Growing a Greener Galway at Ballybane Community Organic Garden

By Emilie Borch Lanther

Sustainability and community are coming together in Ballybane at a unique garden run by a group of passionate volunteers. Ballybane Community Organic Garden, one of Galway’s oldest established community gardens, celebrated its 20th anniversary last August. 

Fully organic and with its own bug hotel, biodiversity is a central aspect of the garden. Bees swarm around the buckets of organic compost and homemade fertiliser made from local resources; like seaweed from the nearby beach and plants from the garden.  

All the volunteers’ hard work is evident throughout the garden, where kale, lettuce, apples, leeks and a variety of herbs are ready for harvest. However, the garden offers more than a place to grow fresh produce. It also provides opportunities for people to learn about food, sustainability and the natural environment. 

“It is so important to learn how your food is grown and where it comes from. Nowadays with everything bought in the supermarkets we don’t really see that farm to fork piece,” says Gráinne Ní Eidhin, Community Link Worker for Galway City Partnership. As part of her work, she helps the garden apply for funding from the Galway City Council. The funding helps improve areas of the garden and support efforts to educate the community through different workshops about topics such as pickling and food conservation, herbology and woodwork. 

Aside from its local impact on sustainability, biodiversity and education, the garden is also a space where people can come together and be part of a shared experience. “The garden is one of the only spaces in the community that is open every week year-round that is free to join, and you don’t need any specific skills to take part. It brings a real sense of community and social inclusion,” says Gráinne.  

Gerry Folan, chairperson in the garden and a Galway-native, joined the Ballybane Community Organic Garden twenty years ago after he moved across the river Corrib. Since then, he has found a sense of community and a lasting passion for gardening. “It is good for the head and the soul to get your hands in the soil and plant things, hoping they grow,” he says as he drinks a cup of tea in the garden with Ciaran, another long-standing volunteer. 

Ballybane Community Organic Garden is not the only one of its kind. There are an estimated 2500 community growing spaces across Ireland, and the national organisation Community Gardens Ireland is working hard to establish more.  

“Ireland has a very low number of public growing spaces per person,” says Molly Garvey, co-chair of Community Gardens Ireland. She argues that it is important for anyone who wants to, to have access to space to grow their own food or medicinal and ornamental plants. Community Gardens Ireland have just concluded their annual National Community Gardens and Allotments Week with the theme “Let’s Keep Growing: A Garden in Every Community.”  

“There should be no obstacle when a group comes together and says that they would like to meet food needs and health needs together,” explains Molly.  

With the aim of making community growing more accessible, the organisation has set a target of reaching 10,000 growing spaces by 2030.  

Back in Ballybane, the day’s work is drawing to a close. Buckets of freshly picked apples and bags of kale are ready to be put to use, marking another productive day in the garden. 

“The garden is always open for new volunteers and there is plenty of work to be done,” says Gerry, smiling as the last volunteers pack up for the day.