In the Garden: Cork castle and mansion are in great hands

DRIPSEY Castle has changed hands in recent years and is now under the stewardship of Orla Rutherford and Darren Dineen and they are breathing new life into the house and gardens. The estate now comprises 110 acres, 65 of which are woodlands of mixed species with lots of native, naturalised and some commercial trees also planted over the last few centuries. The castle dates back to the McCarthy clan in 1450 and is linked to nearby Blarney and Carrigadrohid Castles. The castle itself is visible from the roadside and today is used to host weddings, concerts, retreats and cultural events.

The Georgian Mansion dates back to 1740 when it was built by the Bowen-Colthurst family. It is situated on the southern side of the river Dripsey nestled amongst mature trees in an idyllic secluded setting. The estate was purchased by the O Shaughnessy family in 1903 who founded the Dripsey Woollen Mills which was a very successful enterprise up until the 1980s when it closed its doors. The estate is fully self-sufficient bringing it’s sustainability credentials to an unparalleled level with the house being powered by a hydro-electric turbine dating back to the time of the mills and a wood furnace as a heating system that uses the abundant timber from the woodlands to heat the house.

It is a peaceful setting and the driveway up the castle and house is lined with mature woodland on one side and open fields leading down the river on the other. 

Views from the house down onto the river open out to an inch field and there are many fine specimens of rhododendron planted around the house as would have been the fashion at the time the house was built.

The gardens here have great bones and it is a joy to watch this place coming back to life. There is a fine courtyard of stone buildings to the rear of the mansion house and a walled garden further south up the hill. The walled garden is 1.5 acres in size and was full of apple trees, pheasant run, vegetables and glasshouse space back when it was working to full capacity. Today some heritage apple trees remain producing some very tasty apple juice last year. Some of the wood from apple trees that have died is being artfully turned by Master Craftsman Feargus de Brún into some pieces for the house. Bee hives have recently been introduced into the walled garden and there is a bee keeping workshop happening on June 29 with Kate Manning, check out here https://www.eventbrite.com for booking details.

Darren and Orla are both advocates and ers of local artists and they are also both foodies with a ion for good food. Orla is undertaking vegetable growing in polytunnels near the walled garden and this year potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, courgettes, mangetout, runner beans, peppers, carrots, spinach, lettuce and radish are all on the menu. The soil is being restored using techniques adapted from Korean Natural Farming. Liquid feeds are being used to enhance the soil and nourish plants being grown. It involves using indigenous microbes from the local area to inoculate teas which are then used to feed plants resulting in healthy growth and plants that can cope well with pests and disease.

Dock roots are a problem in some of the fields and this is largely due to a lack of calcium which is being rectified over time. The farm is certified organic, so no chemical interventions are used.

Chefs that come to the estate to cater for corporate or cultural events must delight at the sight that awaits them at the polytunnel door at this time of the year!

The mansion house is currently used for luxury accommodation and exclusive hire with big plans for the future. Dripsey Castle is in very good hands with a bright future ahead. Real sustainability, celebrating culture and food production at the fore is good news for everyone. The current owners believe in investing in nature and the soil to ensure a bright future for us all. We will watch the development of this exciting project with great interest as it puts Dripsey firmly on the map.

Plant of the week

Mature woodland surrounds the castle and Georgian Mansion, creating sheltered and mature surroundings. There are many native trees like oak, ash, whitethorn, hazel, elder and holly as well and naturalized species like beech and sycamore and some more exotic species like the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) and the New Zealand pine (Pinus radiata).

One tree that makes a big impression on the drive into the house and castle is Thuja plicata, Western red cedar with its multi-stems and curving boughs. It is a fast growing tree native to North America and was introduced to Ireland from about 1850 doing well in our mild and wet climate. Commonly planted as a hedging or shelter belt it has a habit of creating a little mini woodland around itself with lower branches drooping and creating attractive arching boughs, a magical playground. This tree has a tall conical shape with the main trunk getting quite broad at the base. They can get to heights of over 60m and have been known to live for over 1000 years. They are distinctive for their sweetly smelling foliage that resembles pear or pineapple when crushed.

The timber is useful for construction containing a natural preservative which makes it resistant to fungal attack.