LOCATED in the beating heart of Ireland’s thoroughbred county, County Kildare, the Irish National Stud & Gardens is one of Ireland’s true treasures. Beginning in the early 1900s, the stud has produced some of the finest racehorses in Europe and to this day, it is still one of the top breeding farms. Owned by the Irish people, the Irish National Stud & Gardens is one of the only thoroughbred breeding farms open to the public. Its unique history and beauty are admired by visitors from around the globe.

Just 40 minutes outside of Dublin, the stud farm is the home of equine royalty. Visitors can view immaculately bred stallions and admire protective mares alongside their frolicking foals. There is also an opportunity to meet retired equine racing stars like Faugheen, Hurricane Fly, Hardy Eustace, Kicking King, Rite of Passage and Beef or Salmon on the stud’s ‘Living Legend’s’ team. A visit to the stud’s new interactive centre, ‘The Irish Racehorse Experience’ truly brings to life the worlds of these magnificent animals.

The Irish National Stud & Gardens is also home to two remarkable gardens; the Japanese Gardens and St Fiachras Garden. At the Japanese gardens, visitors enter an oasis of calm as they travel the ‘Life of Man’ path which traces the passage of a soul from birth to death and beyond. By comparison, St Fiachra’s Garden is an inherently Irish garden that symbolises the power of the Irish landscape. Predominantly planted with native specimens, St Fiachras Garden is home to an array of Irish wildlife.

Beautifully set on 850 acres of green rolling hills, the Irish National Stud & Gardens real gift is that it offers an opportunity to become truly immersed within the heart of nature. It is open 7 days a week from 10:00 am until 16:00 pm (last admission 15:00pm) until December 19th and will re-open to the public mid-February 2022.

Tickets and Gift vouchers are available on their website at: https://irishnationalstud.digitickets.ie/tickets