New: 200th edition of Kilkenny show launches competition for Best Gardens

On Saturday the new Garden Competition was officially launched in the Community Centre to celebrate Piltown’s gardens and gardeners.

It is open to all, from seasoned growers to first-time gardeners with categories to suit every type of garden within the Piltown speed limit area.

The different categories are 1. Small front garden; 2. Medium / large front garden; 3. Open space in housing estate with special awards for the ‘best display of containers’ and the ‘best upcycled garden feature’. Prizes are sponsored by the John O’Shea Trust.

Chairman of Piltown Tidy Towns, Seamus O’Shea encouraged everyone to enter .
Iverk President, Wattie Walsh, said that the Show has always been a great community effort and he was delighted to see it continuing.

John Flynn, Iverk chairman, thanked the organisers and hoped the initiative would continue and develop over the coming years.

ABOVE: Launching the new Iverk Show Garden Competition: Sinead Kenny, Jill Dowley, Wattie Walsh, President, John Flynn, Chairman, Mauney Doyle, John Connolly, Mary Ryan, all Iverk Show committee, and Seamus O’Shea, chairman, Gerrie Hickey and Ann Flynn all Piltown Tidy Towns

Iverk’s main organisers, Mauney Doyle and Mary Ryan, gave some examples of upcycling ideas and different suitable plants and flowers that would be at their best at judging time in late June.

Another idea from yesteryear and included in the competition is a class for ‘school’ gardens. Ten National Schools in the Barony of Iverk will take part, namely Piltown, Owning, Templeorum, Mooncoin Snr, Mooncoin Jnr, Carrigeen, Kilmacow, Strangsmills, Mullinavat and Bigwood. Again, down through the years National Schools encouraged pupils to ‘grow and show’.
Results and prizes will be presented at the Iverk Show on Saturday, August 22.
For info and entry forms: gardencompetition@iverkshow.ie