THERE’S a corner of Kilmallock which is the realm of magical fairy creatures and a haven for lovers of plants and all things fairytale.
The Terra Nova garden in Dromin South, Kilmallock, closed for what creators Martin and Deborah Begley thought would be the last time after 22 years because Martin had suffered a serious illness and couldn’t greet visitors in person.
But after a year of treatment and the pair being inundated with requests from fans young and old, the couple have decided to open for a limited period this summer across July and August.
The garden is one of Ireland’s best known small, privately-owned gardens and is a firm favourite with visitors of all ages.
The half acre, now populated with fairy villages, fantastic plants, and magical places, was rescued from being a wet and muddy field by Martin and Deborah.
A past winner of the prestigious title of Best Garden in Ireland, Terra Nova also featured as second in the list of top Limerick attractions, just behind King John’s Castle, on Tripadvisor.
“We hadn’t planned to open again but we got so many emails and calls from people who wanted to visit one last time or people who never got to see it that we decided we would open this year,” Martin told the Limerick Post, adding that this will definitely be the garden’s last hurrah.
Deborah says that when they started out in 1999, “with a young garden newly planted by two passionate but inexperienced gardeners, we were totally clueless to the fact that our little garden would one day win Best Garden in Ireland and become one of Limericks most popular attractions.”
“We want to thank everyone who visited for making this possible, it has been an incredible experience,” she added.
