Story Title: Gardens of the World - Ireland
Episode: 7
Broadcast Date: 04th May 2013
Presenter: Susannah Wilson

Susannah takes us on a journey to some of Ireland’s most famous gardens

Famous Irish Gardens

• Located in the heart of Dublin, Helen Dillon’s cottage garden is filled with an eclectic mix of species
• Her collection includes species like Roses, Linum and Delphinium
• Next stop is Bantry Bay, located on the south west tip of Ireland
• The Bantry house and garden sits above the bay and was constructed in 1739 by Richard White (the first earl of Bantry)
• The gardens are Italian in style and stretch over 80 acres and can still be viewed today
• Also in southwest Ireland is Garnish Island – bequeathed to the Irish people in 1953
• Each year over 70 thousand people make their way to the island by ferry to view the gardens
• Brice Annan started the gardens in 1910, transforming what was once a baron coastal landscape into a flourishing array of exotics
• The oldest structure in the garden is the Martello Tower - an original feature of the Island dating back to 1805
• The tower was built by the British war office as protection against a possible Napoleonic invasion

Contact
If you’d like to learn more about these spectacular gardens, head to the Explore website http://www.gurusexplore.tv