OPW: Office of Public Works
Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí
New National Botanic Garden named in Co. Wicklow
Monday June 14th 2010
PRESS RELEASE
On Wednesday 16th June, the arboretum and gardens at Kilmacurragh in Kilbride, Co. Wicklow will be visited by up to 450 delegates from the 75 countries attending the 4th Global Botanic Gardens Congress. This Congress is being hosted in Ireland for the first time by the National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin and the Office of Public Works.
In honour of the Congress, and in recognition of the important national and international status of Kilmacurragh, the Gardens are being renamed The National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh.
The announcement of this change of status was made at a reception for delegates this evening in Dublin Castle by Dr. Martin Mansergh TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for the OPW.
In 1995, the historic gardens and arboretum at Kilmacurragh were transferred to State care, and brought under the management of the Office of Public Works (National Historic Properties). Since that time, the National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin (OPW) has undertaken an extensive programme of restoration and development at Kilmacurragh.
This work has included the development of visitor and staff facilities, the conservation of historic tree specimens, new educational activities, scientific, botanical and plant conservation research and major replanting of the gardens with specimens collected by the staff of the gardens at Kilmacurragh and Glasnevin in such countries as China and Chile.
Kilmacurragh has gained its status as a botanic garden, because it now meets the high international criteria required for institutions bearing that name. Botanic Gardens are defined as "institutions having comprehensive documented botanical collections for the purposes of scientific research, education, horticulture, conservation and display". The Garden has now been registered with the international body, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the organisers of the Congress, and is included in the world list of botanic gardens.
The Gardens will continue to be managed by, and as an integral part of, the National Botanic Gardens. This will guarantee not only that the highest possible standards will continue to be maintained, but also ensure its position as one of the key Gardens of the South-East, making it an increasingly important visitor amenity for Wicklow and neighbouring counties.
Ends.
For further information contact: -
Dr Peter Wyse Jackson, Director, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin (01) 804 0300
Seamus O’Brien, Head Gardener, National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh (0404) 48411
Neil Ryan, OPW Press Officer, (046) 942 6128 or (087) 947 5552
Background and other Information
The Arboretum is developing as a major collection of plants from temperate regions of the world, including Ireland, China, southern South America and the Himalaya. Visitors can enjoy such features as the woodland walks in the arboretum, restored double borders, an historic yew walk, pond and native wildflower meadows.
The arboretum at Kilmacurragh is particularly famous for its conifers, rhododendrons and other calcifuges (lime-hating plants) and includes some of the best specimens of such species in these islands.
The Arboretum was largely planted in the 19th century by Thomas Acton, in association with the David Moore and his son Sir Frederick Moore, curators of the National Botanic Gardens at that time. The major new plantings being added to the collections from many parts of the world will support its work in science, conservation, horticulture and education. The different soil and climatic conditions at Kilmacurragh allow many species to thrive there that would struggle or cannot be grown outdoors at Glasnevin.
The gardens are now enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors each year. Particularly popular are the spring displays of magnificent Rhododendrons in bloom, carpets of spring bulbs in the early part of the year and the restored double borders with their collections of herbaceous plants and shrubs in summer.