Mount Congreve

Waterford Blaa

People might like to know that Mount Congreve Gardens are open to the public tomorrow (Thursday 20th June) from 9am to 4pm
http://www.mountcongreve.com/

Sully

Just came onto post this! Spread the word, its a real hidden gem and well worth a visit! Its a trial opening to see if there is demand to keep them open!

deisemum

Can you buy plants out there and is there an admission charge or a tour?

I've never been but if the weather is good tomorrow I'd be on for a visit.

Waterford Blaa

deisemum wrote: »

Can you buy plants out there and is there an admission charge or a tour?

http://www.mountcongreve.com/

fuzzy dunlop

I didn't know the house was designed by John Roberts. This is a fantastic amenity in Waterford. Does anyone know what the story is with the legal situation that had developed recently?

ziedth

I went for a float around during the auction last year. Its an amazing bit of property. The house was jaw dropping when everything that was sold was still there.

reni10

Is it true that you cant bring kids under 12 or something there today?

looksee

I wonder who is organising this opening? I would love to be able to email to say that I would love to be there but at such short notice I can't. I have been round it before and it is a lovely place, especially in spring. Anyone who is working would not be able to make it either, so I hope not too much is resting on today's attendance. It also needs to be advertised for tourists and will take a little while to build up interest. It would be a great addition to Waterford's tourism and amenity sites, I hope it goes well.

Daisy 55

Lovely out there today! Get in while it's open!

Sully

Lovely visit to the gardens today, shame there not open longer. Large volumes of people turned out today to visit the gardens, close on a thousand I was told. Might not be as well maintained as they previously were, sadly, but still well worth a visit.

If you visited the gardens and if you enjoyed your visit, we would appreciate if you sent a small email please to the Office of the Public Works including Minister Brian Hayes at brian.hayes@oir.ie and cc info@opw.ie. Let then know if you liked them and suggest that they should work to keep them open to the public.

I understand from doing some research that the OPW are a minority stake holder in this and the trustees are the majority stake holders. The OPW and the Trustees were supposedly / are supposedly in talks about the trustees role, purchase of extra land, staffing, and a number of other issues. I assume these are ongoing. The state are not due to take full control until 21 years after the death of Congreve, which would be 2032.

jezko

Sully wrote: »

! Its a trial opening to see if there is demand to keep them open!

Can the OPW/government be really that thick headed stupid, just because they didn't develop these gardens into what they are today a world class garden ....These gardens are a magnet for anyone interested in plants and how to make the most of them.

I have no time for the OPW, they are NOT the best people to look after this Gem. i hope the Trust can keep the gardens thriving and developing.

These gardens have been left to the People of Ireland and indeed the world to Enjoy.. Open them to the public more often.
Rant over. Ireland needs these gardens they show us in good light why ruin them?

Sully

jezko wrote: »

Can the OPW/government be really that thick headed stupid, just because they didn't develop these gardens into what they are today a world class garden ....These gardens are a magnet for anyone interested in plants and how to make the most of them.

I have no time for the OPW, they are NOT the best people to look after this Gem. i hope the Trust can keep the gardens thriving and developing.

These gardens have been left to the People of Ireland and indeed the world to Enjoy.. Open them to the public more often.
Rant over. Ireland needs these gardens they show us in good light why ruin them?

Its not up to the OPW. The OPW are a minority in the trust and wont have full control until 2032. Read my post before this one for the detail.

spankmemunkey

Where about is this place, not being from here im not sure about where it is? roughly

Sully

spankmemunkey wrote: »

Where about is this place, not being from here im not sure about where it is? roughly

Head out the outter ring road as if you are going to Cork / N25 Bypass. You pass by the Butlerstown Business Park with Harvey Norman etc. on your far right. At the next roundabout, swing left heading out towards Waterford Manor Hotel (now closed) and the bridge that goes over the Bypass. Keep on going and you will see the entrance is on your right side.

spankmemunkey

Mot that far away at all, it was only open for one day though no?

Sully

spankmemunkey wrote: »

Mot that far away at all, it was only open for one day though no?

That's correct.

Max Powers

Minister Brian Hayes at brian.hayes@oir.ie and cc info@opw.ie. Let then know if you liked them and suggest that they should work to keep them open to the public.

Just remember to let them know (see above from Sully) how important that Mt.Congreve could be/is to SE tourism. Its an amazing asset, potential to be better than powerscourt gardens etc

bullpost

Could be huge for Waterford Tourism - Gardening tourism is big business these days:

In 1987 Mr Congreve was awarded a Veitch Memorial Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society, and in 2001 a gold Medal by the Horticultural Society of Massachusetts, who classified Mount Congreve as a Great garden of the World.

ziedth

What Kind of money What it cost to operate something Like this as a tourist attraction?

Stick a nice cafe in there and voluntary contribution for entry and surely it wwould do quite well between May and October.

bullpost

Mount Usher in Wicklow charge think its €7.50 admission and there is an avoca outside and the place is hopping throughout the summer.

ziedth wrote: »

What Kind of money What it cost to operate something Like this as a tourist attraction?

Stick a nice cafe in there and voluntary contribution for entry and surely it wwould do quite well between May and October.

Sully

Apparently it cost €400,000 annually. That's a figure I spotted on a blog though, which may not be accurate as I haven't seen any figures quoted anywhere else. The article squarely lays the blame on the state, but I think from reading other articles and statements in the Dail there is more to it than that.

Source re figure:

http://davidhicksbook.blogspot.ie/2013/04/mount-congreve-gardens-in-waterford.html

ziedth

So going off a €5 entrance with kids free off the top of my head That's Like 4000 people a week if you only count the summer months.

Seems Like allot of people to me, would it attract those Kind of numbers?

Sully

ziedth wrote: »

So going off a €5 entrance with kids free off the top of my head That's Like 4000 people a week if you only count the summer months.

Seems Like allot of people to me, would it attract those Kind of numbers?

Not sure if it would consistently and I expect the figure would end up higher. Apparently yesterday they had close on a 1k people but that would partly be down to the way it was promoted and since it had been closed for a period of time.

bullpost

Stick a big garden centre in there and also sell the food franchise and you might start to make the numbers.

ziedth wrote: »

So going off a €5 entrance with kids free off the top of my head That's Like 4000 people a week if you only count the summer months.

Seems Like allot of people to me, would it attract those Kind of numbers?

sunnysoutheast

Link up with the W&SVR which goes right past it.
Sell combined tickets with the Viking Triangle attractions.
Get the gardens on cruise and tourist itineraries.
Link up with plant societies and GIY etc.
Plant and seed sales.

Get 300 people per day at average €7.50 entrance fee for six months and that's near enough €400k per year. Would surely be decent margin on cafe catering too.

south

I take it the Nursery out there also takes in money and that would reduce that 400,000 cost? I happened to be out there about two months ago and there was two lads maintaining the front of the house. The place looked great

mike65

Just being talked about on RTE, some American naturist/tree expert saying its like Irelands Jurassic Park and must be kept intact.

RoyMcC

For those of you that haven't visited Mount Congreve (like me) you'll be interested in this slideshow put together the other day http://socialbridge.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/mount-congreve-gardens-gatherings-from-ireland-171/

MOC88

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

Link up with the W&SVR which goes right past it.
Sell combined tickets with the Viking Triangle attractions.
Get the gardens on cruise and tourist itineraries.
Link up with plant societies and GIY etc.
Plant and seed sales.

Get 300 people per day at average €7.50 entrance fee for six months and that's near enough €400k per year. Would surely be decent margin on cafe catering too.

The council could do a daily offer, drop off tourists in the city - hit the viking triangle ... mayhaps a bit of shopping while they're in town. Then if the W&SVR got extended in they could get the railway out as far as congreve, buses could collect them in kilmeaden then bring them to comeraghs/mahon falls and finish the day in ardmore and the old monastery.

Hell if we worked with kilkenny they could link the railway up there and they could spend a day in kilkenny and a day in Waterford, this would get people to start staying in the S. East rather than heading for Kerry on the first bus possible. Then we could really start to promote the cycling/hillwalking trouism as well.