Allotment gardening in Ireland

paddy mac fisto · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:48 am Post subject:

There's a good website for the Dublin Allotments here

medieval knievel · Sessile Oak Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 318

saw an ad earlier for allotments in ashbourne - 'uncle john's allotments'.
gave the number a ring, and they seem to be in an 'assessing the amount of interest' phase. allotments are 10mx12m, with water supply, and i have a hunch they may be run by the people behind the cottage garden centre. didn't get a price, but the number to ring is 086 859 2455, if you want to register your interest.

birdie · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:58 am Post subject:

medieval knievel thanks for that. I have got a brother around there who may just jump on that.

medieval knievel · Sessile Oak Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 318

popped into the cottage garden centre earlier - it's not them, but they were interested (mainly because they're by far the closest garden centre, i imagine).

anyway, the allotments are €300 a year - which is damn steep.
admittedly, the ones out in dunshaughlin are that price, and they will look after the allotment for you if you're away, so these people might be going for the same model.

cooler · Ash Tree Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 239

medieval knievel · Sessile Oak Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 318

well, you'd get about 80 of those plots in a hectare, so maybe 30 per acre?
they'd be pulling in nine grand an acre, per year, in an area where land is say 50k (complete speculation) an acre.

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:58 am Post subject:

Hi, We grow on a private allotment in Blarney in Cork.The plot is approx 30x20 ft. and we pay 200e a year for it. We have water on standpipes between every two plots and an inexhaustible supply of horse manure!
There is growing interest in allotment gardening as people become more aware of 'foodmiles'. It is a great social and learning hobby and the added bonus of bringing home great tasting food.
I started a blog http://organicgrowingpains.blogspot.com because there seemed to be no site for information on growing veg and hoped I would find Irish allotmenteers.I found lots of English ones which were great for friendly advice problems, growing and tips.Then I wandered in to this site where everyone seems to have congregated!
Please post on your allotments ,what you are growing and how you are getting on.

AJ · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:12 pm Post subject:

Evening Organicgrowingpains.
Was actually in Blarney today, didn't see u'r allotment though. Starting my own allotment tomorrow, have comondered 50'x15' at the bottom of my daughters garden, have moved tons of topsoil down there and hopefully tomorrow will be dry enough to let me stert building beds. Should have started weeks ago but every free day I had was raining. Have saved u'r blog to my desk top and hopefully this will be a good reference point for me.

Best of luck

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:19 am Post subject:

Hi AJ, glad you are getting underway at last.Its a good time as you have plenty of time to get the ground ready for next year.Clearing the ground and setting up beds is the back breaking part of it. You can plant a green manure on your beds to overwinter, it will stop the weeds growing and you can leave it on each bed until you are ready to plant it. Next time you are coming to Blarney contact me and I will arrange for you to visit the allotments.They are not easy to find as they are part of a farm and are not signposted in any way. its better as we do not have any security worries.Whatever post you put up here ie for advice or discuss a problem, someone and/or admin will give you an answer. I wish we had it last year starting off.Good luck and happy growing.

AJ · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:36 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the tip and offer for a visit, will give u a nod before I visit Blarney again.

Annamoe99 · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:53 am Post subject: Allotments

I am setting up allotments on a small piece of land near Roundwood in Co Wicklow in the spring of 2009. Would this be of any interest?

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject:

Hi sundew, I am on an allotment in Cork.They are privately run as the city council here is only now beginning to listen to demands for municipal sites.I started a blog last year hoping to find like minded people but like you had little luck.My blog is on http://organicgrowingpains.blogspot.com.
Then one evening I found this site which I have found a great source of help and advice!
I hope you find this helpfull

Liparis · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject:

I'm following these allotment threads with interest. I'm a great believer in allotments for many reasons, as well as actively pushing people to take one on. I've even offered land. I've been trying to find out about by-laws regarding County Councils making more land available.
My feeling is that people shouldn't be paying high prices for privately owned allotments. It should be the Councils responsibility to provide them. OK, I know it's not a perfect World. But put it this way. Governments are constantly hassling us to be eco-friendly and do what we can to save the evironment. Trouble is, they expect us to do it at our cost while really, they sit back and demand. They are our employees, they are answerable to us and they certainly don't own the land, they merely manage it for us.
Under UK law, if a minimum of 10 people approach the County Council requesting land for allotments, they are legally obliged to provide them, I don't see why that shouldn't happen here. The land can be in any state and not already ear-marked for other purposes, but it should also be capable of being used as an allotment, even if it means a few months back-breaking work, but they have to find some.
I believe that owning and working an allotment means that a family can do more for the environment than through any other means. Not just because a house won't be built on it, but it has far more reaching benefits to a community.
Is it not time in Ireland to stand up for our rights? Everywhere I go I see land lying idle, used as dumping grounds by imbeciles. It's time to kick Government butt and use that land, eat healthier, be healthier, get rid of those cheap, nasty vegetables in supermarkets. We won't need shops open till late burning needless electricity. Have you ever thought about how much waste through packaging alone is produced by one family in a year buying pakaged veg? How about dumping your membership fee to the local gym for one year. You would save at the least €500, take on an allotment and get just as fit. You wouldn't burn needless electric peddling a bicycle that's going nowhere either.
Eat your own veg and you will be a lot more healthier than buying imported Soya which they burn down thousands of acres of Brazillian rainforest each year to produce.
Phew! I feel better for that Laughing

Sorry for going on, it's one of my things.

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject:

Phew again! I am glad you got all that off of your chest, but here you are speaking to the converted and I am sure we all agree with every word you say. Here in Cork TV chef of Corrigan knows Food is getting involved with the City Council in setting up allotments for a new TV show this year. He intends having pigs and chickens as well as veg and expert advice on hand . If the allotments last after the TV show I am not sure.I wonder about the security aspect as they are on the city edges in Council areas.

Liparis · Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:41 am Post subject:

Yep, I knew I was trying to teach my granny to suck eggs. Like you say, sometimes you need to get these things off your chest.
My experience is that you get nowhere fast talking to county Council people, they are just not interested and merely nod and shake their heads at appropriate times. TD's are a dead loss, they just aren't interested in anything that won't get them a vote (blinkered). The people I have more success with are those non-TD's who work actively and hard for people and I'm currently discussing with one of those who is a pusher for people.
Glad to hear about the allotment TV show. Lets hope it's format is right for getting out to the masses and it has a positive effect. I look forward to it. It amazes me though, all these shows are centre and aimed at cities, which means all the work goes into those areas, not that I'm saying it isn't needed or shouldn't be so, nothing gets done about the rural areas and you'd be surprised about how little these people know about gardening, allotments etc. They have a fear of being laughed at by the way, often happens to me. They think it's another sketch for the 'Good Life'
By the way, if anyone outside Oldcastle wants a plot I have one they can use, about 260 sq meters.
Bill.