Farmleigh

Farmleigh
Facade
Location within Dublin
General information
Architectural style	Edwardian
Location	Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates	53°21′54″N 6°21′36″W / 53.365°N 6.36°W / 53.365; -6.36
Current tenants	Used when Heads of Government and Heads of State visit Ireland.
Construction started	18th century (with significant reconstruction from 1881)
Renovated	1881–1884, 1896, 1901, 1999–2001
Renovation cost	€23 million (for 1999 works)
Owner	Government of Ireland
Website
www.farmleigh.ie

Farmleigh is the official Irish state guest house. It was formerly one of the Dublin residences of the Guinness family. It is situated on an elevated position above the River Liffey to the northwest of the Phoenix Park, in Castleknock. The estate of 78 acres (32 ha) consists of extensive private gardens with stands of mature cypress, pine and oak trees, a boating pond, walled garden, sunken garden, out offices and a herd of rare native Kerry cattle. It was purchased by the Government of Ireland from Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh in 1999 for €29.2 million. A state body—the Office of Public Works (OPW)—spent in the region of €23 million restoring the house, gardens and curvilinear glasshouses, bringing the total cost to the state to €52.2 million. Farmleigh was opened to the public in July 2001.