Sky’s the Limit

Sky’s the Limit

Breathtaking natural scenes often make up travelers’ bucket lists. There’s so much beauty to see in the world and magnificent landscapes to explore. Ireland is known to have some of the most mesmerizing lands that inspire awe, wonder and an ever-present wanderlust.

Amid the lush landscape of Liss Ard Estate in Skibbereen of West County Cork you can find a piece of art sculpted from nature known as the Irish Sky Garden. This green, hidden gem of County Cork aptly embodies Ireland’s reputation as the Emerald Isle. The grassy knoll surrounded by lush shrubbery and trees gives the impression of a magical land out of a fairytale.

A wooded trail leads to the verdant oval bowl that makes the Irish Sky Garden. Along the way, you walk through a passage reminiscent of the megalithic era that sends you to a narrow set of stairs. Climbing these steps, you feel like you’re ascending toward the sky, but as you break onto the landing, you find yourself inside the crater garden.

American artist James Turrell designed the Irish Sky Garden, influenced by altars found throughout Egyptian and Celtic history. Sitting in the center is the Vault Purchase, a plinth of monolithic proportions where you can lie back or sit down and look to the sky. The design is meant to invoke feelings of ancient rituals and rites, as a way to connect past and present.

While the Turrell’s Sky Garden has become the most recent pull of the Liss Ard Estate, these lands have more pristine scenes to explore and marvel over. With 163 acres of well-kept nature, 40 acres of a private lake and other manicured gardens, it’s an enchanting site to experience.