logo
#

Latest news with #BordBiaBloom2025

Wexford duo shine at Bord Bia Bloom 2025 launch
Wexford duo shine at Bord Bia Bloom 2025 launch

Irish Independent

time15-06-2025

  • Health
  • Irish Independent

Wexford duo shine at Bord Bia Bloom 2025 launch

Today at 03:00 Gorey brother and sister George and Hannah Power-Nugent were the star attraction last week as the Marie Keating Foundation unveiled its garden at Bord Bia Bloom 2025. The Marie Keating Foundation unveiled its 'Early Bird Catches the Worm' Garden at Bord Bia Bloom 2025 and was awarded a silver-gilt. The garden was designed and built by award-winning Monaghan-based creative designer Benny Magennis. George (3) and Hannah (1), from Gorey, provided a star turn at the launch, playing the bird and the worm respectively. Designed by award-winning, Monaghan-based gardener Benny Magennis, this thoughtfully designed space serves as a reminder that through education and proactive measures, we can work towards a future with less fear surrounding cancer. This being his fourth time at Bord Bia Bloom, Benny explains why this garden is particularly meaningful: 'The Marie Keating Foundation provides such vital services to those going through a cancer journey, and this was top of my mind when I was designing and developing the garden. I wanted to make sure it reflected the key educational and awareness messages, while also offering a sense of community.' 'This can be seen throughout the garden – from the birdhouse reflecting the importance of early detection, to the flowers representing Ireland's five most common cancers, breast, skin, lung, bowl and prostate.' Every element of the garden was designed to highlight the importance of healthy lifestyle choices that reduce cancer risk. The sheltered area beneath the birdhouse promotes sun safety awareness, while the vegetable patch represents the significance of nutrition. The paths encourage people to engage in outdoor activities as part of a healthy lifestyle and the seating area symbolises the community support provided by the Marie Keating Foundation for those on a cancer journey. The garden represents a collaboration between the Marie Keating Foundation, AstraZeneca and Gilead Sciences, who are united in their mission to combat cancer through widespread awareness. Their joint aim is to encourage early intervention to significantly enhance treatment outcomes and ultimately save lives.

Tánaiste opens new Wicklow school facilities and visits school's Bord Bia Bloom garden
Tánaiste opens new Wicklow school facilities and visits school's Bord Bia Bloom garden

Irish Independent

time11-06-2025

  • General
  • Irish Independent

Tánaiste opens new Wicklow school facilities and visits school's Bord Bia Bloom garden

He also dropped into St Mary's and St Gerard's of Enniskerry, where he got to view the pop-up postcard garden that students entered into Bord Bia Bloom 2025. Woodstock ETNS is a developing school located in Newtownmountkennedy and currently has 125 students enrolled. This year one of the school targets was to develop a space for the children to engage in independent reading. This target was supported by the whole school community and the school now has a specified library space with over 2,000 books, comfortable seating, shelving and a digitised record of all library books and borrowings. The Tánaiste also opened the school's new outdoor classroom which has been developed by the school in close partnership with some parents and the wider school community. Acting principal Philip McCarthy said: 'The school really enjoyed the occasion and all staff and children got to engage with the Tánaiste and ask him questions. The school also invited parents to celebrate the opening by attending a coffee morning in the school where parents and guardians got the opportunity to talk to the Tánaiste about the development of our new school. The opening was enjoyed by all who attended and is a significant milestone in the school's development.' The next port of call for the Tánaiste was St Mary's and St Gerards where he was treated to poetry, music and songs from 4th, 5th ad 6th class. He also had a private viewing of the postcard garden designed by 4th class students for Bord Bia Bloom 2025, which was highly commended by Bloom judges. The planting is a mixture of edible, medicinal, and textured plants. All materials used in the garden are upcycled and repurposed as the garden has been designed in line with the school's commitment to protect the environment as a Green School. The Tánaiste also got the opportunity for a chat with renowned lollipop man Ciaron Woodcock, who is a real favourite of all the children attending school in Enniskerry. After the school visit, Cllr Melanie Corrigan brought Tánaiste Harris to the site of Enniskerry FC Soccer in the Meadow mini-word cup, where the final preparations were being put in place..

Bord Bia Bloom in photos: Looking back at Wicklow's award-winning gardens
Bord Bia Bloom in photos: Looking back at Wicklow's award-winning gardens

Irish Independent

time07-06-2025

  • Irish Independent

Bord Bia Bloom in photos: Looking back at Wicklow's award-winning gardens

Wicklow People Wicklow garden designers, exhibitors and floral artists all landed awards at Bord Bia Bloom 2025, taking home a total of six medals. Bord Bia Bloom attracted more than 100,000 visitors to Dublin's Phoenix Park over the June bank holiday weekend, and Wicklow exhibitors more than played their part. Calary-based designer Tünde Perry designed two gardens for this year's festival, including the Universal Pictures Ireland-sponsored 'How to Train Your Dragon Garden', inspired by the upcoming live-action remake. Tünde was awarded a silver in the show garden category for her 'Manor Farm – 250 Years Taste and Tradition' garden, which celebrated Manor Farm's 250-year anniversary. The train track-inspired path, crafted from recycled railway sleepers and gravel, symbolises the journey from Manor Farm's origins in rural Ireland to the heart of the capital. Dublin's Manor Street is referenced in a creative sculpture made from metal rods. An authentic wildflower meadow, native trees and shrubs, and a regenerative oat and wheat field is a nod to Manor Farm's farming roots and sustainable future. To honour Manor Farm's home in Cavan, the garden features a water element, reflecting the county's famous 365 lakes. The biodiverse, sensory-rich garden features native species like hazel, hawthorn, elder and birch, interwoven with herbs and fragrant plants. Robert Moore from Kilmacanogue, won a silver guild for 'The Grass Advantage' garden he designed for the National Dairy Council. The garden highlights the beauty of Ireland's natural pasture with its white clover grass mix forming a naturally enriching multi-species sward. At its centre, a large, five-metre-high milk churn sculpture symbolises the cultural heritage of Irish dairy production and celebrates the grass-based system that is the foundation of Ireland's world-renowned dairy produce. St Mary's and St Gerard's National School were highly commended for their postcard garden supported by Tirlán CountryLife, which was created by 4th class students and embodied the school ethos of caring, connection and the love of learning. Lynn Stringer of Kilcoole received bronze in the botanical and floral art section for her watercolour painting 'Golden Oats', while she was awarded a silver gild for watercolour and pencil inspired 'In the Stone Wall' . Patricia Morrison received a bronze award for her botanical based watercolour painting.

Watch: Manor farm celebrates 250 years in business at Bloom
Watch: Manor farm celebrates 250 years in business at Bloom

Agriland

time31-05-2025

  • Business
  • Agriland

Watch: Manor farm celebrates 250 years in business at Bloom

Manor Farm is celebrating its 250th year in business this summer, with a specially designed garden at the Bord Bia Bloom 2025 festival. The garden is called 'Manor Farm – 250 Years of Taste and Tradition', and has been developed by award-winning landscape designer Tunde Perry. Manor Farm CEO, Cathal Garvey The garden tells the story of Manor Farm through thoughtful planting, historical references and sustainable design. CEO of Manor Farm, Cathal Garvey told Agriland: 'We're 250 years old this year, the oldest food company in Ireland. It's a significant milestone. A good bit of work has gone into this. 'The key thing for us, we are invested in sustainability in Manor Farm. We are going to relocate this garden up to Shercock where we're based.' 'This company has evolved in so many ways over the last 250 years. When you go through the history it's absolutely fascinating. We are basically doing 1 million chickens a week. There is nobody in Ireland who hasn't eaten some of our chicken,' Garvey added. Manor Farm Visitors enter the garden through a train track inspired path, which is made from recycled railway sleepers. The path symbolises the time when live chickens were shipped unaccompanied by train to Dublin markets in the 18th and 19th centuries. The garden also contains a biodiverse landscape with a wildflower meadow, native trees and shrubs as well as a regenerative oat and wheat field, a nod to both farming roots and a sustainable future. A water feature symbolises the company's home in Co. Cavan, known for its 365 lakes. At the heart of the garden, is 'Manor Street', a creative copper and metal sculpture echoing the original urban market setting. A small café-style table invites visitors to pause and reflect. The garden also features sensory planting, including hazel, elder, hawthorn, birch and fragrant herbs, linked to Manor Farm recipes via QR codes. A colour palette of blues and yellows subtly pays tribute to Manor Farm's Swedish ownership under the Scandi Standard Group.

Colin Sheridan: Bloom is the crowning jewel of our capital city
Colin Sheridan: Bloom is the crowning jewel of our capital city

Irish Examiner

time31-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Irish Examiner

Colin Sheridan: Bloom is the crowning jewel of our capital city

Ah, Bloom! That annual horticultural hootenanny where the scent of freshly turned soil mingles with the aroma of artisan sausage rolls, and where the only thing more abundant than the flora is the flurry of floppy hats. This year, Bord Bia Bloom 2025 blossomed once again in Dublin's Phoenix Park, transforming 70 acres into a veritable Eden of eco-consciousness, culinary delights, and enough garden gnomes to march on the Aras and stage a coup. The earth laughs in flowers, so said Ralph Waldo Emerson, yesterday, it was in stitches. First, an admission of guilt. As a novice, the name of this festival confused me. Bloomsday falls on June 16 each year. That celebration of Joycean pomp is no relation to Bord Bia Bloom, but the timing and title caught me a little off guard. Were there enough Ulysses nuts to warrant a five-day celebration in the largest public park in any capital city in Europe? No, it turns out, there isn't. Which is a relief. This is something else entirely. It's reductive to compare festivals — each lives and dies on its own merits — but given the scale and logistical footprint of Bloom, the National Ploughing Festival is an obvious and worthy inspiration for Irelands premier gardening and horticultural festival. Beginning on Thursday and running throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, Bloom will have attracted over 120,000 punters through its gates by the time the last tent is collapsed on Monday. If the ploughing is Glastonbury, Bloom is Electric Picnic. The setting is majestic and the mood more than a little mischievous. The variety on display from the moment you enter is so rich it'd make a willow weep. Puns aside, Bloom means business. I'm no sooner in the gate but I'm watching the Ballymaloe crew do a cooking demo on the Dunnes Stores stage. Chef Neven Maguire is hanging in the wings signing autographs like he's a member of Metallica. Maisie Carton, aged 15, from Dundrum, was prepared for moody weather in the Phoenix Park. Picture: Moya Nolan If there are politicians about, they are keeping a low profile. The weather, too, is appropriate; wet on Thursday, Friday brings dark clouds broken up by brilliant sunshine. Good gardening weather, right? Weather so rich you can feel the grass grow beneath your feet. Excited school kids follow patient teachers like mini climbers trailing their sherpa. Grownups who should know better sip Aperol spritz from recyclable plastic cups. With a taste of summer already lingering in the back of our throats, the timing of Bloom could not be more apposite. The heart of the festival lies in its show gardens — 21 verdant visions ranging from the sublime to the surreal. Take, for instance, the 'Make A Wish Foundation Garden' by Linda McKeown, a space so enchanting it could make a grown man weep into his compost. Then there's the 'GRÁ' garden by Kathryn Feeley for Dogs Trust, a canine-centric paradise where even the shrubs seem to wag their leaves in approval. Not to be outdone, the 'Tusla Fostering Garden' by Pip Probert offers a vibrant tapestry of colours and textures, symbolising the diverse journeys of foster families. Bloom, though, is not just about seasoned green thumbs; it's also a fertile ground for budding gardening superstars. The 'Cultivating Talent' initiative, now in its third year, continues to nurture and showcase the next generation of garden designers. This year's standout is Dr Sarah Cotterill — an assistant professor at UCD — whose 'Into the Woods' garden pays homage to Ireland's Atlantic rainforests, proving that even civil engineers can have a soft spot for ferns. Billy Alexander of Kells Bay House and Gardens in Kerry brought his Chelsea Flower Show-winning fern garden to Bloom. Picture: Moya Nolan For those of us whose idea of gardening involves little more ingenuity than picking herbs for a G&T, the Food Village offers enough distraction to fill a day. I unwittingly followed one chap who easily reached his daily calorie quota by exclusively eating free samples. It was an admirably frugal tactic, if a tad unnecessary. Unlike other festivals, the food was ample and reasonably priced. The village — which features nearly 100 Irish producers — is a smorgasbord of local delights. I'd eaten two gourmet burgers and a hot dog before lunchtime. Not every day in the trenches is like this, and this one-man army marches on its stomach. The food stages are accessible and unfussy — culinary luminaries like Neven, Darina Allen, and Fiona Uyema are on hand to whip up some dishes that would make an intermittent faster reconsider their life choices. The atmosphere is collegiate, the food divine. Sure, there are plenty of healthy options on display, too, but Bloom is not the space to suddenly become precious. There is lots of cream and butter, and the fun and food police are conspicuous in their absence. A key theme running throughout the festival is sustainability, with the Sustainable Living Stage hosting 40 talks on topics ranging from food waste to natural skincare hacks. The festival walked the walk — quite literally — by offering free shuttle buses, ample bicycle parking, and ensuring all food and drink packaging was compostable or recyclable. There were even volunteers on hand at each bin to advise you on what goes where. Keen not to take itself too seriously, Bloom isn't just for the horticulturally inclined; it's a family affair. The Budding Bloomers area offered a range of activities for the young and the young at heart, from bug workshops to interactive performances. Chef Tricia Lewis giving a cookery demonstration to a crew of hungry festivalgoers. Picture: Moya Nolan For those looking to bring a piece of Bloom home, the Grand Pavilion and Plant Emporium offered everything from handcrafted garden sculptures to rare plant species. It's the kind of place where you go in for a packet of seeds and come out with a bonsai tree and a newfound appreciation for macrame rope. In its 19th year, Bord Bia Bloom continues to be a testament to Ireland's love affair with all things green and growing. It's a safe, creative space where gardeners, foodies, and families converge to celebrate the simple joys of nature, nourishment, and community. In a time when the deforestation of the island is a hot topic, Bloom offers an antidote to the doom and gloom that can sometimes suffocate green-adjacent conversations. The jewel of the crown of this festival, however, is not any one of the celebrity gardeners, chefs or even Juniperus Communis on display. It's not even the extra-mature cheeses, of which I consumed quite a few. No, it is unquestionably the venue. The Phoenix Park frames this event and makes it a masterpiece, a celebration of nature its creators and organisers can absolutely be proud of. Verdant and resplendent, the vastness of the park itself makes access and egress easy. The walled gardens within the festival compound act as a spine for a sprawl that is beautifully organised, but never contrived. Great oak trees provide shelter from the infrequent showers. The grass acts as a quilt to lie on and bask in the brilliant sunshine. Just outside the fence, a herd of fallow deer skip by, as if curious about the din inside. There is a lot wrong with our capital city, and, understandably, we spend plenty of time talking about it. Bloom is an example of something done incredibly right. A festival of nature, food, colour, and life, hosted in a public park at an incredibly reasonable price. Accessible to everybody, and not a Joycean scholar in sight.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store