There’s a new field trip worth making this summer, and it’s blooming lovely.
Barberstown Castle in Straffan, Co. Kildare, has transformed three acres of its historic estate into a spectacular sea of thousands of sunflowers – all while raising funds for two amazing Irish charities.
Visitors are invited to wander through the sunflower field, snap some seriously sunny photographs while soaking up some late summer colour.
With no set admission charge, instead, guests are invited to donate a nominal amount, or simply give whatever they can afford, with proceeds split between Sensational Kids and Women’s Aid.
Sensational Kids is an award-winning Kildare-based charity and social enterprise providing subsidised therapy and assessment services for children and adolescents, including Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy. Since being established in 2007, Sensational Kids has supported more than 10,000 children and their families.
Women’s Aid is a leading national organisation working to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse, providing support, information and services to women and children throughout Ireland.
Dating back to 1288 and set amid the rich countryside of Straffan, Barberstown Castle has been part of the Kildare landscape for almost 800 years and in recent times has placed an increasing emphasis on protecting and enhancing the natural environment surrounding the historic property.
This project also ties neatly into Barberstown Castle’s growing focus on biodiversity, with the estate recently planting 2,500 native Irish trees and maintaining its own honeybee hives.
The field is open daily from 9am–6pm and from 11am on Sundays, weather permitting, as long as the blooms last.
So, grab the camera, help raise some finds for two great causes and prepare to walk through a very impressive field of gold.
