Irish National Stud & Gardens

The Irish National Stud at Tully, on the edge of Kildare town and the Curragh plain, is Ireland's foremost thoroughbred breeding facility — the state-owned farm that houses some of the most valuable stallions in European racing. The facility is open to visitors and the guided stable tour gives access to the stallion barn, the mare and foal units, and the paddocks where horses worth tens of millions of euros are turned out daily. For anyone with an interest in horses, it is one of the most direct-access experiences in European racing.

The Irish Horse Museum, housed in a converted stable complex on the site, holds one of the most unusual exhibits in Irish sport: the skeleton of Arkle, the greatest steeplechaser in racing history. Arkle won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in the 1960s and became one of the most famous animals in Ireland. The museum traces the history of the Irish thoroughbred industry, the role of the Curragh in Irish racing, and the development of the National Stud from its establishment in 1900.

The Japanese Gardens, laid out between 1906 and 1910 for Colonel William Hall-Walker (the founder of the stud) by Japanese landscape designer Tassa Eida, are considered among the finest in Europe. The gardens represent the journey of human life from birth to death through a series of symbolic landscapes, bridges and garden features.