The Garinish Island 100 Centenary Talks started successfully last Thursday.  The first talk on the “Plant Collection On Garinish Island” was given by Cormac Foley, OPWs well known Park Superintendent, who is undoubtedly one of the best experts on the topics of Garinish Island. Foley (photo) took the audience to a 90 minutes trip around the globe, showing and explaining the  world-renowned botanical treasures of Garinish Island in detail. The Horticulturalist, who administers big gardens such as Fota, recollected the early years a century ago, when Garinish was bought by the Bryce Family in August 1910 to be converted into a most impressive garden island.

Cormac Foley also touched on the future of Garinish Island: The clock tower is undergoing refurbishment, the Casita will be opened to the public this summer, a centenary garden with some very special plants will be opened to mark the 1ooth anniversary. Even plans to open the gardener´s cottage to the public are slowly taking shape. Within two years the closed-off cottage in the north-eastern part of Garinish could start telling the story of the Bryces and of garden architect Harold Peto. Well advanced plans include a team room or small restaurant and an art gallery.

The talk will be followed by three other Thursday night talks on the 8th., 15th. and 22nd. of July in Glengarriff Park Hotel. Admission is free.  The Garinish Island 100 Centenary Talks are a series of events by Glengarriff Tourism and Development Organisation (GTDA). Jim Larner (photo) initiated and organises the talks.  GTDA secretary Andrew O’Shea stated: “The Centenary Talks kicked off to a great start with the wonderful presentation on The Plant Collection on Garinish.  If the others are near as good then they will be a tremendous success. Dont miss out!”