Athenry News & Views Summer 2026

Athenry News & Views

Seeds of Connection Growing in the Heart of the Community By: Ciaran Mahony & Emma Muldoon (Clarin College) Athenry Community Garden and Nature Park

With the decline of the “third space” across Ireland and beyond — those everyday places where people naturally gather and connect — many communities are experiencing growing levels of isolation and disconnection. In recent years, Athenry has not been immune to this shift. Yet beneath the surface, something hopeful has been quietly taking root. That spark of renewal comes in the form of the Athenry Community Garden and Nature Park, a remarkable local initiative developed by Amicitia Athenry and a committed team of volunteers determined to create a greener, healthier and more connected future for the town. The seeds of the project were first planted during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when many people rediscovered the benefits of spending time outdoors and reconnecting with nature. Seeing that the local allotments in Athenry were already at full capacity, Gillian Lally approached Galway County Councillor and Amicitia voluntary director Shelly Herterich Quinn with the idea of creating a new community garden for the area. Through the support of Galway County Council, a 2.4-acre site in Gortnahown was secured, and work soon began. Since then, an energetic group of volunteers — including Shelly Herterich Quinn, Gillian Lally, Patrick Mulhahill, Heather Griffen, Paul Cotter, Jason Ó’Cobhthaigh and many others — have dedicated countless hours to transforming the land into a thriving community space built on cooperation, sustainability and shared purpose. One of the first major undertakings involved planting approximately 300 native trees around the site. These trees not only enhance biodiversity and sustainability but also help improve the wet and boggy ground conditions that exist across parts of the land. The project gained further momentum when Amicitia received Climate Action funding, enabling significant developments to take place. Among the most impressive additions is a newly constructed polytunnel, allowing gardeners to grow produce throughout the year and experiment with a wider variety of crops. During a recent visit to the gardens, lead gardener Gillian Lally proudly showcased flourishing tomato plants already thriving inside the structure. Working alongside the Athenry Men’s Shed, the team also constructed 19 raised planting beds to provide additional growing spaces for local residents as demand for allotments continues to increase.

The site’s vision extends far beyond gardening alone. A solar-powered cabin has been installed and is intended to serve as a community hub for workshops, training sessions, educational activities and social gatherings — or simply somewhere to “pop down for a cup of tea.” The garden also features a beautiful natural pond, where efforts are underway to encourage wildlife such as frogs and newts to settle and thrive. The entire site has been carefully designed to help reconnect people with nature and with one another. That sense of reconnection was perfectly captured during one of the community tree-planting days, when local children enthusiastically played in piles of soil and, as Gillian Lally fondly described, “went home filthy and delighted with life.” Lally’s philosophy for the garden centres on encouraging people to reconnect with the earth and “not be afraid to get dirty again.” It is an ethos that has become deeply embedded in the atmosphere of the project — one that welcomes people to ground themselves, appreciate nature, build friendships and become part of something meaningful.

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