Media Box Releases

Blue skies, scorching temperatures and record numbers made the organisers of the 2012 Northwest Garden Show beam with delight after almost 12 months of hard work and planning.

21,000 people attended the Northwest’s largest garden and outdoor living fayre over the two days. A series of new features to this year’s show proved highly attractive for visitors and exhibitors alike.

Speaking at the end of the two-day show Event Director Michael Carlin said, “an exceptional team, valued sponsors, over 155 exhibitors, expert speakers and celebrity MC’s and our visitors to the show made this event a massive success. We are thrilled with this year’s event which showcased how a community can come together to put on a show which could be on any national stage. We broke all records with 7,000 people on Saturday and over 14,000 on Sunday.

“We launched a number of new features this year including Trash n’Fashion, our partnerships with McElhinneys on the fashion shows and Brian McDermott of Cookey School Live and not least the Northwet Garden Rose which saw 16 companies represented by fabulous young ladies in the Villa Rose Hotel on Friday night. A big congratulations to Rachel Ewing who will now act as an ambassador for the Northwest Garden Show and CPI LTD over the next 12 months.”

Diarmuid Gavin unveiled the plans for the White House Garden at the show and predicted that Castlefinn would be a “hive of activity over the coming years as tourists flock in their thousands to witness a unique feature with historical and futuristic connotations. I call on the people of the Northwest to support this project.”

“I really love it when a community pulls together to make something happen and the level of community spirit demonstrated in Castlefinn to bring a show that just grows and grows, is fantastic” says Diarmuid

Given the success of the show Irish TV, will feature footage from the Northwest Garden Show 2012, on their 'Out and About in Ireland' programme, Thursday 7th of June at 9pm on Sky Channel 201. It will be repeated one hour later on Sky Showcase + 1 channel 235, and again on Sunday at 7pm, Monday at 7pm on SKY TV showcase channel 201. It will also be available on www.irishtv.ie and on Freesat 403, so don't miss out on all the action from the weekends events.

Karen Murphy who spear-headed Trash n’Fashion and who runs the Karen Murphy School of Speech, Drama and Communications expressed her amazement at the standard of entries to the inaugural fashion recycling competition which was sponsored by Ferry’s Refuse.

“Over 50 applications from schools across Ireland were submitted to this competition and the standard was world class. I want to congratulate our two runner up winners from Deele College in Raphoe and first placed Pobalscoil na Carriage in Carrick and indeed all the entrants who have demonstrated a great aptitude for art and design and who  have also shown great confidence and communication skills in the delivery and presentation of their creations on stage. I’d like to thank their schools and teachers for supporting them and to our judges Karen O’Kane from Koko Designs and Michelle McCarroll from Michi.”

 
The winners of the Team Challenge competitions are:

Overall Challenge – Alt Sunday School with their ‘Beach Garden’

Schools Challenge – PCC Falcarragh with their entry ‘Plant Rock’

Open Class Challenge – Castlefin Youth College with their entry ‘Rocks’


Pallet Gardens competition winners are:

Overall – Welshtown National School with ‘Sweet Summer Treat Garden’

Schools Challenge

–      St. Brigid’s National School with their ‘Turtle’

–      Boyagh National School, Porthall with their Titantic Garden

Open Schools Challenge – Harry Murphy with ‘White House Garden’

 
Winner of the best exhibition stand went to Cranford Stone and it was designed by owner Martin McGee.

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Caption:

Gardening Gurus Tim Austen and Diarmuid Gavin discuss the Whitehouse Garden project at the Northwest Garden Show 2012