Boston Flora

Tag: Ireland

  • Tuesday, May 20 – Friday, May 30, 2026 – Ireland in Bloom

    Embark on a breathtaking springtime voyage through Ireland and Northern Ireland with the American Horticultural Society and tour leader Keith Tomlinson on May 20 – 30, 2026. Cruise around the Emerald Isle aboard the intimate, 72-cabin Exploris One, and discover a rich tapestry of historic gardens, sweeping coastal landscapes, and native flora at their seasonal peak. Explore UNESCO World Heritage sites and charming seaside towns, while enjoying guided excursions that spotlight the region’s horticultural traditions and natural beauty. Throughout the journey, experience the warmth of Irish hospitality and the vibrant renewal that defines spring in this lush, storied land.

    Customize your journey with excursion options at select ports, including walking excursions exploring Ireland’s natural wonders.
    Delight in the natural beauty of Ireland’s celebrated gardens, from the wooded grounds of Glenveagh Castle and the grand Mount Stewart estate near Belfast to the charming Salthill Gardens in County Donegal. Conclude with a visit to Kylemore Abbey, where a stunning Victorian walled garden awaits amid the wild landscape of Connemara National Park.
    Experience the jewels of Ireland’s famed Atlantic Coast including the dramatic Cliffs of Moher and the bogs and grasslands of Connemara National Park.
    Dock overnight in Belfast and Galway for opportunities to dine ashore and to enjoy the cities’ lively atmospheres and famed music scenes.
    Discover Belfast’s intriguing history including a visit to Titanic Belfast, a state-of-the-art museum on the site of the yard where the ill-fated ship was built.
    Travel along the Northern Ireland’s Antrim coast to the world heritage-listed Giant’s Causeway, the site of some 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns.

    Visit www.ahsgardening.org for a complete program brochure and registration opportunity.

  • Monday, May 12 – Monday, May 19, 2025 – The Gardens of Ireland

    Ireland’s gardens are noted for their uninhabited vitality and exuberance, echoing the dramatic character of her landscapes, her equable climate, and the outgoing nature of her peoples. All these qualities can be well appreciated in the southern province of Munster, where a wonderful range of gardens will be on the itinerary of a seven-day visit organized by the Garden Trust from 12th to 19th May 2025. Staying in the historic towns of Waterford, Cork and Bantry, the tour will visit the glorious island gardens of Fota and Ilnacullin, the subtropical Elysium of Derreen amidst the majestic Caha Mountain and the magnificent gardens of Muckross and Dunloe aside the lakes of Killarney. Taking full advantage of the country’s mild, equable climate, all of the gardens to be visited boast a marvellous range of spring flowering plants; among those include the atmospheric grounds of Blarney Castle which have some especially fine collections, as have, the recently restored woodland and river garden at Annesgrove, as well as the lovely colourful gardens of Tourin and Cappoquin, while the enormous gardens at Mount Congreve contains one of the largest woody plant collections in the world. Nearby, the tour will visit the grand formal gardens of Curraghmore, whose shell house is a delight and the ancient walled gardens of Lismore, the Duke of Devonshire’s Irish home, while to the north the magnificent restored Victorian pleasure grounds of Woodstock will be visited and nearby, the enchanting, wooded glen of Kilfane with its romantic cottage orne and the delightful lakeside pleasaunce of Altamont in County Carlow. Local guides will be on hand, while the tour will have the added bonus of being led by Terence Reeves-Smyth and Robert Peel, both of whom are familiar with these gardens. Terence, a garden and architectural historian, is well-known authority on Irish gardens and the author of numerous books and papers. Three beautiful hotels are on the itinerary – The Tower Hotel in Waterford, The Metropole Hotel in Cork, and the Maritime Hotel in Bantry. For all details, visit https://www.successtours.com/private-tours/rob0525

  • Sunday, September 15 – Saturday, September 28 – A Grand Tour of the Emerald Isle’s Enchanting Gems

    Join The Royal Oak Foundation September 15 – 28 on an unforgettable grand tour of magical Ireland, steeped in folklore and sprinkled with mystical castles, atmospheric houses and charming cities. We saunter through breathtaking landscapes and natural wonders, including the Wild Atlantic Way, Achill Island, the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry and the Giant’s Causeway, all while exploring a host of historic gems and delving into Irish cultural heritage. Fascinating experiences illuminate the fabric of this enchanting little isle; we get a taste of rural life at Glen Keen Farm, journey back in time aboard the Dunbrody Famine Ship, sample a perfect pint of Guinness atop a Dublin rooftop, kiss the iconic Blarney Stone of Eloquence, enjoy the craic at a traditional Celtic show and so much more – sláinte! For complete information visit https://www.royal-oak.org/britain-tours-2024/emerald-isle/ $9,995 per person. Email today to reserve at BKennedy@Royal-oak.org or call 212-480-2889 ext. 203

    Giant’s Causeway, Antrim, Northern Ireland

  • Wednesday, February 15, 1:30 pm Eastern – Unforgettable Gardens – Ireland: Phoenix Park, Online

    The Gardens Trust presents a series of 4 online talks on some of the well- and lesser known historic gardens of Ireland Wednesdays from 1 Feb £5 each or £16 for all. Register through Eventbrite HERE., or visit https://thegardenstrust.org for more details. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk (If you do not receive this link please contact us). A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards. This third of the series is on Phoenix Park, on February 15.

    Phoenix Park is one of the world’s great urban parks and has been managed by the Office of Public Works almost continuously from 1860 to the present day and for periods of its history before that. Its significance lies in its antiquity, from human habitation to 5,500 years ago, through the reign of Charles II in the 1660s, when it was Ireland’s only royal deer park at the time, until the present day, where it makes a major contribution to the recreational, cultural, social and economic needs of the City of Dublin.

    The lecture will endeavor to cover the main landscape and historical developments during its 360 year existence as a recreational facility as well as focusing on some of the major landscape professionals such as Decimus Burton who made a major contribution to its landscape layout. Some aspects of the Park’s management as the herd of fallow deer and grassland management will also be discussed and the contributions made by a number of Park bailiffs in the late 19th and early decades of the 20th centuries.

    Dr John A. McCullen graduated from University College Dublin with a first class hons. degree in horticulture in 1970 followed by an MSc. in Landscape Ecology, Design and Maintenance from Wye College, London University. In 2007 he was awarded a PhD by the University of Dublin for his thesis on the Landscape History and Management of the Phoenix Park from 1800-1880. He is retired chief park superintendent with the Office of Public Works and has been responsible for the management and conservation of Phoenix Park for almost 25 years. John has also been involved in the conservation and restoration of numerous other OPW historic properties during this period. He is the author of An illustrated history of the Phoenix Park: landscape and management to 1880 (OPW, 2009). He is currently working on vol. 2 of the Park’s history from 1880 to 1980 which is due to be published in 2023.

  • Wednesday, February 1, 1:30 pm Eastern – Unforgettable Gardens – Ireland, Mount Usher, Online

    The Gardens Trust presents a series of 4 online talks on some of the well- and lesser known historic gardens of Ireland Wednesdays from 1 Feb £5 each or £16 for all. Register through Eventbrite HERE., or visit https://thegardenstrust.org for more details. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk (If you do not receive this link please contact us). A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards. The first in the series, on February 1, is on Mount Usher.

    William Robinson (1838 – 1935) who advocated a naturalistic style of gardening described Mount Usher as ‘a charming example of the gardens that might be made in river valleys’. Edward Walpole had purchased a mill house and land by the Vartry river at Ashford, Co. Wicklow. We examine how from the 1880s his sons, described as ‘Robinson’s disciples’ introduced his ideas as they and later generations planted an 8-ha site and created what remains an outstanding example of a Robinsonian garden in Ireland.

    For Dr Mary Forrest, horticulture has been her occupation and gardening her hobby for many years. After studies in amenity horticulture in the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin and commercial horticulture in University College Dublin, Mary was appointed A Taisce Heritage Gardens Fellow – preparing an inventory of trees and shrubs in private and public gardens in Ireland, published as Trees and Shrubs cultivated in Ireland (Carrageen Books, 1985) One of the gardens catalogued was Mount Usher, Co. Wicklow. Following three years as Horticultural Supervisor at Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal. Mary was appointed lecturer in UCD where she specialised in ornamental horticulture and garden history from 1986 until retirement in 2020. She has spoken on Irish garden history at the Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Trust’s annual conferences and published papers on women’s horticultural colleges, school gardens, allotments and Arbor Day in 20th century Ireland. She holds an MSc in environmental sciences; a PhD in cut foliage studies and an MA in Carmelite Studies.

  • Tuesday, April 6, 2:00 pm – Romantic Irish Country Houses, Online

    What is it that gives the Irish house such a distinctive character? Why should their personality—and that of their owners—be so often idiosyncratic and eccentric? And how is it that there remains plenty of houses where shabby chic has been the norm for generations?

    In an amusing and informative Royal Oak Foundation online talk on April 6 at 2 pm, mixing history with anecdote, author Robert O’Byrne offers a tour of some of Ireland’s unusual houses.

    These include the family home whose present occupant has rescued everything connected with his ancestors—including their tombstones. And a house where so much plaster had already fallen off the walls that its owner simply took a hammer to clear away the rest. Then there is the stately home where the maid reputedly fell through the ceiling—landing safely on the dining room table. Robert’s introduction to these houses’ history and unique characteristics will entertain and enlighten.

    Robert O’Byrne is a writer and lecturer specialising in the fine and decorative arts. He is the author of more than a dozen books, among them Luggala Days: The Story of a Guinness House (Cico Books); Romantic Irish Homes, Romantic English Homes: A Tribute to Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin (Lilliput Press), and The Irish Aesthete: Ruins of Ireland (2019).

    A former Vice-President of the Irish Georgian Society and trustee of the Alfred Beit Foundation, he is currently a trustee of the Apollo Foundation. Among other work he writes a monthly column for Apollo magazine, and also contributes to each issue of the quarterly Irish Arts Review.

    $20. Register HERE

  • Wednesday, June 18 – Sunday, June 22 – 11th World Flower Show: A Floral Odyssey

    Wednesday, June 18 – Sunday, June 22 – 11th World Flower Show: A Floral Odyssey

    During the 11th World Flower Show, to be held June 18 – June 22 in Dublin, Ireland, the RDS Convention Complex will be transformed into a haven of beauty filled with spectacular competitive floral exhibits. The creativity and innovation of floral artists never ceases to amaze. Irish and International floral demonstrators and lecturers will take you on magical tours of their countries with the use of their native plant materials and stories while the myriad of vendors in the Trade Hall will tempt you to shop. Explore the gardens, culture and scenery of Dublin and the surrounding counties on one of the planned tours. Join the party on the final evening at the Gala Banquet in the Burlington Hotel, now known as The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. WAFA Ireland promises a truly Irish evening of music, dance and fun.

    Bookings for all events are particularly brisk with some demonstrations now full. Don’t be disappointed and book your tickets before the ‘Full House’ sign goes up. Accommodation in some hotels in the immediate vicinity of the RDS is sold out but our conference accommodation team has added extra hotels and will assist you in acquiring accommodation.

    The World Flower Show is a triennial event and this is the first occasion it is staged on Irish soil. The show is open to all and even if you are not a flower arranger, please come and witness this colorful extravaganza. You will not be disappointed. Details may be found at http://wafaireland.com/ A complete listing of all events, day by day, may be accessed at http://wafaireland.com/uploads/files/ScheduleforWeb%5B1%5D.pdf.

    Below is a picture of an arrangement by Ireland’s own Mary C. O’Keeffe from the 10th World Flower Show which was held in Boston – the flowers were truly spectacular.

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