Welcome to Doneraile Estate

Doneraile Court is open for tours from mid-March to November 3rd 2024. Will re-open in March 2025.

Email: donerailecourt@opw.ie

Access to house by guided tour only. Tours on the hour from 10am to 3pm.

Doneraile Court CLOSED Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets are available at the front door of the house,

Parklands and Tearooms open daily all year.

Doneraile Court is the stunning centrepiece of one of Ireland’s most beautiful estates. Located on the banks of the Awbeg river in north Co. Cork, the house dates from the 1720s, when it was built by Arthur St. Leger, the first Viscount Doneraile and father of the renowned Lady Freemason.

The house was modified extensively in the 19th century by later generations of St. Legers, creating the imposing and characterful building that can be enjoyed today. The kitchen wing from this period now serves as the home of the Doneraile Court tearooms and is a perfect way to start or finish your visit.

The St. Leger family remained in residence until 1969, when the property was sold to the Land Commission. The house then passed to the care of Irish Georgian Society, before coming to the stewardship of the Office of Public Works in 1994.

The estate and surrounding village has a strong literary tradition, incorporating figures such as Edmund Spenser, who immortalised the river Awbeg in his poem The Faerie Queene, Elizabeth Bowen, and Canon Sheehan.