For those seeking a meaningful and unhurried journey through Ireland’s rich heritage, Strokestown House and Gardens, along with the redeveloped National Famine Museum, offer the ideal destination. Located in the heart of beautiful County Roscommon, this unique experience is perfect for visitors to embrace slow travel during the summer months.
Connected directly to the National Famine Way, a fully waymarked 165 km trail from Strokestown to Dublin, the site offers a mindful walking experience that begins—or ends—at the historic gates of Strokestown Park. This evocative trail retraces the footsteps of 1,490 men, women, and children who were forced to emigrate during the Great Famine. The journey is not only scenic but deeply reflective and historically significant, allowing visitors to slow down, connect with the landscape, and engage with stories of resilience and hope.
At the heart of this journey lies the National Famine Museum, housed within the stable building, adjacent to the historic Strokestown Park House. The museum uses original famine documents from the Strokestown archive to explore the Great Hunger from the perspectives of both landlords and tenants. Visitors can take time to delve into the circumstances that led to forced migration, the social upheaval of the time, and the enduring legacy of the Famine.
Strokestown Park is offering new monthly guided tours of the Victorian Walled Garden throughout the summer months, led by John O’Driscoll, the general manager of Strokestown Park, on July 17 and August 21, at 11:30am. During the tour, visitors will discover the gardening practices that make the garden a haven for local wildlife. They can also admire the beautiful rose garden, now in full bloom, and explore Ireland’s oldest restored glasshouse, as well as one of the country’s longest herbaceous borders.
The six-acre walled gardens, with their vibrant seasonal plantings, offer a peaceful retreat where visitors can unwind and enjoy the tranquillity of the natural surroundings. After a day of exploration, visitors can relax at the onsite dog-friendly Woodland Café, which offers a menu featuring local food producers.
Strokestown Park offers one of Ireland’s most welcoming venues for dogs and was a recent winner of the Dog-Friendly Venue Award ‘Petmania Ruby Heart Awards’ 2025 for its ‘thoughtful, inclusive approach to canine visitors’, including events like “Paws and Claus”.
Strokestown Park House provides an intimate glimpse into 18th-century Irish aristocratic life. Guided tours of the house are highly recommended, leading visitors through beautifully preserved rooms, a kind of time capsule revealing the stories of the Pakenham-Mahon family and the contrasts between upstairs and downstairs life. The unique gallery kitchen’s new exhibition ‘Food, Feasts and Footmen’ provides fresh insights into the lives of the estate’s servants, particularly the female kitchen staff who endured strict hierarchical rules and demanding labour.
Whether arriving by foot along the National Famine Way or planning a day trip to explore this heritage gem, Strokestown Park and the National Famine Museum provide a richly rewarding and contemplative experience. It invites visitors to step back in time, reflect on Ireland’s past, and enjoy a pace of travel that celebrates depth, connection, and history—perfectly capturing the spirit of ‘Ireland Unrushed.’
