Brigit's Garden News Blog

The windows are in!

2012-02-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

The new dining area - lots of glass!

Thewindows are in ahead of schedule, and what a difference it makes! Standing atthe fabulous big glass window at the far end of the new dining area you get a wonderfulview across the gardens. Can't wait to get on with the landscaping so thatvisitors sitting in the cafe will feel surrounded by flowers.

The promise of spring...

The new Visitor Centre is really taking shape, and there is SPACE! And still a lot of mess. With all the rain the last few days we have been paddling around, inside as well as outside.

Meanwhilethe daffodils are blooming between the machinery and the piles of timber. Ilike daffodils, they are tough as well as beautiful. Their strong green shoots push upthrough frosty ground and madFebruary weather to bloom regardless. Wordsworth said it all:

'And then my heart with pleasure fills

And dances with the daffodils'

Crocuses in the spring garden

The hazelcatkins are out too, and the crocuses. Spring is here and summer beckons, andit's great to see the gardens coming to life again.

The walls go up

2012-02-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Celebrating Brigit's Eve in the Roundhouse was magical. Despite the build it felt really important to mark Imbolc/Brigit's Day, so we escorted everyone to the Roundhouse under a perfet half moon. It was a lovely evening of cross-making, drumming and Brigit ritual, perfect soul-food after the chaos of building!

The building is shooting up, and feels in tune with the cycle of the seasons - foundations laid in the winter, sudden growth in the spring and due to be ready at Bealtaine in early May. The wooden frame, complete with steel girders to support sliding doors, is suddenly there. We can get a sense of the spaces inside and it's going to be great! Meanwhile Noel and the guys are removing and re-shaping much of the old building around us- every day another wall or a bit of roof disappears, but so far our little office remains an oasis.

Paul (Munster Joinery) & builder Noel discuss windows

Someone asked me yesterday if I was going away for a couple of months while the building is in progress. Hmm, about as likely as a blue moon! The timescale is tight. We are planning a festive re-launch weekend on the May bank holiday, 5th-7th, so there is a huge amount to organise for that, plus the new shop, new cafe, new staff, events for the summer, marketing, marketing and more marketing... And decisions have to be made every day. Today it was the colour of the window frames, which way the sliding doors should open and priorities for upgrading the website, among others. We are all busy, but it's great to see things happening.

So - some dates for your diary:
Easter weekend - the Gardens will re-open on Easter Saturday, 7th April, but without the Visitor Centre

May Bank Holiday weekend 5th-7th May - razzmatazz, re-launch, craic agus ceoil!

Thursday January 26

2012-01-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

Action! The diggers move in

Today it poured with rain for hours, turning the newfoundations into lakes that we had to hop and skip through to access theoffice. Ah the joys of building: mess everywhere, water and grit trampledthrough every room, banging noises and no gas in the cooker. But it's all worthit, we are going to have a fabulous new Visitor Centre by the end of April!

Foundations for the bright new cafe seating..

This blog will be a fun way to record the ups and downsof the build, and hopefully to share the thrills of seeing the building takeshape. Its exciting and a bit scary at times as Brigit's Garden takes a bigleap forward.

I can also give you a peek at all the work that goes onbehind the scenes as we struggle womanfully to keep the office going andprepare for the new Centre, heating our soup on camping gaz and coping witharctic draughts. I'll introduce you to the team and our plans for the future.

Right now I have to go to Oranmore to look at windows....

Jenny

We are rebuilding!

2012-01-23T04:51:00.000-08:00

Brigit's Garden is proud to announce a major development of our Visitor Centre, supported by a LEADER grant of €175,000 under the Government’s Rural Development Programme. The building works are already under way and are due to be completed by mid-April. The new Centre will feature an attractive reception area, a larger Gift Shop and an expanded Café with conservatory-style seating overlooking the gardens. The building will be environmentally friendly and will be carefully landscaped with a new patio area, picnic areas and additional children’s play equipment.

This is an exciting development that will greatly enhance the experience for visitors while retaining the friendly and relaxed atmosphere of Brigit’s Garden. As well as providing an excellent level of service for visitors to the unique Celtic-themed gardens the new Centre will be a destination in its own right for lunches, teas and gift shopping.

Announcing the funding, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan complemented Brigit’s Garden on being ’an innovative and interesting project that is not only a significant tourist attraction in the Connemara area but is also an important education, heritage and community resource’. As Brigit’s Garden is a not-for-profit project and an educational charity the new facilities will also help us provide a vital and innovative resource for the community.

Due to the construction works the spring re-opening of the gardens will be delayed this year, and we are planning a lively re-launch weekend in late April or early May, the exact date to be confirmed.

As the Roundhouse is unaffected Sunday morning meditation continues weekly at 11am and our annual celebration of Brigit’s Eve is also going ahead on Tuesday 31st January at 7.30pm in the Roundhouse (click here for details) but there will not be a family afternoon for Brigit’s Day this year.

We look forward to keeping you in touch with developments and welcoming you to the new Visitor Centre!