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info@eastcorkjournal.ie


Thursday, 16th


August 2018


Hosepipe Ban 2018-How Castlemartyr Is a Blooming Success despite Drought


by SEAMUS WHELEHAN


Hosepipe Ban 2018-How


Castlemartyr Is a Blooming Success despite Drought By Seamus Whelehan The


warm weather and


blue skies may be the recipe for a perfect summer. While


atures


scorching temper- have sun worshipers


flocking to the beach, parks and their gardens to soak up their daily dose of vitamin D, the heat is having an impact on our plant life. Although drought measures


are in place until the end of the month, the three month hose ban has not stopped one East Cork village staying in bloom. You’ll be just amazed how


this was accomplished by using a simple technique to hang- ing baskets, tubs, flower beds and floral displays, helping to keep Castlemartyr’s plants at their dazzling best along the


river bank in Castlemartyr and throughout Castle Manor estate. As the mercury hit an all-


time high with temperatures rarely seen in almost 40 years, the arid conditions didn’t stop Pat Delaney from Castle Man- or Estate digging deep to help keep the village in bloom. The


gardening enthusiast


has maintained a blaze of col- our while adhering to the hose pipe ban since it came into ef- fect in June. Pat, who is known for his in-


terest in all things garden relat- ed, has enriched his surround- ings by using small amounts of water taken from the Kiltha River which runs through his village. Every second night Pat and


a friend were applying min- imal amounts of river water directly to the roots of plants planted by the Castlemartyr Community Council and Pad- dy Daly and his FÁS to keep them moist.


“We were under pressure


to keep the Hydrangeas alive. They are very susceptible drought because


to their roots


just skim the surface. The rain two weeks ago was the eleventh hour saviour and now we just water the plants twice a week” Pat tells the East Cork Jour- nal.


Originally from a farming


family in Ovens, Pat’s interest in horticulture began in the 1960s. “The first plant I ever grew was a Dahlia. My mother went to Cork city once a month to get her hair done. She would never come home without a packet of Dahlias. As I was the eldest in the family it was al- ways my job to plant the Dahl- ias and it wasn’t to die other- wise I’d have to leave home”, he quips. Now weekly, during plant-


ing season the Castlemartyr resident


visits the Co-Op where Midleton he picks up plants that are about to be


thrown out, at knock down prices. “I get them with a 50% dis-


count. I bring them home and water them up. Bring them back to life and plant them out” “It’s all improvisation. What is planted all depends on what is available in the Co-op” He is even known to res-


urrect dead plants he finds in skips in local burial grounds while attending to plots be- longing to close family. Few people know that Pat’s


passion for flowers has led to a number of prestigious awards. On emigrating to Crickle-


wood, London in 1970, Pat took up a position in sales and service management at National Cash Register, the till company. He stayed there until he took a lease on a pub in London in 1982, where he applied the principals to his sales and service management to the pub business. “I always liked a pub that had a nice frontage and a pub


A Look Back at Day’s Gone


• Photo shows the 1991 Festival Queen with fancy dress participants in Knockanore. Tel: 021 463 8000 • Email: info@eastcorkjournal.ie • Web: www.eastcorkjournal.ie eastcorkjournal


that had a beer garden, so the flowers were a huge part of that set up.” “Once Easter came in, English people would be sitting out. The beer garden would have lovely furni- ture. It was like sitting out in their own garden at home. It was the home from home that was the big draw.” Two years in a row (1988 and 1989) Pat took second prize for his floral displays for


the city of Westminster, where he was up against hundreds of brewery owned bars. He also won a similar award for a micro brew pub he ran in


Northampton. “With a bit of luck, and if


you follow the rules, flowers are not difficult to grow”, he says.


CORK COUNTY COUNCIL COMHAIRLE CONTAE CHORCAÍ


& CONTRACTORS WANTED


ELECTRICIANS, PLUMBERS


Cork County Council has published advertisements on eTenders (www.etenders.gov.ie) to establish the following Frameworks to procure the relevant services from January 2019:


Electrical Works Framework Plumbing Works Framework


Response Maintenance and Minor Refurbishment Framework


Building and Major Refurbishment Works Framework


Closing date is 4pm on the 25th of September 2018. Tenders received after the closing date will not be valid.


Congratulations to Lauren & Luke on the


birth of their beautiful baby, Lucia Forde. Lots of love, Mike and Kate


@eastcorkjournal / #eastcorkjournal


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