Tree-loving festival at Claregalway

THE second annual Galway Garden Festival takes place next month and will see speakers address the theme of trees.
Naturalist, Gordon D’Arcy; author, Dr John Feehan, University College Dublin; Professor Allan Foster, global head of Christian Blind Mission; Dr Matthew Jebb, director of the Botanic Gardens, Dublin; author, Niall Mac Coitir; historian and arborist, Thomas Pakenham; Professor Oliver Rackham, OBE, Cambridge University and Professor William Smyth, geographer, University College, Cork, will be among those contributing to the festival.
The festival takes place in Claregalway on Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10. Representatives from over 45 specialist nurseries from all over Ireland will attend and provide an opportunity to purchase rare, unusual and special plants. Garden furniture, pots, tools, ornament and sculpture will also be on offer, while there will be live music, food stalls, children’s entertainment and even a specialist book shop. Representatives of Birdwatch Ireland and Irish Beekeepers’ Federation will also be present at the festival.
The festival will be open from 11am to 6pm each day. A free courtesy bus will be available from Galway city centre rail station to the festival hourly from 10.30am each day.
All speakers are expected to gather on Sunday for a panel discussion and question time with the public.
“Despite all the speakers’ expertise, talks will be suitable for everyone and should be great for anyone with an interest in trees, landscape, woodland, woodland birds, the past as reflected in the landscape and more,” explained one of the festival organisers.
All gate profits go to the relief of avoidable blindness via www.CBM.ie. Further information is available on www.galwaygardenfestival.com.