IGPS AGM 18th - 19th May 2024

The magnificent Clandeboye Estate in north County Down will be the venue for the AGM and will be followed by visits to nearby private gardens over the weekend of the 18th and 19th May.

The 2000-acre estate on the outskirts of Bangor, 12 miles north-east of Belfast, contains formal and walled gardens, woodlands, a lake and around 620 acres of farmland.

Dating from 1674 and owned by the Dufferin and Ava family, its historic parklands were laid out by the 1st Marquis (1826-1902).

The above photos are by IGPS member Barbara Kelso. The first shows Clandeboye House and lawn and the second shows the Chapel Walk at Clandeboye.

Annual General Meeting

Registration and refreshments will take place in the grand Banqueting Hall, one of the early 18th century courtyard buildings, at 9.30am on Saturday with the meeting starting at 10.30am. The formal notice and agenda will be published in the April Newsletter. The Society is very keen to hear from members willing to come forward to fill various vacant posts and contribute to the future of the Society, especially as Leinster and Munster representatives.

Garden visits and lunch

Following the meeting, there will be a guided tour by the head gardener of the Clandeboye Estate gardens followed by a buffet lunch in the Banqueting Hall; this is included in the fee for the weekend.

After lunch there will be visits to two nearby delightful private gardens; tea/coffee will be included midafternoon.

On Sunday there will be two further visits to large, three acre private country gardens, both in mid County Down. The owners will give guided tours and tea/coffee is included at both gardens.

Accommodation

For those wishing to stay overnight on the Saturday evening, there are several hotels and B&Bs within the North Down area. Please see the Discover Northern Ireland website

www.discovernorthernireland.com for a list of accommodation.

Maybe consider extending your stay and visiting the nearby National Trust Gardens, Mount Stewart and Rowallane.

Booking the weekend

Booking for the AGM with lunch and garden visits will commence via Eventbrite on 1st February 2024 with a link from the event page on the IGPS website

www.irishgardenplantsociety.com

Please book online if possible as it greatly reduces the workload of the organising team.

If you are unable to book online, a form was included with the January Newsletter.

Postal applications will not be opened until the 1st February.

For the comfort and enjoyment of all concerned, the lunch and garden visits are limited to 100 people.

The closing date for booking via Eventbrite or by post is 25th April 2024 or when sold out.

The cost of the weekend, including the Saturday lunch, teas/coffees, garden visits and the Eventbrite booking fee will be:

Saturday only £44/€51;

Saturday and Sunday £66/€76.

Members may bring one guest at an additional cost of £11/€13 per ticket.

Guest tickets are limited.

Please note that the euro price may vary slightly depending on the exchange rate at the time of booking through Eventbrite.

N.B. All members are welcome to attend the meeting free of charge. However it would be very helpful to know that you are coming to ensure we have a badge, conference pack and morning tea/coffee for you.

If you could let us know, preferably through Eventbrite, it would be much appreciated.

For further enquiries, please contact igps.northern@gmail.com