For those who want a break from the relatives, Jane Powers suggests some special gardens
December is the darkest month, but the little light that we have is like liquid gold spilling across the landscape. It is one of the very best times for garden visiting, when all is pared down and minimal, and the eye is tuned to pick out fine details lost in the hurly-burly of summer. Now the bark of trees and their silhouetted skeletons make themselves obvious, highly-scented winter flowers waft their fragrance on the air, and foraging wildlife is more visible. Outdoors it is magical - and a soothing place to seek respite from the strains of Christmas.
10 WINTER GARDENS AND PARKS
Ardgillan Victorian park and gardens: 194 acres of parkland, woodland and gardens that slope down to the sea, offering an exhilarating openness and oodles of fresh air - perfumed by winter-flowering shrubs such as viburnum and mahonia. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Christmas Day. Balbriggan, Co Dublin (01-8492212). Admission free.
Avondale Forest Park: The house, once the home of Charles Stewart Parnell, is closed during winter, but the 500-acre estate remains open every day. Its miles of paths and roads offer encounters with trees planted by Samuel Hayes, the father of Irish forestry, who lived here in the 18th century. Rathdrum, Co Wicklow. Admission free.
Belvedere gardens and park: Home of Ireland's largest sham folly, the marvellously melancholy 18th century gothic "Jealous Wall", so named because it was erected by Lord Belfield to hide the view of his brother's grand new house. Other follies, as well as six kilometres of woodland and lakeside walks, and a 1.5-acre walled garden, are also here. Open 10.30 a.m.-4.30 p.m. daily, except December 23rd-26th, and December 31st. Mullingar, Co Westmeath (044-49060). Admission: adults, €6; children, €4; OAP and students: €5.
Birr Castle Demesne: The remarkable Parsons, inventors, scientists and plantspeople, have lived here since 1620. Venerable trees - many grown from seed collected on plant-hunting expeditions - populate the parkland. The formal garden, with its grotesque hornbeam arches, is especially theatrical in the winter light. Open 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. daily, including Christmas Day. Birr, Co Offaly (0509-20336). Admission: adults, €8.50; children: €4.50; seniors and students: €6.50; family: €24. No admission charge on Christmas Day.
Fota Arboretum: Although the formal garden and orangery are closed at this time of the year, you can still peek through the windows of the latter to see the citrus fruits ripening, and marvel at the date palms outside. The rest of the estate offers woodland walks, a fernery, a lake - and the chance to admire around 1,000 different tree species, some planted in the 1820s. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, closed Christmas Day. Fota Island, Co Cork (021-4812728). Admission free. Car-park: €2.
John F. Kennedy Arboretum: This is the place to go to meet trees and shrubs. There are 4,500 varieties, including many with good bark: maples, dogwoods, birch and eucalyptus. Witch hazel, cherry and other winter bloomers also merit inspection. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, closed Christmas Eve afternoon and Christmas Day. New Ross, Co Wexford (051-388171). Admission: adults, €2.75; children, €1.25; seniors, €2; family, €7.
Muckross Gardens and Arboretum: With the lakes, mountains and woodlands of Killarney as a backdrop, Muckross is a magnet for tourists. Now (off-season) is the time to admire this 19th and early 20th-century garden, with its fine collection of near-tender trees. Open daily, but the car-park is closed December 24th, when there is pedestrian access only (park at entrance, about one mile from gardens). Killarney, Co Kerry (064-31440). Admission free.
National Botanic Gardens: This is particularly attractive on a chilly day, when you can pop into one of the glasshouses to warm up (close the door after you!). Outside, you can admire winter stems and flowers in the extensive collection. Open 10 a.m.-4.30 p.m. daily, closed Christmas Day. Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (01-8374388). Admission free. Car-park: €2.
Powerscourt Gardens: Daniel Robertson's famous 19th-century Italianate landscape has the Sugarloaf as its majestic background. The estate has fabulously over-the-top statuary, beautiful mature trees (including an imposing beech avenue), a curious Japanese-ish garden and treasures such as a gothic boathouse and a damp and mossy grotto. Open 9.30 a.m. to dusk daily, closed Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day. Enniskerry, Co Wicklow (01-2046000). Admission: adults, €4; children: €2.20.
Woodstock Gardens: Massive restorations by Kilkenny County Council have released two of the finest avenues in Ireland, the monkey puzzle and noble fir walks, planted in 1845 and 1878 respectively. Many of the other trees are "champions", the biggest or tallest in these islands. The Sequoia sempervirens above the rockery has a girth of 8.01 metres, and takes eight adults to give it a hug. Open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Christmas Day. Inistioge, Co Kilkenny (056-7758797). Admission free. Car-park: €3.50.
jpowers@irish-times.ie