Terence Reeves-Smyth traces the development of the world-famous arboretum at Castlewellan, Co Down, framed by sea and mountains
A passion for tree collecting in late 19th-century Ireland and Britain was principally fostered by rapid increases in global trade and exploration, together with developments in enlightenment sciences and a thirst for knowledge and improvement. Most country houses of the period could boast exotic trees as an adjunct to pleasure grounds, whilst some hosted large collections or arboretums, often idealized as microcosms of nature, miniature encapsulations of the globe and as living museums. The zeal and energy of some of these collectors was indefatigable, leading to the creation of some remarkable arboretums. One of the most celebrated was at Castlewellan, Co Down, considered by one critic ‘the noblest monument to horticulture that any single man of our age has created’.1 Comprising a comprehensive collection of over 1,800 varieties of conifers, hardwood trees and shrubs from across the globe, it was assembled by Hugh, 5th Earl Annesley (1831 1908) with the aid of his head gardener, Thomas Ryan.
Susan Rogers visits woodturner Liam Flynn at his County Limerick studio
William Laffan previews the exhibition ‘Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design 1690-1840′ which opens at the Art Institute of Chicago in March
In his design for the new Coast Guard Station in Doolin, County Clare, Dominic Stevens has discovered his architecture of the Burren; an architecture of abstract rocks, describing the material nature of place, writes Steve Larkin