Progress behind the walled gardens

Kilrush town manager Nora Kaye has described initial talks with Leader regarding the possibility of seeking funding to further develop the Vandeleur Walled Gardens in Kilrush as “very receptive and very encouraging”. The Leader Rural Development Programme’s main aim is to strengthen the rural economy and improve the quality of life in rural areas.
At last Thursday’s December meeting of Kilrush Town Council, senior executive architect Ruth Hurley made a detailed presentation, which included plans to make the walled garden more attractive for visitors.
The general plan is to expand the visitor centre and to examine developing the link between walking in Kilrush Wood and availing of the visitor centre café.
Some specific ideas in train include rearranging approaches to the centre, developing a seasonal, year-round aspect, re-branding and more advertising along with catering for small enterprise units.
That suggestion was made by Councillor Tom Prendeville at this year’s April meeting of Kilrush Town Council. He asked the town council to invite expressions of interest from craft workers, artists and small businesses “in order to progress further the feasibility of establishing small studio or enterprise spaces at the gardens”. It is hoped that if funding can be sourced from Leader and matched by Clare County Council, work could start on the project in 2013. The garden was opened to the public in 2001 after four years of redevelopment work.
Set among 420 acres of native woodland, the garden has been beautifully restored and features a horizontal maze, water features, a life-size chessboard and a free-standing Victorian-style working glasshouse. The garden specialises in many unusual and tender plants.
Children can follow the butterfly trail and play within the living willow structure. A collection of old farm machinery enhances the courtyard area while the Vandeleur Picture Collection and information about ‘Kilrush in Landlord Times’ is on display in the centre. Kilrush House, once located in the grounds of the garden, was owned by the Vandeleur family. It was burnt out in 1897 and demolished by the then Department of Forestry in 1973.
As home to the military and political family that owned most of Kilrush and built most of its civic buildings, the building of Kilrush House under the direction of Crofton Vandeleur was completed in 1808. It was built in classical style rising to three floors over a basement and with 86 windows that were a feature of the building.