Resistance, a garden for Trócaire

This garden will represent the plight of Human Rights and Environmental Defenders in the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Zimbabwe and Palestine. It will provide a platform for Trocaire to engage in conversation with visitors about its work with Human Rights Defenders and the fact that in 2017 alone, 188 people lost their lives defending their rights and the rights of others.

The garden will be broken up into four primary areas of geographical representation; clockwise: from left Palestine: back left – Guatemala: back right – Zimbabwe and front right – Ireland. It will also feature pieces of art by Ciaran ‘Yohan’ Brennan, including a mural that represents Trócaire’s work in Israel and Palestine and a sculpture of a young boy with scorched tree trunks as legs. A digital screen will depict those who have lost their lives while defending both human and environmental rights.

Barry Kavanagh

Barry Kavanagh

Barry Kavanagh from Bailieborough in Cavan teaches horticulture and design with the Cavan-Monaghan Education Training Board. Barry also founded a social enterprise called Nature’s PATCH Network Ltd in 2015 which provides services to community groups for the formation of landscape and biodiversity plans for towns and villages. After designing two postcard gardens at Bloom in 2013 and 2014, Barry was commissioned to create a show garden in 2016. This garden ‘Across Boundaries’ which conveyed how social farming can play a vital role in the therapy of participants within the healthcare system, received a Gold Medal and both the People’s and Designer’s Choice Awards. (View Profile)