A Victorian walled garden at the foot of Connemara's Doughruagh mountain has been reopened by the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid. The six-acre garden, carved out of bog and rock in the 19th century, was restored for the Benedictine nuns of Kylemore Abbey under the EU-funded Great Gardens of Ireland programme.
Bank loans, Bord Failte, Fas and the Heritage Council assisted with the initiative, which has taken four years. The original was created by Mitchell Henry, a 19th century Manchester surgeon and proprietor, and his head gardener to supply fresh fruit and vegetables. Apart from seasonal produce, it yielded peaches, melons, nectarines, coffee, bananas and medicinal herbs and other exotic fruits for the Henry residences in both Connemara and London.
Henry created a microclimate by positioning the garden to secure the greatest amount of sunshine. He also introduced a patented ventilation system in his 21 glasshouses on higher ground.
A mountain stream meandering through it divided it into two, the kitchen garden for food and the pleasure garden with geometric flowerbeds and a double herbaceous border. Victorians believed in such division as they did not consider vegetables to be aesthetically pleasing.
The walls remain largely intact. Historic buildings which have been restored include the head gardener's cottage, the bothy for "boys" (also accommodating the garden pony) and two of the 21 glasshouses. The current head gardener, Ms Ann Golden, and her team had to use the 1898 Ordnance Survey map as a reference guide to recreating the sloping lawns of the flower garden, which was completely overgrown.
The firm of Buchan Kane and Foley was consultant architects and project managers for the initiative, which was commissioned after the Benedictine nuns had completed the architects' restoration of their abbey and Gothic church. Yesterday a tree was planted after Dr McDaid's "unlocking" ceremony by Mr John Joyce (93), who once worked on the Henry estate with his family.
The garden has been open to the public since the spring and remains open from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. daily till the end of this month. A separate entrance has been created from the road to the gardens, and a reception area and tearooms have also been built. The nuns hope to restore all the glasshouses, if finances permit.
