Following a successful 2022 event, Loughgall’s highly popular ‘Open Gardens’ are due to return for a weekend in June.
Due to take place from June 7 – 8, the historic village of Loughgall will see approximately 20 stunning ‘secret’ gardens open to the public with several charities set to benefit from the experience.
Loughgall has a thriving horticultural tradition. It is the heart of the county’s commercial apple orchards, it has a centre dedicated to scientific research on growing plants and mushrooms and – just a mile away from the village – are the headquarters of Northern Ireland’s largest vegetable growing and wholesaling enterprise.
The village has also over the years won a series of awards in best kept and floral display competitions.
In the past, the garden open days had encompassed a competition for the best floral displays visible from the street. For the 2025 event, organisers thought “it was time” to showcase some of the fascinating “hidden areas” the village has to offer.
These “hidden” areas are what sparked the ‘Secret Garden’ concept for this year’s event.
One of these secret gardens belongs to Gillian and John Faulkner, who built a replica Irish byre-dwelling in the village to “indulge an old fantasy” of Gillian’s to own such a cottage.
She first became fascinated by traditional Irish cottages when visiting West Cork from England in the 1970s and, when she moved to Northern Ireland a few years ago, became a regular visitor to the Cultra Folk Museum. Her favourite building there was the Maghergallan Byre-dwelling.
Said Gillian: “It is very simple and I love the idea of people sharing their quarters with animals. I thought it would be wonderful to find a building like that and save it from demolition and restore it.
“During lockdown I decided to pursue my dream and started to search for derelict cottages on building sites that were for sale. I eventually found one on a site for sale in Jerrestpass which was exactly what I was looking for. An old byre dwelling. But it was in the wrong place – rather a long way from Loughgall.
“So I got onto a website called ‘My Builder’ to see if I could find a local firm who had the expertise to translocate the cottage to our front garden. Rather to my surprise, such a company did exist, C and E Restoration, consisting of a father and his two sons who had already translocated a traditional cottage for the Ulster American Folk Park. They were very knowledgeable and keen to do the job. Sadly, the vendor of the site did not consent to having the cottage taken away even though it was slated for demolition and I offered money for it.
“So then the builders offered to make me a replica using old materials and all the traditional building methods and that seemed the best thing.”
Work started in January 2022 and was largely completed about six months later. The cottage is built of locally sourced and salvaged materials – stone from a demolished local building, beams from a factory in Portadown, cobbles from a street in Belfast and so on. It has no foundations and is built directly into the clay.
The local Women’s Institute group visited the site after its completion and were “very impressed” by the work that had been conducted and urge members of the public to make a stop by over the course of the weekend to “see it for yourself!”
Tickets bought on the day will cost £10 per head and will entitle holders to visit as many of the gardens as they’d like between 11am and 5pm on Saturday and 2pm to 5pm on Sunday. Each will come with a map and list of gardens.
Reduced price tickets available from the village shop and Mervyn Walker on the Main Street are currently being sold for £7.
Open gardens will be identified by a red wellie boot at their entrance, denoting garden number.
Alongside the garden visits, there will be refreshments provided with a BBQ on site, tea and coffee and strawberries and cream.
The streets will be lined with stalls selling plants, apple produce, local honey, bric-a-brac and crafts while visitors are entertained with a vintage car display and music.
For children, there will be a visit from the Hedgehog Rescue and a display of poultry and goats. Children under 16 years of age will also be permitted free entry.
A shuttle bus will also be in operation with a guide for anyone who wishes to avail.
The causes benefitting will be the Loughgall and District Improvements Association, Alzheimer’s Society Northern Ireland and St Luke’s Parish Church, Loughgall.
Car/bus parking will be possible in the Church Hall car park – includes bus parking (free) in the Country Park (£1.70 concession on showing purchased Secret Gardens ticket – includes bus parking), at RBP headquarters (free for disabled parking only on showing purchased Secret Gardens ticket) and at the opposite end of the village at 45 Old Road (free).
Tickets can be purchased on the day from St Luke’s Church Hall, 50 Main Street and 45 Old Road locations.
