Fota House is home to exquisite collections of art and artefacts which offer intriguing insights into the lives and tastes of the 19th-century aristocracy.
Within Fota House you’ll find some of Ireland’s finest art and heritage objects in their authentic settings. Outside, our arboretum and gardens feature a unique collection of trees and plants, many planted hundreds of years ago.
Enjoy the collections on your visit and hear the stories about life upstairs and downstairs in this elegant Irish mansion. Fota House has full museum accreditation from the Heritage Council in recognition of its high standards of conservation and interpretation. Learn more about the work of caring for and sharing our collections on our tours and through our behind-the-scenes events.
The Fota House Art Collection
Fota House boasts a significant and extensive collection of 18th and 19th century Irish art and furniture, generously donated to the Irish Heritage Trust by the McCarthy family in Cork.
The Smith Barry family were known as connoisseurs of fine arts and over the generations they gathered a substantial and very valuable collection.
Mostly dating from 1750 to 1850, the collection overlaps with the time period when Fota developed from a hunting lodge for the Smith Barry family to a Regency mansion.
The collection includes the finest examples of Irish landscape paintings outside of the National Gallery of Ireland.
Works by artists including George Barret, William Ashford, Thomas Roberts, George Mullins, Jonathan Fisher and Robert Carver are on display throughout Fota House, in addition to original portraits of the Smith Barry family.
The collection was gathered by Cork businessman and art collector, Richard Wood, and originally displayed in Fota before being removed for safekeeping when the condition of the house deteriorated.
When Fota House came into the ownership of the Irish Heritage Trust in 2007, the Wood Collection was subsequently purchased by the McCarthy family. The McCarthy family generously donated the collection to the Irish Heritage Trust in 2007/2008.
See 19th-Century Art in Its Original Setting
Enjoy viewing our wonderful painting collection as you explore the elegant rooms of Fota House on a guided tour. These can be our Fota House Tour, in-depth Fota Art Tour, study visit or school tour. Our passionate guides will share insights into the paintings, the artists, and the residents who commissioned these impressive works.
If Walls Could Talk!
The Fota House collection of hand-painted wallpapers is the focus of a permanent exhibition which reveals fascinating insights into the history of home furnishing.
Conservation and Recreation
The Irish Heritage Trust relies on expert craftsmanship and insights to conserve and maintain collections that include artworks, wallpapers, plant collections, toys, kitchen implements, and garden tools.
As far as possible, we repair and showcase original items from within Fota House. We select additional historically accurate pieces to help re-create scenes that would have been familiar to the original owners.
We also work to return items that were lost from Fota House to their original home.
