Avondale Forest

Avondale Forest is a wooded estate in County Wicklow, Ireland, on the west bank of the River Avonmore. It contains the home of Charles Stewart Parnell which was built in 1777 by Samuel Hayes and is now the Parnell Museum. The park is rich in wildlife and notable features include the exotic tree trail and a well-developed arboretum.

Habitats and ecology

Avondale is reflective of the wider practices and history of Irish forests. Little native woodland remains, foreign species are planted for their high return and little thought was given to restoring Ireland's native woodlands.

Avondale Forest Park

The forest park lies mainly on the west bank of the Avonmore River covering 214 hectares of land. The ruins of Parnell's old sawmill and Parnell's well are located in the park.

Forest trails

Centenary Walk, River walk along the banks of the Avonmore River, Exotic Tree Trail, Slí na Sláinte (path to health walk), Cairn Walk and Pine Trail. There is a weekly parkrun on Saturday mornings.^[1]

Avondale House

The mansion was the birthplace in 1846 of patriot Charles Stewart Parnell. It was opened as the Charles Stewart Parnell Museum in 1986.^[2]

Avondale Forest Park was redeveloped between late 2019 and 2020. A new cafe restaurant was built along with a visitor centre on 'the great ride' (a long stretch of green space in the middle of Avondale along which horses were ridden in times past), and tree canopy walkways were also developed. ^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• Coillte - Avondale Forest Park visitor details
• Avondale Forest Park, Map and description (archived 2007)
• Avondale Forest Park, Travel Info (archived 2009)
• Heritageisland - Avondale House and Forest Park (archived 2005)

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 Geography of County Wicklow

Protected Areas

Special Areas of Conservation	Ballyman Glen Bray Head Buckroney-Brittas Dunes and Fen Carriggower Bog Vale of Clara Deputy's Pass Glen of the Downs Holdenstown Bog Knocksink Wood Magherabeg Dunes The Murrough Wetlands Slaney River Valley Wicklow Mountains Wicklow Reef
Special Protection Areas	Poulaphouca Reservoir The Murrough Wetlands Wicklow Head Wicklow Mountains
Nature Reserves	Deputy's Pass Glen of the Downs Glendalough Glenealo Valley Knocksink Wood Vale of Clara
National Parks	Wicklow Mountains National Park

Landforms

Beaches	Arklow Beach (North and South) Bray Beach Brittas Bay Clogga Beach The Cove Ennereilly Beach Glen Beach Greystones Beach (North and South) Kilcoole Beach Leamore Strand Magheramore Beach Newcastle Beach Porter's Rock Beach Sallymount Bay Beach Silver Strand Beach Travelahawk Beach
Mountains and hills	Arklow Hill Barnacullian Benleagh Bray Head Camaderry Camenabologue Carrick Mountain Carrigvore Church Mountain Cloghernagh Conavalla Corrigasleggaun Croaghanmoira Croghan Mountain Djouce Duff Hill Gravale Great Sugar Loaf Keadeen Mountain Kippure Little Sugar Loaf Lobawn Lugduff Luggala Lugnaquilla Maulin Moanbane Mullacor Mullaghcleevaun Prince William's Seat Scarr Seefingan Silsean Slievemaan Sugarloaf Table Mountain Tonduff Tonelagee Turlough Hill War Hill
Valleys and passes	Deputy's Pass Glen of Imaal Glen of the Downs Glencree Glendalough Glendasan Glenealo Glenmacnass Glenmalure The Sally Gap Vale of Clara The Wicklow Gap
Forests & gardens	Avondale Forest Killruddery Knocksink Wood Mount Usher Gardens National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh Powerscourt Estate Russborough Estate Tomnafinnoge Woods Victor's Way
Lakes	Arts Lough Broad Lough Glendalough Upper Lake Glendalough Lower Lake Lough Dan Lough Tay Lough Ouler Lough Bray (Upper and Lower) Lough Nahanagan Poulaphouca Reservoir Lough Firrib Cleevaun Lough Three Lakes Kelly's Lough Vartry Reservoir
Rivers	River Aughrim River Avoca River Avonbeg Avonmore River River Dargle River Derreen River Derry River Dodder Glencullen River River Greese River Liffey River Slaney River Vartry
Waterfalls	Ballinafunshogue Waterfall Carrawaystick Waterfall Coolalingo Waterfall Devils Glen Waterfall Fraughan Glen Waterfall Glenmacnass Waterfall Jackson Falls Poulanass Waterfall Powerscourt Waterfall
Hiking Trails	Saint Kevin's Way Wicklow Way Djouce Mountain Walk The Spinc Trail Wicklow Round

Wicklow County Council (web)