treats for children to keep them happy and amused.
Take the N4 to Mullingar and then the R395 to Castlepollard. In Castlepollard square take the first left onto the R394 for 1 mile to the Castle entrance.
Tullynally Castle and Gardens, Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath, Ireland