Balbriggan garden on route to Bloom Festival

A NORTHSIDE garden project will feature at this year’s Bloom Festival. 

The re-constructed Medieval Garden at Bremore Castle, Balbriggan, will be on show in the Phoenix Park from Thursday to Monday, June 2-6.

The Medieval Garden is a collaboration project initiated by Fingal County Council in conjunction with the lecturers and students from the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown (ITB).

The medieval theme takes inspiration from the history of Bremore Castle, the area’s association with St Mologa, a seventh century Irish saint long renowned for beekeeping, and highlights the skills (in particular aspects of wood carving and stone building) which are the focus of the Local Training Initiative based there.  

The design includes the use of recycled stone from the Bremore Castle site, local willow from Skerries for edges of raised beds, and Irish handmade straw bee hives (skeps). 

Having won a Silver Gilt medal and the Best in Show Award at last year’s Bloom, Fingal County Council is moving up in size by entering the Medium Gardens category this year.

After Bloom, the Medieval Garden will be reassembled in Bremore Castle. Garden designer, Jane McCorkell, lecturer in horticulture at ITB and a seven times gold medal winner at Bloom, has worked with her students on the design of the Bremore Castle Medieval Garden for Bloom 2016, while the show garden plants have been cultivated in the college’s urban horticulture facility.

Fingal County Council chief executive Paul Reid wished the Medieval Garden project well at the festival.   

“This is a fantastic example of the great work that has been ongoing in Bremore Castle for the last number of years and I’m delighted we can showcase these skills to Bloom visitors,” said Mr Reid. 

“I am also pleased that the partnership that we have enjoyed with IT Blanchardstown is continuing on this joint initiative.”

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr David O’Connor said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing the Bremore Medieval Garden at Bloom. 

“Huge credit is due to the staff of Fingal County Council and IT Blanchardstown on this collaborative project which will put Bremore on the map.”

Now a key feature of the June Bank Holiday Weekend, Bloom attracted more than 100,000 people last year. 

Bord Bia’s annual showcase of the best of Ireland’s horticulture and food industry will once again feature a range of impressive show gardens, food features and family entertainment.

Bremore Castle, a 15th/16th century fortified house and manor associated with the Anglo-Norman Barnewall family is located in Bremore townland, on the northern outskirts of Balbriggan town.