Developing and updating gardens around her childhood home, an eighteenth century castle in the south west of Ireland, Catherine worked on the formal pleasure grounds where gravel paths, topiary, urns and a central sundial lead on to wilder informal walks with unusual trees and shrubs; a wild flower meadow with bulbs; and streamside planting.

The restoration and development of the walled kitchen garden – with ornamental paths running between espaliered fruit trees and vegetable plots, a pond, Gothic wooden temples – was carried out by her parents in the 1970s and 80s. This has been further developed by Catherine with traditional herbaceous borders, an orchard with climbing roses, a hellebore walk, and a sub-tropical style north border.

All woodwork at Glin (seats etc.) made by Leo Healy (Contact: 00 353 (87) 618 3744).