Spring into summer with a tour of iconic Marlay House

RATHFARNHAM’S iconic landmark, Marlay House, will take pride of place among the Heritage Programme of events revealed recently by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

From April to June 14 there will be guided tours every Monday and Wednesday from 11am – 3pm.

You will be able to take a free guided tour of this 18th Century country house and hear the wonderful story of how the original 17th Century house, called The Grange when it was purchased in 1764 by David La Touché of French Huguenot origin, was extended and renamed Marlay.

Marlay was sold in 1864 to Robert Newcastle, the well-known Dublin coal merchant. The Newcastle family lived at Marlay until 1925. In 1925 Philip Love (a market gardener, who at one time was the largest tomato producer in Ireland) acquired the house.

There are four tours per day, on the hour, with the last tour at 2pm. Each tour is 60 minutes.

There is limited wheelchair access so phone in advance. The maximum capacity for each tour is 30 people.

For group booking email dlrheritageevents@dlrcoco.ie or tel: 01-2047011.

Tours of the great house were announced as part of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’sAnnual Spring of Heritage Programme, which runs until June 18.

This is the third year of the programme and a complete guide to all the events is available onine.

With over 120 free events throughout the county, these tours are aimed at groups and individuals who are interested in learning more about local history and heritage.

Speaking at the launch, the cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Cllr Cormac Devlin said: “This programme of events is one that thousands of people from across Dublin and further afield avail of every year.

“In 2016 alone, over 5,000 people availed of the free tours and events. It is a wonderful opportunity for all generations to explore and learn more their own locality.

“So many people admit to never becoming a tourist in their own county and this Spring of Heritage programme allows them to do just that.

“I have attended many events and activities contained in this programme and I would urge as many members of the public to come along and learn more about our history.”

Several sites throughout the Southside are available to visit for free, including the National Maritime Museum, Dún Laoghaire, James Joyce Tower and Museum in Sandycove and the Oratory (behind Bloomfields Shopping Centre), Dún Laoghaire.

Further announcements will be made on social media including Facebook & Twitter @dlrheritageevent.

The programme is sponsored by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and has proved extremely popular with the public since it was first launched.