The Office of Public Works (OPW) invites applications for the positions of Chargehand (Head) Craft Gardener at various OPW sites nationwide. We are looking for someone dynamic with a flair for both formal and informal garden layouts and plants, and working with a team of garden staff on maintaining and developing these gardens and plant collections.
Role of the OPW
The Office of Public Works is responsible for the care, maintenance, management and presentation of over 30 significant properties and historic Parks, Gardens and designed landscapes across Ireland. Our principal objective is to protect, conserve, maintain and present these properties while encouraging appropriate public access be it informal, guided or to organised events. The OPW has a leading role in the care of unique and rare plant collections throughout Ireland, including internationally significant rare plant collections. There is a strong network of horticultural colleagues across the various locations, a gardener’s forum, and an annual gardener’s conference. The sites where positions are available are as follows:
- Castletown House & Donaghcumper Demesne
- Doneraile Court & Annes Grove Gardens
- Kilkenny Castle
- Derrynane House & National Historic Park
- St. Stephens Green
Castletown House & Donaghcumber Demesne
Castletown is set amongst beautiful eighteenth-century parklands on the banks of the Liffey in Celbridge, County Kildare. The successful candidate will be based between Castletown House and Parklands and Donaghcumper Demesne and will be required to report to and work at both locations as required by management.
The Castletown Parklands consists of 227 acres of restored eighteenth century parkland, encompassing waterways, forest, meadows, formal lawns and the enclosed Biodiversity garden and kitchen gardens. Eighty acres of meadow has achieved Annex 1 status of the EU habitats directive as a Lowland Hay Meadow. The successful candidate will also be required to manage the reinstatement of the kitchen garden, the enhancement of the Biodiversity Garden, and to work with site management in the development of Biodiversity related educational programmes.
Donaghcumper House and 18.6 acres have recently been acquired by The Office of Public Works with the wider demesne acquired by Kildare County Council and the successful candidate will be integral to the management and presentation of the lands in the remit of the Office of Public Works as well as leading on horticultural planning, planting and maintenance Landscape management will necessitate strong collaboration with Kildare County Council, to manage the landscape on both sides of the River Liffey for biodiversity and green amenity for the local community, one of the fastest growing populations in the State, as well as advancement of the Government’s promotion of the Liffey Valley Park project.
Doneraile Court & Annes Grove Gardens
Annes Grove is an historic country estate of over 190 acres nestled in a landscape of woodland, river and glen located near Castletownroche in north Cork. It was the home of the Grove Annesley family from the 1600s until 2015 when it was gifted to the Irish state and entered the care of the Office of Public Works. The Office of Public Works has carried out extensive works to the house, outbuildings and gardens and formally re-opened the site to the public in 2022.
Richard Arthur Grove Annesley, inherited Annes Grove in 1892 and developed the landscape in the Robinsonian style since the 1890s. He supported the plant-hunting expeditions led by Frank Kingdon-Ward to Tibet, Yunan Province, Burma and Bhutan and assembled an exotic collection of plants. Some of the spectacular flowering shrubs dating from this period have contributed to making the 30 acres of gardens at Annes Grove a plant collection of international significance.
Doneraile Court is the stunning centrepiece of one of Ireland’s most beautiful estates. Located on the banks of the Awbeg river in north Co. Cork, and set in 420 acres of farm and parkland the house dates from the 1720s, when it was built by Arthur St. Leger, the first Viscount Doneraile and father of the renowned Lady Freemason. The house was modified extensively in the 19th century by later generations of St. Legers, creating the imposing and characterful building that can be enjoyed today. The Estate is extremely popular as a visitor destination – attracting over 520,000 visitors to the parkland in 2023. The parkland is rich in biodiversity. Features and facilities on the estate include formal gardens, scenic walks, herds of native deer (Sika, Fallow and Red) as well as a Kerry cattle herd.
There are over 50 acres of wildflower meadows through which the visitor can wander on its cut pathways. Visitor facilities at Doneraile include extensive car parking, public toilets, café, and a playground (managed by the local authority). As a heritage site Doneraile Court is still in its development stage and with Doneraile Park has offered many opportunities to grow its following and visitor base.
Note: The successful candidate will be based at both Annes Grove Gardens, Castletownroche and Doneraile Park, Doneraile, Co. Cork, and will be required to report to and work at either site as and when directed by management. It will be a condition of these working arrangements that no travel or subsistence expenses will be payable in respect of travelling to/from and working at both sites. The hours of attendance will be determined by local management requirements.
Kilkenny Castle and Parklands
Kilkenny Castle and its Demesne is the ancestral home of the Butler family. Today the Castle Gardens and Parklands extend to 50 acres and is located in the heart of Kilkenny City creating a unique visitor destination for national and international visitors. The Grounds, open year round, are extensively used for recreational purposes by the local people of Kilkenny as it is the largest urban green space within the city. The Site which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually comprises of formal terraced gardens situated to the north west of the Castle with open parkland stretching out over the south west Formal lawns and meadows of the demesne. The perimeter of the site has a significant broadleaved woodlands. The Site also hosts a significant number of events throughout the year. The successful candidate will have a hands on role working as part of a team to ensure that this historic designed landscape are presented to the public to the highest possible standard at all times whilst also ensuring best practice Horticultural, Environmental and Biodiversity practices are implemented. There is also a tearoom, playground and several orienteering trails for visitors to enjoy, and a man-made lake, which were added in the nineteenth century.
Derrynane House & National Historic Park
Derrynane House was the family home of Daniel O’Connell. Most of the old demesne of Derrynane is now included in Derrynane National Historic Park, an area of approximately 120 hectares. The winters are very mild, enabling frost-sensitive trees and shrubs to flourish, and plants from South America have been established here as part of the National Botanical Collection. The National Historic Park has 1.5km of sandy and rocky shoreline with sand dunes. The dunes and coastal area are of great ecological value and lie within SPA and SAC ecological designations. The dunes contain rare animal and plant species including Natterjack Toads, rare snails, Choughs and the Kerry Lily, as well as a suite of orchid species. The surrounding area is particularly rich in archaeological sites, and the park contains an Ogham stone, two ring forts, a souterrain, and a Mass Rock.
St. Stephens Green
Located close to the Dublin City Centre, south of the river Liffey, Dublin’s oldest Public Park, St Stephens Green, was enclosed in 1635 and has continued to provide an oasis of calm in the city for its 4+ million park visitors. The Green Park consists of 22 acres of land, the majority of which is directly accessible to the public for passive recreation. The Green offers a wide variety of visitor experience including landscape, social and cultural history, architecture, nature and biodiversity. The Green has various landscape typologies, including the formal flowerbeds, designed by gardening staff, which are planted twice a year with seasonal bedding following the Victorian bedding style. There are several herbaceous borders and a rock garden and a garden for the visually impaired. The bog garden is cordoned off from visitors creating a habitat dedicated to wildlife. Water features include a two-acre lake, a water fall and fountains. There are 719 surveyed trees in St. Stephen’s Green creating a patchwork of woodlands with an understorey of shrubs throughout. Its four centuries of history are eventful and complex, involving such important figures as Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, and Countess Constance Markievicz. Public facilities at St Stephen’s Green Park also include a playground and a garden for the visually impaired.
Positions
The positions will be permanent Non-Established State Industrial posts based on a 39-hour week (Monday to Friday), and will be subject to a seven-month probation period which may be extended to 10 months under certain circumstances. Continuation in employment in the position will be dependent on the employee meeting the requirements of the position. The hours of attendance for the advertised positions will be determined by local management requirements.
Persons who wish to be considered for appointment to the above positions should submit a completed application form, and copies of specified required documentation. A short-listing assessment, based on the information supplied in the applications, may be used by OPW to select those applicants who are to be invited to attend for competitive interview.
The competitive interview process, which may incorporate a practical element, will be used by OPW to select the candidate determined by the Interview Board as being suitable for appointment to fill the position and a reserve panel, effective for a limited period, may be formed.
Any offer of a position will be subject to the candidate satisfactorily meeting the OPW’s requirements with regard to references, health and Garda vetting. In the event that the candidate does not satisfactorily meet the OPW’s requirements in these regards, the candidate will receive no further consideration under the competition and will not proceed to appointment.
OPW Areas of Responsibility
The Office of Public Works is a State body with responsibility for the protection of Ireland’s built heritage. This is achieved through the conservation, presentation and management of National Monuments, historical properties and Government buildings. Our diverse portfolio consists of 750 sites from all periods of our history encompassing sites from prehistoric to the late medieval periods of our history.
Essential Eligibility Requirements (at the closing date) Bachelor of Science in Horticulture, Hetac Level 7, or equivalent.
* Note: * Irish or Foreign qualification (deemed in a similar field of study) recognised as equivalent to the above qualification on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.
- Minimum of 2 years’ Horticultural experience as a Craft Gardener. (post qualification) Experience of working with Plant Collections and designed historic landscapes is desirable; A full, clean and current driving licence, minimum category B & W.
Note:** (1) If your Irish driving licence is restricted to driving cars with an automatic transmission only (denoted by the code 78 appearing on the licence), you are not eligible. (2)From 1 January 2021 if you are resident in Ireland and hold a UK/NI driving licence it is no longer valid to drive on here in Ireland. It is not legal for driving purposes and must therefore be exchanged. It is vital that you have a valid driving licence and that you are legally allowed to drive in Ireland by exchanging a UK/NI licence for an Irish driving licence.
Further information available on: www.ndls.ie
Failure to supply copies of requested documentary evidence, as detailed above, with your application will deem your application invalid and will therefore be disqualified. (Do not forward original documents with application form). Original documents will be required if you are invited to interview. Candidates should note that the admission to a competition does not imply that the Office of Public Works is satisfied that they fulfil the essential entry requirements. Therefore, the onus is on candidates to ensure that they meet these requirements prior to submitting their applications If you are unsure of your eligibility, please contact HR Management (Operational).
The ideal candidate must:
- Be well organised and careful with practical tasks;
- Have excellent communications skills and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team;
- Have ability to deal well with the public.
The ideal candidate should have the ability to:
- Solve problems and use their own initiative;
- Work independently and as part of a team;
- Be physically capable of meeting the requirements of the position;
- Show a committed and flexible attitude to tasks and projects;
- Demonstrate good work practices including time keeping, tidiness, responsibility, quality awareness and safety awareness.
- Be able to use strong horticultural vision to drive forward the upkeep of nationally or internationally significant gardens – consistent with any Conservation or Garden Management policies in place.
Responsibilities and Principal Duties Chargehand (Head) Craft Gardener
The following list of duties is not exhaustive but indicative of the role of Chargehand (Head) Craft Gardener (in addition to the Craft Gardener duties that follow) with the OPW: You will be expected to perform any duties assigned to you by your Supervisor/Manger, including by any person to whom authority has been delegated, which are considered appropriate to your position.
- Excellence in horticultural maintenance and development of the site, including the implementation of projects and horticultural initiatives;
- Carrying out the instructions of the Parks Superintendent, Service Manager, Foreperson, NHP / National Monuments Management etc.;
- Motivation, supervision and instruction of the workforce on site, including Craft Gardeners, General Operatives, Apprentice Gardeners, students and Contractors, as appropriate;
- Ensuring that proper standards of workmanship, attendance and discipline are maintained, including record keeping in this regard:
- Timesheets;
- Attendance levels;
- Pay queries;
- Rostering Overtime;
- Production of nursery plant stock, plants – annual, herbaceous, vegetables etc., (where appropriate);
- Planning daily/weekly work programmes and implementation of projects in line with management instruction;
- Dealing with Contractors; Procurement, in conjunction with Supervisor and in accordance with OPW guidance;
- Deputising for the Foreperson as deemed necessary;
- Preparing lists of plant and material requirements;
- Ensuring that site conforms fully to Health and Safety requirements, including record keeping in this regard: –
- Ensuring incident and near miss reports are properly filed and reported;
- Maintaining work areas in a clean, tidy and safe condition;
- Being familiar with the Safety Statement, Safe Operating Procedures and OPW Corporate H&S documentation;
- Ensuring machinery/equipment is inspected and maintained in good working order;
- Engaging with and participating in training for any technological advancements put in place by OPW management;
- All aspects of Craft Gardener responsibilities and duties (a full list is shown under the separate heading below) including: –
- Operating equipment and machinery;
- Planting Programmes;
- Propagation;
- Arboriculture;
- Day-to-day management of the site;
- Report writing e.g. Accident/Incident;
- Daily Horticultural maintenance and development of the site;
- Giving tours/ lectures as requested;
- Interacting with visitors/members of the public;
- Supervising and assessing students and apprentices;
- Interior plant-scaping;
- Delivering Health & Safety in line with OPW Policy and Safety Statement;
- Upkeep/maintenance/presentation of all site facilities for the staff and public
More details here.
Closing Date: 5:30pm Tuesday 30th September 2025
