This year, during our third National Community Gardens and Allotments week, events were held country wide to celebrate community growing in gardens and allotments. The week was officially launched by Deputy Lord Mayor of Galway, Cllr. Alan Cheevers, at Community Gardens Ireland’s annual Autumn gathering, in Ballybane Community Resource Centre in Galway (https://cgireland.org/galway-launch-community-gardens-week-2025/). 

Thanks to Faozia Moqbel of Galway City Partnership and Let’s Get Galway Growing for hosting us, and to Ballybane and Merlin Woods Community Gardens for facilitating hugely informative and enjoyable tours of their gardens as part of the Autumn Gathering.

Events throughout the week included lots of garden tours and seed shares, from Dundalk which got lots of press coverage (Press Coverage, Press Coverage 2) to Leitrim, Galway to Cork. Interestingly there was an increase in apple pressing events, from Portaferry, Co. Down to Ballyfermot in Dublin!  Some used the week to advertise their opening times and activities, or took the opportunity to organise a meitheal! 

Sustainable living initiatives, climate actions, composting and wreath making all featured,  GAP also released powerful personal stories on social media from GLAS gardens in Ballymun and Blanchardstown to celebrate National week, and spoke on Newstalk and Midlands 103 about their work.  Check out this article in Horticulture Connected  on how GAP highlights the power of community gardens to nurture wellbeing, social connection and cohesion, and inclusion. It includes links to some of those personal stories of people talking about what being part of a garden means to them 

Reports of all activities organised during the week featured in our social media outlets, Facebook, Instagram and Instagram stories, and garnered lots of exposure. All in all, the week proved to be a wonderful showcase of all that community growing projects have to offer their local communities, with lots of food for thought for next year!