Claregalway Castle will welcome one and all to the charming annual Galway Garden Festival this Saturday and Sunday.
Ireland’s best special plant nurseries, expert speakers, artisan food providers, fine craft producers, live music, street theatre and children’s entertainment all form part of this great weekend.
The Galway Garden Flower Club will host its summer show, and will also run a series of floral and horticultural competitions. Entry is open to all. For further information on the competitions, email [email protected].
The Irish Botanic Artists Association will also be at the festival, exhibiting superb artwork by many new and familiar names.
Enjoy the timeless beauty and ancient art of miniature trees with the Connaught Bonsai Club exhibition, The Art of Living Nature.
Entertainment includes a wonderful new show by Yer Man’s Puppets, with performances twice daily at 12.30 and 2.30pm.
Zany shows from Fanzini’s Circus ( 1.30pm and 3.30pm ) are sure to delight everyone, and Nemo the Magician will be up to his usual tricks throughout the weekend.
Music includes the Silver Moon Quintet, Galway’s much loved St Patrick’s Brass Band, the Corrib String Quartet and the Pocket Jazz Orchestra.
The Botanic Art and Bonsai Exhibition will be launched at 6.30pm on Friday, July 3 by artist, Yanny Petters, with many unique paintings and limited editions for sale.
Food and crafts of the highest quality return to this year’s festival. Freshly cooked foods will be available from Handsome Burger, Tacos Traviesas, Bartollini Pizza and more.
Handmade crafts and artisan foods are well represented with the best of Galway County Council’s Made in Galway group. Craft vendors will include Sliabh Aughty Honey, the Burren Flower Fairies, Dooley Woollen Products, the Owl Tree, Tribal Foods, Gran Grans Food, Els Bels Boutique, Scents of Galway, Galway Fairytales, Fox Woodturning and Wild Irish Kin.
Guest speakers
The festival will also feature a vibrant programme of guest speakers. On Saturday July 4 at 12 noon, Dr Marina Levitina, filmmaker, author and ecologist will present her film, Lough Greine – A Bright Vision and discuss the Lough Grainey Nature Sanctuary in Co Clare.
At 2pm Geraldine Scully, flower farmer, podcaster and Bloom 2026 winner, will speak about ‘Creating a cutting garden in the smallest of spaces’. Sean O Gaothaoin, head gardener at Glenveagh National Park, Co Donegal, will give the final talk of the day at 3.30pm, on ‘Ireland’s flora and its place in our gardens’.
Sunday’s speaking programme begins at 12 noon with Oliver Schurmann, garden designer and Chelsea Flower Show and Bloom Gold Medalist, Mount Venus Nursery, Dublin, giving a talk titled ‘It’s never too late’.
At 2pm, Dr Jason McElligott, director, Marsh’s Library, Dublin, will speak on ‘Labours of Love: The eighteenth-century Dublin gardens of Jonathan Swift and the Royal Hospital Kilmainham’.
At 3.30pm Neil Porteous, historic garden consultant and plantsman, will present on ‘Plants for the 21st century garden’.
Specialist nurseries
This year sees a very large representation from Ireland’s best plantspeople and will include Caherhurley Nursery, Boyne Garden (Best in Show Bloom ), Rare Plants Ireland, Mount Venus Nurseries, Coldblow Nursery, Leaf and Petal, Kilmurray Nursery, Irish Fuchsia, Albury Gardens and Design, Shady Plants, Mulhall Obelisks, Dangan Nurseries, Air Plants, Cottage Garden Plants, Harry White Flowers, Flower Farmers of Ireland and Three Gates Nursery.
The 2026 Galway Garden Festival takes place between 11am and 6pm on Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6 at Claregalway Castle. Entry is €15, €10 seniors and students, and children under 16 are free. Gate profits will go to to CBM Ireland (Christian Blind Mission ).
Free parking is available close-by or use Bus Eireann (www.expressway.ie ) routes 52 and 64 which run regularly from Galway city.
For further information and programme announcements, see www.galwaygardenfestival.com
