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The Irish National Stud - Kildare

The Irish National Stud in the rich, green heartlands of County Kildare is where many of the great legends of international horseracing have been born and bred since 1906. And while big names like Arkle, Prince Palatine, l’Escargot and Dawn Run might trip off our tongues in a mixture of pride and pleasure for what is after all a national passion and pastime, how many of us would actually know one end (the important one) of a thoroughbred, from the other? Well, a visit to the Irish National Stud will certainly sort that one out for you!
A far cry (or neigh even) from being a sterile, museum experience this is a working stud with mares being brought in daily to be covered (what a nice word for it?) by stallions like Invincible Spirit which can cost anything upwards of €60,000 a pop! For even more scandal, do try and take one of the tours as the insider tips and tales about the horses (and owners) are quite fascinating! With former champions such as Vintage Crop, who won the prestigious Melbourne Cup in 1993 being pointed out to you as they amble about in the sunny meadows obviously enjoying their well earned retirement.

Irish National Stud, Kildare, Ireland

The Irish National Stud was honoured with a visit by her majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 which was a great success with press photos being beamed around the world. An avid fan of horseracing herself she was blessed with fine weather and seemed to thoroughly enjoy her day out with the (other) thoroughbreds. As, I am sure you will as there is a lot to see and do, including the ultra modern Horse Museum where you can see the skeleton of the legendary Arkle and watch re-runs of those famous horseraces mentioned above. You can visit the Sun-Chariot yard and see the 5 star stables occupied by these equine princes, which overlook St Fiachra’s Garden, a reclaimed bog garden with meticulously re-created stone beehive cloisters similar to those on the Skelligs island off the coast of Kerry.

Japanese Gardens at the Irish National Stud

Not to be missed either, are the 100 year old Japanese Gardens created by Tassa Eida, his wife and two sons Kajii and Minoru (who had a very famous racehorse named after him) by the founder of the stud Colonel Hall-Walker. Begun in 1906 the gardens tell the age old, universal story of life from the cradle to the grave which took 4 years to build with an army of local labour and a ship load of bonsai and ornamental stone lanterns brought over especially from Japan. At its best in Spring with fresh green growth and soft pink cherry blossoms, it is nevertheless a pristine delight all year round, it is the most famous of all Japanese gardens in Europe.

Irish National Stud, Kildare, County Kildare.

Phone 045-522963

Open 7 days a week from mid-February to early December.

Admission Adults €12.50 (includes all four attractions and guided tours)Students/Seniors €9.50 Children €7 Family 2 adults+4 children €29.50. Discounted prices available online at the link below.

A free shuttle bus service is available daily from Kildare train station provided by the Kildare Shopping Outlet (another great place to spend a pleasant couple of hours

Finally, the Irish National Stud is worth the trip for lunch alone as there is an excellent plantation style restaurant with a wrap around deck overlooking the Japanese gardens, which I have listed as one of the 10 Best Luscious Lunches in my eBook Travel Guide to Ireland

'Where to Eat, Sleep & Play 2012' - Price €7.50 $9.95