Fota House

Fota House is currently closed for house tours but open for wedding ceremonies permissible under the current Covid-19 guidelines

Bakestone Café at Fota House

Bakestone Café at Fota House will re-open on Thursday, February 25th at 10:00am for takeaway coffees & sweet treats. Opening hours going forward will be Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm

Toilets

Outdoor toilets are available

Arboretum & Gardens

We are delighted to welcome visitors to continue to enjoy the magnificent grounds within Level 5 restrictions from 9.00 AM to 5:30 PM daily. Our grounds access plan is for safe, respectful visits to the House, Arboretum & Gardens with visitors asked to observe HSE guidelines at all times.

• Victorian Working Gardens is now closed for the winter months
• Arboretum open daily 9:00am - 5:30pm
• Walled & Pleasure Gardens open during the week but closed at weekends during winter months

Please note that the Arboretum, Walled & Pleasure Gardens are managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) so any suggestions or comments should be directed here

Further information about the Failte Ireland Covid-19 Safety Charter is available at their website here. Fota House, Arboretum and Gardens is listed as a compliant organisation under the Irish Heritage Trust.

Due to the escalation in Covid-19 restrictions to Level 5 all House Tours are cancelled until further notice

House tours are limited to 10 people per tour to facilitate social distancing based on the layout of this historic house

• All visitors on house tours must wear a face mask (use own or available for a €1 charge) Likewise all tour guides will wear face visors. Visitors will be briefed on covid-19 considerations prior to tour commencement
• Visitors are asked to refrain from touching exhibits or fixtures etc as much as possible
• House tour visitors will be asked for a name & contact number for purposes of contact tracing which is compliant with GDPR regulations
• Visitors will be asked to hand sanitise prior & post tour
• All touch points are cleaned and sanitised regularly during the day

General Site

• Visitors are asked to adhere to social distancing of 2m as advised by the HSE
• We welcome our community of visitors to safely and respectfully enjoy the House, Arboretum and Gardens
• On pathways around the Arboretum & Gardens and to / from the car park visitors are asked to adopt a ‘keep left / pass right’ walking pattern while observing relevant guidelines for social distancing and 'Cocooner'-reserved areas
• At any pinch points, such as crossing pathways, visitors are encouraged to beckon through others to avoid undue contact
• Visitors are asked to keep contact with others to a minimum and not congregate in any groups in thoroughfares or key points – please keep pathways free others as per guidelines
• Access to the property is only via the main gate
• Visitors are asked to be socially conscious and responsible for the maximum enjoyment of all.

More information available at HSE website