The NIHGT Directors & Committee are saddened by the death of our dear friend John O'Reilly.
John & his sorrowing wife Mary have been strong supporters of the work of the NIHGT and in particular the Annual Conference.
Now available in the RESEARCH area of the NIHGT web pages:
A concise history of the development of the Garden at Glenveagh Castle is presented here. There have been three significant periods of development of the Garden, the first - during the ownership of Mrs Adair from 1885-1921, the second - that of Henry McIlhenny from 1937- 1983 and the third - most recently under State ownership from 1983 to the present.
The managed exploitation of deer and its role in the history of the Irish landscape from prehistoric times is examined with particular reference to hunting and deer parks. Being the chief surviving physical manifestation of past deer management, deer parks were first introduced by the Normans, though they became a dominant feature in Ireland only during the 17th and 18th centuries, after which their numbers declined with the ascendance of fox hunting. One of the largest and best recorded of these parks, the 3,000-acre Great Deer Park at Glenarm, Co Antrim, is subject here to special attention.
“Anyone who has recently visited the Annesley Garden and Arboretum will be in no doubt that the Gardens and the important collection is in serious decline. The gardens where purchased by government some years ago and are currently under the stewardship of DARD NI’s Forest Service.
The walled Annesley garden, dating from 1740, provides a central focal point for the National Arboretum at Castlewellan. This magnificent collection of trees and shrubs, set in beautiful surroundings, also incorporates fountains, ponds, ornamental greenhouses and broad sweeping vistas.
The collection ranks among the top three arboreta in the British Isles and the finest in Ireland. It is also highly significant among European collections!
It includes:-18 oldest existing specimens in the British Isles, 34 ‘champion’ trees of the British Isles and 42 ‘champion’ trees of Ireland. WE NEED TO RAISE AWARENESS of this jewel and influence decision makers to such an extent that we reverse the decline! “
Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Committee 2012