Powerscourt Waterfall in County Wicklow is Ireland's tallest waterfall. It was my favorite place to visit on a day trip from Dublin as a child.
I have fond memories of many family picnics beside these falls.
There is something about the sound of crashing water that whets the appetite for ham sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil.
Fresh air is the best sauce in the world. Everything just tastes better outdoors.
A Royal Visit To Powerscourt
King George IV of England visited Powerscourt in 1821. The owner of the demesne and waterfall, Richard Wingfield, the 5th Earl of Powerscourt, decided to dam the River Dargle prior to showing the falls to the King.
He planned to stand, with the King, on a bridge in front of the falls to observe the torrential flow.
Fortunately the King was held up at a reception at Powerscourt House and missed the spectacle at the falls.
When the waters were released, the bridge from which he was to view the falls, was swept away by the massive flow of waters.
Luckily the royal visitor was not swept away by the powerful waters surging over the steep rocky falls.
A Video of Powerscourt Waterfall To Enjoy
Here is a short video of the falls, which will give you an idea of how foolish the Earl's plan was.
I love to play this video whenever I need to still my mind by listening to the powerful sounds of falling water, and to rekindle childhood memories.
Here is a link for the official Powerscourt Estate & Gardens website.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Land and Culture
Ireland - County By County
- County Kilkenny - Home To Ireland's Medieval City
- County Kerry - The Kingdom
- County Louth - The Land Of Legends
- County Cork - The Rebel County
Vladimir
Wow, looks amazing!
I was wondering, are there any forests in Ireland? I tried to find this on the internet but it's actually not very easy to find. I mean like real forest, not small parks or small woodland, like in Scottish Highlands...? What area of Ireland is most rural and free of farms? Could you please let me know here, if you know. Maybe you don't know since you could not have traveled every corner of Ireland but your opinion is very interesting, because we were thinking of visiting Ireland but we don't know anyone from there, so I wanted to ask. We don't like cities very much, more like nature and small villages. Thank you!
Irish American Mom
Vladimir - sorry about my delay in replying to your questions, but I was away and did not have an internet connection. A great site for researching Ireland's forestry is http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/.
Ireland's woodlands and forestry will not be as big as what you are accustomed to in Russia. I checked with my sister, who lives in Ireland, and she recommends the Glenstal Woods as a good example of Ireland's forestry. Here is a link from the Discover Ireland website: http://www.discoverireland.com/gb/ireland-things-to-see-and-do/listings/product/?fid=FI_74122
Ireland's west coast is beautiful and you will find plenty of lovely villages and spectacular scenery. Hope you get to Ireland someday soon.
Vladimir
Thank you very much! Nice links! We will probably go to Ireland this summer after renewing my wife's passport. We will go to US embassy in Belfast to get tourist visa and will see little bit of Ireland as well, will rent a car and travel...
Brian@irelandfavorites
Hi Mairead,
One of my favorite spots, the waterfall is a nice place to spend an afternoon and let the kids run around. Spent many a day in Enniskerry visiting relatives and taking in the sites. Powerscourt waterfall, the gardens, and off to Johnny Foxes for a bite and some music. I'm getting nostalgic,
thanks for the post,
Cheers,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Brian - The thought of a bite to eat and some music in Johnny Foxes is making me nostalgic too. Glad you enjoyed this trip down memory lane.
All the best!
Mairead
Cheryl Barker
What a gorgeous falls, Mairead -- and even more gorgeous for you since it is tied to so many great memories. Love how the sounds of waterfalls whets your appetite for ham sandwiches. Ah, nostalgia, huh? 🙂
Irish American Mom
Cheryl - There's nothing like nostalgia and ham sandwiches by a magnificent waterfall.
Gerry Walsh
Hi Mairead ,
Conas á ta tú,
I came across your blog whilst looking at one of my facebook pages,
your readers and friends may be interested in Irish Hillwalkers on facebook , http://www.facebook.com/irishhillwalkers , where pictures of some of our hills can be quite spetacular.
Your post (here ) about the Enniskerry Waterfall's brought back memories of hill walking with my dad before he passed away. We used to drive from Dun Laoire up to the 3 car parks by Djouce mountain. After parking up we would walk around the mountain and for our troubles we were presented with a view of the waterfall from across the valley. Next time I'm up that way , I'll make sure to have a camera with me.
Gerry
Irish American Mom
Hi Gerry - Táim ana mhaith ar fad.
Thanks for your link to your facebook page. I'll make sure to add it to my likes so I can keep up-to-date with your posts and share them with my readers. I will also add a link on my blogroll list at the end of each page on my website. Thanks so much for visiting and for your lovely comments.
Mairead
Gerry Walsh
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=46588c03-c49a-4e18-9f93-1d3b67aaa137&m=false&i=0:0:0&c=0:0:0&z=427.02944948286&d=-0.850040687432038:-1.75941254955745:-1.6261156985483&p=0:0&t=False
hope that link works and you have silverlight on your machine,
Its a smaller waterfall on the old road to Kenmare from Killarney , taken last month . You might enoy it
Irish American Mom
Gerry - Thanks for this link to such a beautiful Kerry waterfall. Another Irish waterfall I want to revisit next time I make it back, is Glencar in Co. Leitrim. I have great memories of visiting it as a child. All the best!