Powerscourt Ranked World's Third Best Garden

County Wicklow's famous Powerscourt Gardens has been ranked third in a list of the world's top gardens. National Geographic magazine is publishing a series of the globe's best adventures, trips and locations to visit.   Powerscourt was the only Irish entry included, and was amongst the seven European gardens to make the top 10, which included the lavish Château de Versailles, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, UK.   Sarah Slazenger, the general manager of Powerscourt Estate, remarked that the National Geographic's listing will only serve to strengthen Powerscourt's reputation and attract more tourists from all over the world:   "Everyone should see the great sights of the world and the National Geographic has done the traveller a great service by including Powerscourt in the top ten gardens worldwide".   This accolade is not Powerscourt's first, however: it was part of the list of Top Ten Houses in the World, which was compiled by Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher in the world.   Powerscourt Waterfall and its surrounding valley are also owned by the Powerscourt estate. At 121 metres, it is the highest waterfall in Ireland. In 1858, the seventh Viscount Powerscourt established a deer park around the waterfall, resulting in the successful introduction of the Japanese Sika to Ireland.