OPW to host an active travel Family Fun day at Castletown Estate, Celbridge, Co Kildare

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delighted to announce a family fun day at Castletown House and Estate, Co Kildare, on Thursday 14 August. We are welcoming families to walk, cycle or take public transport to Castletown House. Bring a picnic and make it a fun day out.

Castletown Estate will be bustling with exciting activities. Entertainers from Genie Mackers will keep children occupied, from wonderful face and arm painting to mystical magic shows to party games and bubble discos.

The Nore Valley Mobile Interactive Pet Farm will offer the chance to meet and greet animals such as baby chicks, bunnies and lambs, as well as a pony, donkey and roosters, in a hands-on and educational environment.

For book lovers, come and meet Mrs Books who is absolutely bonkers about books. Don't miss this opportunity to hear her read, ask questions, and celebrate the joy of books.

Join our knowledgeable tour guides on our free family friendly tours of Castletown House where visitors can explore the exquisite interior that reflects power and grandeur and witness the significant collection of paintings, furnishings and objets d’art.

For nature lovers, Butterfly Conservation Ireland and Birdwatch Ireland will bring visitors through the beautiful parklands on biodiversity tours, identifying native flora and fauna that are at home in Castletown Estate.

Visit with the Irish Wolfhound Club of Ireland and interact with the wolfhounds of Irish Legends. Come and meet furry friends and volunteers from the Kildare and West Wicklow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, devoted to the rescue, care and re-homing of animals throughout Kildare and West Wicklow.

Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin “Boxer” Moran stated: ‘I am delighted to see the opening of Castletown Estate celebrated with this family fun day. The day promises to be full of fun and excitement. I’m encouraging everyone to bring a picnic and make sure to join us on 14 August, there is something for all the family to enjoy”.

While there is no general visitor parking for Castletown House at this time, we encourage all our visitors to use public transport or active travel, such as walking or cycling, to visit Castletown House and Estate. Remember to respect our neighbours and don’t park in local housing estates.

There are limited accessible parking spaces available in front of the House for Blue Badge holders, which can be accessed via Lime Avenue. Further details on how to travel to Castletown is available on castletown.ie/how-to-find-us/.

There is no café facility at Castletown House at present so families should ensure that they bring a picnic.

The Castletown Parkland is open from dawn til dusk for visitors. Dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a lead, and kept away from the lake area.

We hope that this will be the first of many community events. The OPW is committed to keeping the Lime Avenue car free at weekends as far as possible, so the family fun day is being held on a weekday as event personnel will need vehicle access on the day.

Please keep an eye on our social media to see the many Heritage Week events coming up.

For more information and a full list of events see links below or visit www.heritageireland.ie

Event: Family Fun Day

Location: Castletown Estate, Celbridge, Co Kildare

Date: Thursday 14 August 2025

Time: 11:30 – 15:30

Admission: Free

NOTES

OPW spokespersons are available for interview upon request. Please contact pressoffice@opw.ie for more information and to arrange an interview.

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The Office of Public Works (OPW)

The OPW provides accommodation for Government Services and manages much of the State’s property portfolio.

It cares for 780 heritage sites, including national monuments, historic parks, gardens and buildings. It is the Government’s principal engineering agency, providing an engineering service to the Flood Risk Management and Estate Portfolio Management functions of the OPW as well as to other Government Departments.