Johnstown Castle

WHAT’S ON

We have vibrant and diverse events planned in the year ahead for all of our visitors including seasonal family events, cultural and garden events. Keep an eye on our social media and our website for further updates.

September

Guided Grounds Walk – Free for members.

Every Wednesday @2:30 pm in September – Guided Grounds Walk (weather permitting event)

Step back in time and enjoy a guided tour of the Johnstown Castle grounds every Wednesday throughout September @2.30pm. Explore the grounds and gardens and learn more about the romantic 19th century architectural features that occupy the landscape, as well as the wildlife and trees that call Johnstown their home. Learn about the garden designs of the past and the conservation efforts of the present, which include biodiversity schemes, bat conservation, and bee-keeping. This tour will take approximately 1.5 hours. Good footwear is essential.  Bookings can be made at the desk and online via this link – Book Here       *Booking for this tour includes general admission into the gardens and museum*

 

 

September 22 – Go Native. A celebration of native trees and local food. Book Here

Join Foraging and Folklore Guide Lorraine from Gallivanting.ie on a very special Guided Walk that takes you back in time to see how our ancestors viewed our Native Trees. From ancient Brehon Laws to 19th-century Pig Farming, you will never see trees in the same light again!  Find out why a woman with an Elder planted at her backdoor might have been accused of witchcraft or the original reason we brought Holly into the house midwinter, why was the Oak called the Nobelist of all trees and why was the Yew was considered sacred to the Druids? 

Along the way, there is old fairy folklore, magical healing herbs and much more to discover! 

With much to muse over, your walk will finish with a light picnic supper introducing you to the best in local, artisan food producers, in a wonderful courtyard picnic. Wexford has a vibrant community of food producers and this is a great opportunity to learn about what’s on offer in our County by tasting it for yourself.

This is a walk like no other! 

September 23rd – Culture Night Live Jazz

Culture Night takes place this year on September 23 and will celebrate the arts throughout Ireland: it engaged over 1.1 million people last year, the biggest single arts event anywhere. For the first time, Culture Night is coming to Johnstown Castle for a unique live evening performance, which is FREE.

Jazz at Johnstown has commissioned the Chris Colloton Trio, headliners at the Jazz at Johnstown Festival in July, to re-interpret the symphonic Part 1 of Atom Heart Mother, the fifth studio album by the seminal musical pioneers Pink Floyd. This will be preceded by a jazz version of Radiohead’s Paranoid Android. The concert begins at 8.30. Admission is free and bookings will be live on Friday 03/09/2022. More details here: Jazz at Johnstown present Atom Heart Mother – Culture Night.

September 30th to November 6th – Below Ground: Soil life in a changing climate exhibition.

Art-science exhibition at the Irish Agricultural Museum, Johnstown Castle. Entry is free, but space is limited – reserve your space here 

What goes on below our feet? A bustling community of plant roots, tiny animals, and microbes underpin our way of life – bringing us food, cleaning water, and regulating our climate. How are vibrant soil communities affected by climate change? How will it affect us? The life and wonder of soil is always with us, but rarely seen. Join us on a journey of discovery below ground!

This event is made possible thanks to support from Teagasc, Science Foundation Ireland, and the British Ecological Society. It is part of the Festival of Farming and Food (Science Week 2022).

****This exhibition is free for members to visit and included in daily admission for all visitors to Johnstown Castle.****

 

Current Exhibitions in The Irish Agricultural Museum.

Exhibition: Iron Men, Wexford’s lockout 1911 – 1912

We are pleased to announce a, stirring new exhibition currently taking place in the Irish Agricultural Museum here at Johnstown Castle.
Titled: Iron Men, Wexford’s lockout 1911 – 1912
The exhibition gives an insight into the foundry workers right to join a union. Their struggle was not over pay or conditions; rather it was over the right to combine under the banner of the Larkinite vehicle the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union (ITGWU).
It examines the background, events and aftermath of a conflict that would help prepare both James Larkin and James Connolly for the 1913 Dublin Lockout. Through the exhibition, visitors can gain a knowledge of those who lived through the Lockout, gaining a greater understanding of the issues facing the people of Wexford in 1911.
Entry is included in general admission and free for members. Open daily from 9am-5.30pm.

 

Exhibition: Pioneering Wexford Women

The Irish Agricultural Museum will house an exhibition dedicated to the Wexford women selected to leave workhouses during the Great Irish Famine and make the long and arduous journey to begin new lives in South Africa.

Matt Wheeler, Museum Curator, said, “This exhibition is particularly ideal for schools and families as the young girls were only teenagers and their story is a unique way to address the story of the Great Famine and their courage to escape their terrible circumstances to forge a new life half way around the world.”

Exhibition is included in admission price. For more information please click here

 

Exhibition: Toy Story – Miniature Motors by Matchbox, Corgi & Dinky

An exciting exhibition of over 600 model cars. The collection is complemented by a fascinating collection of vintage motoring memorabilia, garage pumps and equipment from the Museum’s extensive collection of transport-related artefacts, long disappeared from forecourts, and other objects from a time when a car journey was still an adventure.

Open Daily in the Irish Agricultural Museum. Included in general admission price. Click for more information