The 2017 Galway Garden Festival will take place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July, at Claregalway Castle. This will be the 8th year of an uniquely charming garden event which caters for specialist and eclectic tastes.
A wonderful gathering of the very best of rare and special plant traders from all over Ireland, a programme of expert talks, a fine artisan food and crafts arena including the best of ‘Made in Galway’, as well as a host of musical entertainment and open-air performance is offered .
On Saturday, internationally respected gardener and plantsman Jimi Blake will talk on his famous garden- ‘Hunting Brook through the Seasons’; ‘ Seven Wonders of your Hedgerow’ is the theme of author, film-maker and educator Dr. Marina Levitina’s talk about Ireland's native wild plants and their medicinal and other beneficial qualities;
‘Garden Design on the Edge’ is the focus of Garden Designer and Columnist, Anne Byrne; Alan Whetham discusses ‘Getting the best from your Roses’ and Dr Phil Havercroft, Secretary of ISNA, will talk on ‘Garden Perennials – a celebration the less well known’
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On Sunday Bloom Gold Winner, Oliver Schurmann of Mount Venus Nursery, talks about‘From Show Gardens to Real Gardens’; Botanic Artist and Author, Jane Stark will talk about ‘Heritage Irish Plants – Plandai Oidhreachta’; Pat Dunn, well known gardening correspondent for Tribune newspapers - ‘Garden Planning – helpful hints and chemical free’; Mies Stam of Caherhurley – ‘Getting to know our w ild flowers’. (More to be announced on www.galwaygardenfestival.com )
Musical guests include the renowned band Scullion, also the multi-national folk duo of Four Shillings Short, St. Patrick’s Brass Band, Strictly Dixie Trad Jazz Band , Nuada and award-winning singer-songwriter Roesy. The Coole Music orchestra will also attend.
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The festival will feature real fights between Knights in Armour from Medieval Armed Combat Ireland; Fanzini Brother Circuss will delight with their new show; and Youth Ballet West will awe crowds with classical dance, while Yer Mans Puppets will entertain children of all ages.
A range of freshly cooked foods, handmade crafts and assorted wares are available as part of an artisan market. The Claregalway Botanical Art Expo is a well-established attraction at the festival, and many of the paintings on exhibition are for sale, along with limited edition prints, and cards. Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop will be there with a wide range of books - horticultural and beyond.
The 2017 8th Galway Garden Festival takes place between 11am and 6pm on Saturday and Sunday, 1st & 2nd of July at Claregalway Castle. Entry is €10 and children go free – this entry fee
gives access to EVERYTHING on site – music/talks/entertainment , with gate profits going to support CBM Ireland ( Christian Blind Mission ). There is free parking close-by and a free bus –courtesy of Bus Eireann - runs regularly from Ceannt Station in Galway City AND provids a link to and from Seafest. So come to Galway for a very special weekend!.
For all information, including further programme announcements, see www.galwaygardenfestival.com.
