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
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medieval knievel · Rowan Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 112

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 · Rowan Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 112

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 · Silver Birch Tree Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 174

medieval knievel · Rowan Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 112

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 · Hazel Tree Joined: 24 Aug 2008 Posts: 40 Location: Cork

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.
More info can be got on a new site www.irishalloments.net which is trying to bring together information on one place.
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.
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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 · Hazel Tree Joined: 24 Aug 2008 Posts: 40 Location: Cork

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.
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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.
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AJ