A volunteer-run Gothic Revival castle set in ancient oak woodland just outside Tullamore, famed for its hand-carved staircase, ghost stories, and a starring role in Netflix's Wednesday. Public tours are temporarily paused, but the woodland demesne remains open to walkers.
The castle is entered by guided tour only, covering the main hall, library and the famous hand-carved Gothic staircase. Tours are run by volunteers and are currently paused until further notice while conservation works take place, so check the website before travelling.
Charleville Demesne (about 1,142 acres, a mile south of Tullamore on the Birr Road) is a public amenity with forest paths winding through some of Ireland's oldest oak woods, past hidden 'fairy doors' that children love. The long avenue to the castle forecourt is open to walkers.
At the entrance beside the Tullamore gate lodge stands the King Oak, an enormous Quercus robur estimated at 400 to 900 years old, with a girth of 26 feet and branches stretching 130 feet across. Legend says a falling branch foretells a death in the Bury family.
Commissioned in 1798 by Charles William Bury and designed by Francis Johnston, the castle was completed around 1812 with turrets, towers and battlements. Its dramatic exterior was a filming location for season two of Netflix's Wednesday.
The castle is one of Ireland's most famously haunted houses: the spirit of seven-year-old Harriet Bury, who fell on the staircase in 1861, is said to still sing and play there. Paranormal investigation groups have long visited the site.
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