Cill Bhride Allotments (Carndonagh, Inishowen)

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This is a community initiative of the Cill Bhride estate in Carndonagh, Co Donegal, about 5 miles south of Malin Head.

After some persuasion and with residents making a strong case, the land was provided by the Carndonagh County Council at the back of the estate for the benefit of residents - All this has been organised and maintained by the residents themselves.

The raised beds are big enough to keep an average family busy a few hours a week, will yield a good supply of fresh veg for the family, and yet are not too big to demand too much work and maintenance.

Raising the beds means that compost, manure and other enrichment isn't wasted on ground that won't be used for growing, and the height is also designed to reduce the risk of back strain from bending over.

These pics were taken on 9th April, just before most of the beds start to be worked for the new season.

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The water tanks at the back of the site are not connected to a mains supply, as the intention is to feed them from the river which runs just beside the site (river not visible).

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Beds 10 & 9 have been kept weed-free by applying seaweed over the winter. This then decomposes and enriches the soil. What a great low-maintenance idea!

Some of the other beds have had grass clippings spread lightly over the bed to achieve a similar effect.

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...and here's Jim McLaughlin from the estate who represents the residents and who was instrumental in making a case with the council for providing the land for this purpose.


Maybe Jim will post up a few notes on what's been done here and how the beds are used over the coming months?

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