Rossmore Forest Park

Rossmore was the demesne of the Westenra family, Barons Rossmore, whose Victorian castle stood on the high ground until dry rot and the cost of maintenance led to its demolition in 1975; the terraces, steps and foundations are still there, marked out in stone with nothing on them. The planting survived better than the building. The park holds mature specimen trees including giant redwoods, and an extensive rhododendron collection that flowers through May and June and is the main reason people come at that time - though rhododendron ponticum has also spread invasively through parts of the woodland and is managed as a problem elsewhere in the park. There are waymarked trails of several lengths, two small lakes, a family mausoleum, and a large yew avenue. Trails are surfaced and mostly easy, with some climbing to the castle site.

History

The park was the site of Rossmore Castle, home of the Rossmore family, the local landlords in the 18th and 19th centuries, whose house was pulled down in the 1970s; the estate is now a national forest park about 5 km outside Monaghan town, run by Coillte (Wikipedia, Rossmore Forest Park).

Highlights

• The castle terraces - foundations and steps where the house stood until 1975.
• The rhododendrons - flowering through May and June across the woodland.
• The redwoods - mature giant specimens from the estate planting.
• The mausoleum and yew avenue - what remains of the estate's formal features.

When to go

May and June for the rhododendrons at their peak. April to October for the trails generally. Winter leaves the park muddy but quiet.

Things to know

The castle is entirely gone - only foundations remain. Rhododendron is both the attraction and an invasive problem here, so some areas are being cleared. Car park charges and trails are muddy after rain.

Nearby

Monaghan town and its county museum are north; Clones is west.

Key facts