Galway Garden Festival 2010
The second annual Galway Garden Festival, which will take place on Saturday July 9th and Sunday July 10th 2011 and promises to be a very special weekend.
Nursery suppliers from across Ireland will share a wealth of planting experience with all who browse the plant stalls’ extensive range of plants, trees, seeds, and shrubs. Garden equipment, from hoes to glasshouses to woven willow baskets, will be available.
The work of organisations such as Bóthar, The Beekeepers Federation, and The Organic Centre, Co Leitrim, can be appreciated at the stands in the castle grounds.
2011 is ‘International Year of Forests’ and all speakers at the event will speak on the subject of trees. Speakers include:
- Gordon D’Arcy, Naturalist
- Dr. John Feehan, University College Dublin, author
- Prof. Allan Foster, Global head, Christian Blind Mission
- Dr. Matthew Jebb, Director, Botanic Gardens, Dublin
- Mr. Niall Mac Coitir, Author
- Thomas Pakenham, Historian and Arborist
- Prof. Oliver Rackham, OBE, Cambridge University
- Prof. William Smyth, Geographer, University College, Cork
Local garden designer Shirley Hope-Sweeney will be on site all weekend.
A variety of food and drink will be available in the grounds of the early 15th century castle all day Saturday and Sunday. The castle — one of the earliest De Burgo tower houses — has been saved from near collapse by a gradual restoration programme which began in 2003. It now houses a collection of furniture from late 16th and early 17th centuries, which can be viewed during the festival. Visitors can sit on the banks of the Clare River in the lush greenery of Claregalway Castle between expert talks or accompany their kids as they ride Connemara ponies on Saturday .
All profits from the entrance fee (€5 for adults) goes to the wonderful and transformative work of the Christian Blind Mission Ireland, (www.CBM.ie), which works to alleviate and prevent avoidable blindness throughout the developing world, with emphasis on creating sustainable and locally delivered services. The apples on the tree you might buy at The Galway Garden Festival will be all the sweeter, knowing buying that tree helped save a child’s sight.
For more details contact visit www.galwaygardenfestival.com
