Community Gardens Ireland was honoured to attend the President’s garden party in the beautiful venue of  Áras an Uachtaráin on Thursday 26th of June 2025. Molly Garvey, Miren Maialen Samper, Jenny Lyons, Maeve Foreman, and Dónal McCormack attended on behalf of Community Gardens Ireland.

The garden party was organised to celebrate community groups and organisations throughout Ireland that are taking actions to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development goals.

There were talented musicians present throughout the Áras and gardens. Community Gardens Ireland was delighted to be in attendance of the Garden party celebrating the achievements by the community groups and organisations towards the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We were delighted to meet many of these leaders throughout the afternoon, including Hans Zomer from Global Action Plan, Gráinne and Gareth from Síolta Chroí, Attracta Uí Bhroin, Clondalkin Global Community Garden, Comhlamh, TDs, Senators, and so many more amazing groups.

We were delighted to present a strawberry plant to President Michael D Higgins to recognise his support towards community gardens and allotments throughout his presidency.

The president’s speech itself was excellent and well received by the attendees. He mentioned the importance of food security, global solidarity, biodiversity and highlighted the importance of all the organisations present towards the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development goals.

President Higgins said: “The public understand. The public are in favour of peace rather than war. The public are in favour of the reduction of global poverty. The public see exactly what is taking place, but it is going to be a big big struggle….So I do want to say the good news is that there are so many of you, so many organisations, and so many people in different generations, citizens, active, all of you, be it in relation to climate justice, humanitarian aid, sustainable development, gender equality, the eradication of global hunger, molaim sibh.

“I think the moral leadership that is now required for a just and equal world, I think it has the support of active, engaged and inclusive citizenship, and it it due to the work that you have all been doing. We are now entering our biggest confrontational struggle between two models of the future…Neoliberalism has visited all its dreadful consequences on us. And the debate is, what is to replace it? Something that is moral in relation to nature, in relation to communities, in relation to the balance between equality, economy and society, alternative ways of living, experiencing the joy of nature, the joy of each other, the sheer spontaneity of things that go beyond irresponsible Capital. And I know that is possible, thinking beyond the self. The evidence is here that people are doing it. So, this is a great opportunity, I hope that you make contact with each other because you are a collective that is doing things in hundreds of different ways, and that you come to know each other.”

The day ended with wonderful music performances and plenty of dancing!

Earlier in the year the President issued a letter for our online Community Gardens Spring Gathering:

https://cgireland.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MESSAGE-Community-Gardens-Ireland-Signed.pdf

A huge thank you to President Higgins and Sabina Higgins, the staff at Áras an Uachtaráin, the OPW, and all organisations and community groups for their work on this hugely important area.

Post contributed to by Miren Maialen Samper, Jenny Lyons, Maeve Foreman, Molly Garvey, Dónal McCormack, and from President.ie. For more details on this, email info@cgireland.org