A Fruitful Year at Sean Dún Community Garden

The Sean Dún Community Garden was set up in May 2016 beside the Sean Dún housing estate by the River Colligan in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. The Community Garden, to date, consists of 25 allotments, with plans for further future development of the site to include a five-aside football pitch, a playground, a large polytunnel to be shared by all of the allotment holders, an edible fruit hedge, and a community amenity area.

The Community Garden is a community development initiative set up in the Sean Dún estate by Waterford City and County Council in association with the Ballybeg Community Development Project. To date, Waterford City and County Council have very generously funded the setting-up of the allotments, providing the site, basic equipment and tools required, and wood for raised beds and fencing.

The Ballybeg Horticulture Local Training initiative has provided training programmes for the allotment holders in the Community Garden, offering QQI (Quality & Qualifications Ireland) accredited training in horticulture, having completed QQI Level 3 and Level 4 in Growing Organic Vegetables, and currently doing a Hard Landscape Construction course.

There are enormous benefits for the community in having the Community Garden in the Sean Dún estate, not only to the allotment holders, but these benefits are also felt by all of those living in the Sean Dún estate. These include health benefits, social benefits, psychological benefits and environmental benefits, to mention just a few.

In the near future, the Sean Dún Community Garden allotment holders are planning to develop a commercial aspect to the Community Gardens, and supply top quality organically grown salad leaves, specialist vegetables, edible flowers and herbs to the local food service industry.

The allotment holders in the Sean Dún Community Garden have achieved an incredible amount in their first year, since May 2016, and look forward to an equally successful and fruitful time in the coming year!

Contact details for Sean Dún Community Garden are as follows:

Tel: 087 6987656
Email: seanduncommunitygarden@yahoo.com
Facebook: Sean Dun Community Garden