06/07/2026
This is a wonderful day out to visit fota gardens and house just 10 minutes drive from us . We have some last minute availability from Wednesday this week . Book now for best rates on here
https://redingtonhouse.ie/
Some of the most meaningful stories at Fota House are found not inside the House itself, but in the landscape that surrounds it.
As visitors make their way into the pleasure grounds, they pass through the Lady Mary Gates, named in memory of Lady Mary Smith Barry, the first wife of Arthur Hugh Smith Barry.
Following Lady Mary’s death in 1884, Arthur Hugh commissioned the gates as a lasting memorial to her. During the Victorian period, commemorating loved ones through architecture and the landscape was a deeply personal expression of remembrance, and the gates remain part of that story today.
For many years these gates have welcomed family, guests and, now, visitors to the estate. While many pass through them without a second thought, they represent a quiet chapter in Fota House’s history and the people whose lives shaped the estate.
The next time you visit Fota House, take a moment as you pass through the Lady Mary Gates. They are more than an entrance they are part of the story of Fota.
