Garden club welcomes Pride of Place judges
At the Elderflower Garden were Sally McDonald, Helen Fanning, Catherine Yeats, Pat Breen, Mary Moylan, Declan Nelson, mayor of Carlow Fintan Phelan, Tom Dowling, Michael Brennan, Rita Araua, Mary Reddy, Margaret Moore, Phil Yeats, Stella Whelan, Victoria Kavanagh and Rita Ryan
CARLOW County Council were delighted to welcome Co-Operation Ireland Pride of Place judges last week to the Elderflower Garden, located behind Avoca House on Barack Street.
The Elderflower Garden Club is a social gardening club located in the centre of Carlow town and is aimed at people who are over the age of 55 but everyone is welcome in the space.
The club meets weekly at the Elderflower Garden which was once just a piece of scrubland.
The site has been transformed into an eco-garden where the group grows herbs, fruit, vegetables and flowers.
The Elderflower Garden, often described as an oasis of tranquillity in the middle of a busy town, was nominated for the prestigious Pride of Place competition, much to the great pride of all its members!
The group of green-fingered members have devoted weeks and months of hard work, preparing for the visit.
Pride of Place is an all-island competition that acknowledges the work that communities are doing across the island of Ireland.
The competition’s focus is on people coming together to shape, change and improve daily lives in their communities.
Judges Declan Nelson and Tom Dowling received a warm welcome as they arrived for the morning’s festivities which included a presentation, displays of work, a tour of the garden and refreshments service in the Cabin Café located on site.
The gardening club is a branch of Carlow Older People’s Forum.
Carlow Older Persons Forum is supported by Carlow County Development Partnership and SIPTU. It capitalises on the experience and knowledge of older people to find ways of solving the challenges they face, and is an active partner with key stakeholders to deliver age friendly policies and practices
The winners of the Pride of Place competition will be announced in November this year.
