Archive for category: News

🌿 Nature Thrives at Mud Island Community Garden! 🌿

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A recent biodiversity survey by SETU Waterford student and Mudisland neighbour Sally Parsley reveals that the verges around Mud Island Community Garden are buzzing with life!

✅ 18 plant species identified
✅ 83% are native & pollinator-friendly
✅ 5 top pollinator plants spotted (including Common knapweed & Creeping buttercup)

🌱 Grasses dominate the area, but wildflowers like Wild Rocket and Ox-eye Daisy add color and food for pollinators. However, no threatened species were found and two invasive plants (Japanese Knotweed & Butterfly Bush – the traitor!) need our attention.

🐦 Bird bonus: 20 species recorded in and around the garden, including Robins, Blackbirds, and the threatened House Sparrow. This urban green space is a true wildlife haven.

💡 What can you do?
✔ Plant pollinator-friendly flowers
✔ Help remove invasive species (Note from Sally: ‘some cultivars now don’t spread their seed and buddleia davidii can be managed by cutting back hard after flowering so the seeds don’t set’)
✔ Share your wildlife sightings

Together, we can keep North Strand blooming for bees, birds, and biodiversity! 🌸🐝

📚 Source: Biodiversity survey of flora in the verges of Mud Island Community Garden, 4th Dec 2025, by Sally Parsley, SETU Waterford. Available HERE.

Halloween is coming!

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Din, din, din… *Cue scary music… The weather this year has been great for the garden, lots of our plants have thrived with the mix of sun and rain but alas some have come along too much. It all started with a distinct lack of slugs, nobody knew why. Then somebody mentioned that they hadn’t seen the resident cat for a while. The local dogs seemed to be barking at nothing when they dared to come near the garden. And of course there was the mysterious bite mark one of the Tuesday gardeners seemed to have recieved while trying to cut back some particularly nasty looking brambles. It’s, it’s almost as if the plants have evolved in some way…
As always we’re in bad need of some extra helpers to bring the garden alive for the community on Halloween night. If you can spare even an hour or two between now and the 31st please get in touch.
Thanks to Breda Jackson for yet another brilliant poster

Vote for the Repair Café !

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Mud Island’s monthly Repair Cafe, which is entirely volunteer run, has been in existence since May 2023, thanks to the inspiration, leadership and coordination of Mud Island committee’s chairperson Nathalie Cazaux Crowley. We think she’s a perfect candidate for the Rediscovery Centre’s Full Circle Award. They’ve a few different awards but the Community Circular Champion (which honours people who lead or support community initiatives like sharing libraries, swap events, food waste solutions, or local repair cafés) seems a good fit. If you’d like to do the same, here’s the link! https://www.circular.ie/full-circle-awards – closing date is Friday 25th July

Emergency Meitheal and what happened in 2024?

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The garden is always full of activities and we are grateful of all we have achieved throughout the years (see all the events posters and help we got in 2024!)

This week we are calling an Emergency Meitheal on Saturday!

We need lots of help to prepare for our annual Open Day and to catch up with lots of planting. If you could commit to an hour or so tomorrow it would really help us. Activities will include:

– Preparing beds for planting.
– Planting out our abundance of seedlings. Painting (but not the artistic kind!).
– Labelling plants & making labels.
– A bit of DIY.
– Weeding pathways.
– Watering thirsty plants and trees.
– Enjoying our fecund garden ; )

Thanks from Mud Island!

 

 

Launch of “Why Wouldn’t You?”

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What a morning at the launch of “Why Wouldn’t You?” — a powerful 12-minute short film shot in parts during the latest Christmas Fair 2014 in Mud Island Community Garden!

Here you can view ‘Why Wouldn’t You?’

The film, created by DCU’s Irish Refugee Integration Network (IRIN) and Sanctuary, shines a light on solidarity, inclusion, and what it really means to build welcoming communities. It’s a moving, visually rich portrait of people coming together across difference to support those who have been forcibly displaced.

Alongside the film, a brilliant companion manual has also been launched — a practical resource packed with tools, real stories, and creative approaches for educators and community groups across Ireland.

We also got to hear the beautiful voice of Liam Ó Maonlaí acapella!

‘Let’s keep building solidarity, one song and one story at a time’ – Mudislander Dee (who wrote this piece and also took the photo!)

Design and make a handy tote bag in one hour

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As part of the Dublin City Inclusion & Integration Week, Mudisland and the Repair Café team is delighted to invite you to a free workshop on Sunday 25 th at 2pm. Mary, one of the sewing magician volunteer will show us how to create a bespoke bag upcycling material!

There will be tea, coffee and treats kindly sponsored by DCC.

Community Gardens Cycle 2025

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Saturday, 24 May 2025 – 11:00am
Meet at Mud Island Community Garden, North Strand

Join the 2025 Community Gardens Cycle & Biodiversity workshop!

Hey there, bike and plant enthusiasts!

Get ready for the 2025 Community Gardens Cycle, an event filled with community garden tours, cycling, and biodiversity tips. Our gathering will bring together cycling and gardening lovers from Dublin City and beyond. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned cyclist, gardener or both, this event is perfect for anyone looking to grow their fitness, knowledge, and green thumb. Mark your calendars and come connect with fellow nature enthusiasts! Let’s grow together!

This year there is only one route:

We will meet at 11am at Mud Island Community Garden in North Strand, (check google maps).

Cycling to Raheny Community Garden

From Raheny Community Garden we will cycle to Mucky Lane for the Biodiversity workshop with Aaron Foley who is Dublin Community Growers Biodiversity officer.

From Mucky Lane we will cycle to Killester Blooms Community Garden. We plan to arrive by 2.15pm and we will join their Streetfeast.

More details, including full details of the route, to be published shortly

SPACES ARE LIMITED. Please book your space to avoid disappointment. If your plans change and you are unavailable to attend, cancel your booking to facilitate others in the reserve list to attend.

Social Event
Dublin City Climate Action Promotion and Education

Poems at Dusk

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Are you a poet and you know it? Join us this Saturday from 6 for an evening of poetry with an Open Mike followed by performances by poets Jan Brierton and John Cummins
Jan Brierton’s poems are honest, candid and often hilarious, and, from an opening gambit that went viral in 2021, has seen her work find a huge audience. Since that accidental notoriety, the intervening years have seen her publish a book four months after her first Instagram prose, launch a podcast (currently on hiatus) and compose a second collection.
John Cummins Poetician, one of Ireland’s most unique voices, has brought his spoken word poetry to every corner of our isle. From festival fields to our national concert hall, John shares poetry that aims to highlight, uplift, and inspire. His words break down the border between audience and performer. John’s story is the story of us. He is also singer and writer with Dublin band Shakalak.

Have you received our newsletter?

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If you have not received our newsletter you might not know all the things that are happening in the garden… What you can do is join the garden online and you will then receive the news directly in your email box. Alternatively, you can keep yourself in the know by checking FB, Instagram or even the infamous X (we’re still there trying to spread LOVE :-))

For our calendar we always have a haiku and a special art picture because we do not only garden plants, we also care for local talents…

See you in the garden soon

Bealtaine Festival in the garden

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On May 4th, Mud Island Community Garden in Dublin will host its annual Bealtaine Festival, celebrating the arrival of summer with a day full of music, poetry, and community activities. This vibrant event will feature a diverse lineup of performers, ensuring a memorable experience for all attendees.

The festivities will kick off at 2 PM with a performance by Tolka Trad, followed by a bilingual circus workshop at 3 PM that promises fun for all ages. Throughout the afternoon, attendees can enjoy poetry readings by Roxanna NíCliam and Siobhan MacMahon, storytelling by Brian Treacy, and music by local artists such as Rú Ó Sé and a local folk group.

The highlight of the event will be a special performance by the renowned musician Liam Ó Maonlaí at 6:30 PM, bringing the day to a spectacular close with his captivating music.

Mud Island Community Garden, known for its lush greenery and community spirit, provides the perfect setting for this celebration. The Bealtaine Festival is a wonderful opportunity to connect with neighbors, enjoy local talent, and welcome the summer season in a beautiful garden setting.

So, mark your calendars for May 4th and join the Mud Island Community Garden for a day of celebration, creativity, and community spirit. Entry is free, and everyone is welcome!