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Acton of Kilmacurragh, County Wicklow
Now part of a magnificent National Botanic Gardens adjunct, Kilmacurragh was built by the Acton family during the reign of Queen Anne. In the 1850s, the forward-thinking Actons planted an arboretum that is now in peak condition with the greatest collection of Himalayan rhododendrons in Europe. However, two generations later, the death of all three Acton brothers in war spelled an end for the dynasty. Charles Acton, its last survivor, was one of Ireland’s greatest music critics in the 20th century. In 2021, plans were announced to restore the Queen Anne mansion.