Clare community’s ‘Green Oasis’ continues to thrive

KILLALOE Community Garden has become a focal point on Saturdays for people to socialise with green-fingered gardeners who have transformed part of a local field into a “green oasis of peace”.

Last year, the community garden received a huge boost following the allocation of a €18, 000 grant from the Department of Community and Rural Affairs through Clare County Council.

This helped the committee to erect a new fence to earmark the community garden, a new pergola/potting shed and a steel shed to accommodate tools and equipment.

A new polytunnel was also erected recently much to the delight of members.

Five of the 23 plots in the community garden are communal where soft fruits, apples, pears and plumbs, rhubarb and onions are also grown.

Established in 2010 with the help of the Killaloe Ballina Family Resource Centre and Bridgetown organic farmer, Jim Cronin, this community initiative now has 30 members.

In fact, it has grown so much in popularity, the committee now has seven people on a waiting list to become part of this green initiative.

Karen Speed-Andrews recalled that between 2010 and 2019, they nearly lost the garden because “there was five of us working in a muddy field”.

However, following a decision to allocate reserved plots to people to look after, she said they have not looked back since. The committee charge a fee for the plot.

“People look after their own plot and the whole community garden. It is remarkable when you give people a piece of land they look after it and take pride in it.

“The plants, communal area, strimming and lawn moving is done by everyone together. Because we have 30 members, we can start looking on a rota now,” she said.

Ms Speed-Andrews said members derive great satisfaction growing their own organic food.

“There is nothing like going down to the community garden to pick your own scallions or lettuce. After the Covid-19 pandemic, we had three families with young kids who wanted to join.

“A lot of people had time to sit down and think about what there were eating during the pandemic.

“People have joined with their children who are now working in the garden. Children now know that scallions don’t come in a pack and tomatoes can be all shapes and sizes.

“We had a problem with supermarkets dictating what kind of fruit and vegetables we should be eating.

“The supermarkets wanted vegetables to have a nice shape, but nature isn’t like that. Going down to the garden is great for the kids.

“We produce our own compost and the only thing that is brought in is seaweed or manure. There are some fabulous gardeners in the garden.

“It attracts a huge diversity of people and everyone helps each other. Everyone is on the one green agenda,” she explained.

A wide variety of fruit and vegetables are grown in the community garden. This includes cabbage, kale, broccoli, peas, beans, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries. Potatoes are being taken
up now for consumption and storage.

A lot of local elderly people converge in the gazebo on Saturday to meet and chat with others while they thoroughly enjoy tea and treats provided by members.

The mother-of-two really enjoys showing her 22 month-old grandson how a sunflower can grow so quickly from seed.

“Myself and my grandson planted a sunflower from seed. He has watched the sunflower grow every day he comes in to my house and loves it.

“You are teaching people and kids the importance of seeds. We are fortunate to have Seed Savers in Scariff so close, which we are all members of. It is a fantastic facility to have on our doorstep.

“You can sow seeds in January when it is freezing cold. All of a sudden they start coming into life. Things roll on, it is February and then March, the light is changing. We have something in our DNA with the seasons. We do change with the seasons,” she said.

Despite Clare County Council’s ambitious plans for the Bane Field, she is delighted their “green oasis of peace” will remain untouched by development.

“We have some members who live in Canal Bank, Killaloe, who have no back gardens. We have a great crew now with different skill sets. It is a pity to see land being wasted.

“When I was growing up, my dad, Noel had a garden. He can remember war rations. The old gardeners who lived in the war years knew the value of growing vegetables. It was in their psychic to always try and provide food for the table.

“When the tomatoes strop growing, it nearly kills me to buy imported tomatoes. The taste is totally different, there is nothing like the taste from growing your own tomatoes,” she added.

Members, who meet on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings during the growing season, also keep in touch and inform others what jobs have been completed on their WhatsApp group.

Information is also publicised on their website KillaloeBallinacg.com