Blessington Lakeshore Co. Wicklow

Blessington is located approximately 30km from Dublin City and can be easily accessed using public transport, more specifically the No. 65 bus from Hawkin Street, which is just on the Liffey. A Google maps link to the Blessington Lakeshore is provided at the end of this post.

To complete construction of the Poulaphuca Dam, a town called Ballinahown was submerged and the Blessington Lake was formed. Work started on the Poulaphuca Dam in 1937 and was connected to the electricity grid in 1944.

The heart of the Blessington Lakeshore is the Avon Ri resort which over looks the entire lake and offers some spectacular views, especially on a sunny day. Thankfully this was the case yesterday!

Blessington Lakeshore - View from Avon Ri

The Avon Ri resort has a range of outdoor activities that you can undertake around the lake such as mountain biking, tennis, archery to name a few. We were not feeling that adventurous and undertook a scenic walk around the lakes instead! I have done the clay shooting there before which is great craic.

Blessington Lakeshore Walkways

Views of the Lake from the Walkways

During our walk we saw construction of a pathway that will allow you to walk all the way to Russborough House via the lakes. We have done a blog post on Russborough House if you plan to visit.

Our walk took 1.5 hours and if you are feeling thirsty after it you can always go to the Avon Ri, for a cold pint (or cup of tea) and a bite to eat. They have several picnic benches outside and also an upstairs terrace which is perfect for a sunny day! 

More pictures of the Blessington Lakeshore:

The Cross!

The Beach

The Lakes

Google Maps Link to Blessington Lakeshore

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A visit to Russborough House, Co. Wicklow Ireland

Russborough House is located 4.5km from Blessington Town in Co. Wicklow and is a great day out for the entire family, whether you are visiting Ireland or have been living here for years! A google maps link is provided at the end of this post.

The best way to get to Russborough is to drive, but if you dont have private transport available, you can get the 65 bus from Dublin City to Blessington and order a taxi.

The front of the house measures 210m and is an example of Palladian architecture, which is a European style of architecture. The house was built between 1741 and 1755 for the 1st Earl of Milltown, Joseph Leeson.

Front View of Russborough House

Today the house comprises of beautiful gardens, set out walks and a tea and coffee room where you can get a sandwhich or piece of cake with your cuppa. There is also the famous Russborough Maze, which costs €2 entry. It took me about 10-15 minutes to find my way out of there! There is no charge for parking, but there is a box for a voluntary donation.

The house was built for the 1st Earl of Milltown in the 1700's but buried in the Gardens is the graves of the 6th Earl of Milltown and his wife.

Graves of the 6th Earl of Milltown and his Wife

Moving on with our walk, we continued around the perimeter until we reached the lakes. There was some great views from this vantage point of Russborough house through the trees.

View of Russborough House from the Lakes

When we reached the lakes we were greeted by two swans, one was a beautiful white colour and the other was her cygnet. There was some decking at the lake view and would be ideal for a picnic.

Swans at the Lake in Russborough

If you have visited the Japanese Gardens in Kildare before you will be familar with the red Japanese style bridge. Russborough also has one of these Japanese style bridges. I did not venture too far over the other side of the bridge. If you do go, let me know if there is anything interesting on the other side!

Japanese Bridge at Russborough

After we finished our walk we headed up to the tea room for a cup of tea and a bite to eat. It was a very enjoyable day and I will be back soon. Guided tours of inside the house are also available and these can be booked with Russborough House.

Google Maps Link to Russborough

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