← All events
heritage · Wednesday 19 August 2026 · 7:00pm 
The Curious World of Ireland's Follies: An Evening with Robert O'Byrne
At Mount Congreve House · Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford
At Mount Congreve House · Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford
Architectural historian Robert O’Byrne gives an illustrated lecture on Ireland’s follies at Mount Congreve House near Kilmeaden on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, with a drinks reception from 7pm ahead of the talk in the Drawing Room. The evening covers sham castles, ornamental towers and hidden temples across the country before turning to Mount Congreve’s own folly, the Chinese Pagoda, and the eighteenth century Chinese wallpapers connected to it. Tickets cost €15, including a welcome drink, with proceeds going toward conservation of the Pagoda.
O’Byrne, a specialist in Irish architectural and decorative arts history, surveys the tradition of the folly, structures built for looks rather than practical use, from romantic ruins to garden temples, before setting Mount Congreve’s Chinese Pagoda in that wider context. The talk is presented with support from the Follies Trust, a body dedicated to conserving exactly these kinds of structures across Ireland, and ticket proceeds are directed toward the upkeep of the Pagoda itself. The setting adds to the evening: the lecture takes place in the Drawing Room of Mount Congreve House, a house built in 1760 by architect John Roberts, who also designed Waterford’s two cathedrals. Places are limited and advance booking is essential.
Mount Congreve is signposted from the main Waterford to Cork road near Kilmeaden village, a short drive west of Waterford city. The estate has its own car park, and the Drawing Room talk takes place inside the main house rather than out in the gardens.
Mount Congreve’s 70 acres of gardens and woodland walks are worth building a visit around beyond the lecture itself, and the estate is one of the best known garden attractions in the county. There is more to see in Kilmeaden and across Co. Waterford.
Heading to Mount Congreve House in Kilmeaden? Waterford has plenty more to see. Read the Kilmeaden area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.