Gift Vouchers
History of
Avondale Estate
1743
Son of John Hayes of Hayesville, Wicklow, Samuel Hayes is born.
1770
Samuel Hayes inherits Hayesville and renames it ‘Avondale’.
1773
Samuel Hayes is appointed Sheriff of Wicklow.
1777-1779
Avondale House is designed by renowned architect James Wyatt and is built by Samuel Hayes. Samuel Hayes as an amateur architect has input into the house design.
1794
Samuel Hayes writes Ireland’s first book devoted to trees, A Practical Treatise on Planting and the Management of Woods and Coppices.
1795
When Samuel Hayes dies, he bequeaths Avondale Estate to his cousin Sir John Parnell stipulating it should pass to a younger son.
1801
Sir John Parnell bequeaths Avondale Estate to his youngest son, William.
1821
William leaves Avondale Estate to his much-travelled son John Henry Parnell.
1835
John marries Delia Tudor Stewart at Grace Church, New York on 31st May 1835. They return to live at Avondale Estate where 9 of their 11 children are born.
1846
Charles Stewart Parnell is born, 4th son.
1848-1860
Charles and his brothers and sisters pass their childhood at Avondale.
1854
Delia Parnell leaves Avondale to live in Paris with some of her children.
1859
John Henry Parnell dies suddenly; the Parnell children are made Wards of Court.
1865-1869
Charles Stewart Parnell attends Magdalene College Cambridge but does not complete his studies.
1867
Parnell comes of age and assumes ownership of Avondale in 1867.
1872
First visit to America, Parnell visits his brother in Alabama seeking business opportunities in mining and railroad investment.
1874
Parnell becomes High Sheriff of Wicklow, active in the local gentry.
1874-1889
Political life.
1880
Parnell & Katharine O’Shea meet.
1890
Captain O’Shea divorces from Katharine O’Shea.
1891
Parnell and Katharine marry at Steyning Registry Office near Brighton.
1891
Charles Stewart Parnell dies of pneumonia in Brighton 06.10.1891, age 45. On October 11, 1891 he is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.
1891
John Howard Parnell, brother of Charles Stewart Parnell sells the heavily encumbered estate.
1904
Avondale Estate is purchased by the State.
1904
The first forestry training school is established at Avondale in 1904 by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction under the supervision of A.C. Forbes, one of Ireland’s great forestry pioneers.
1905-1915
The Great Tree Experiment is begun to establish which trees were best suited to Irish forestry. This involved the planting of experimental plots of trees (54 conifer & 45 broadleaf species), flanking the magnificent Great Ride.
1915
The forestry school at Avondale closes.
1935
The forestry school reopens at Avondale & remains at this location until the late 1970s.
1989
Coillte Teoranta is formed as a semi-state body.
1991
Avondale House opens to the public for guided tours.
2021
Work begins on the Treetop Walk and Viewing Tower and the new visitor experience of Beyond the Trees Avondale.
2022
Beyond the Trees Avondale opens to the public.
