mardykeThe O’Brien’s team were delighted to have their fantastic work at Mardyke Gardens in Cork awarded the top prize for landscape works carried out for a public Authority. The achievement was amazing given the stiff competition at this year’s ALCI landscape awards.

The Annual Association of Landscape Contractors of Ireland (ALCI) Landscape Awards took place at the Convention Centre Dublin on 6th November and were presented by Guest of Honour, Feargus McGarvey, Associate Director of leading landscape architecture practice Mitchell & Associates and former President of the Irish Landscape Institute. The awards, known as the Oscars of the landscaping industry, acknowledge ALCI members who demonstrate exceptionally high standards of professionalism and skill in the execution of a wide variety of landscape projects.

 

The judges were Gary Graham, Bloom Manager, DME Amenity Horticulture Bord Bia and John McCullen, retired Chief Parks Superintendent, OPW.  They awarded marks on a variety of criteria, including the use of plants and hard landscaping material, the extent of challenges faced by the landscaper in completing the work and the overall impression and quality of the scheme.

Gary Graham, speaking about the  extensive work carried out by the O’Brien’s team at Mardyke, said  “Peter O’Brien’s’ soft landscaping work for the Mardyke Gardens in Cork brought together a number of elements from Diarmuid Gavin’s Chelsea 2012 gold medal winning garden using large specimen of trees, shrubs, grasses and topiary that had been stored in Nangles’ nursery until the landscape work commenced in December 2013. With a huge amount of new material and the adaptation of the pink pod planted with sedums and the installation of hard wearing lawn in front of the contemporary bandstand O’Brien’s have transformed this somewhat neglected area into a lush and interesting space which is frequented by high numbers of Corkonians every day. Great skills evident in handling of large material in a difficult site with existing mature planting.”

The ALCI represents Landscaping Contractors all over Ireland and is committed to the development of the landscape industry by ensuring quality of workmanship, best practice, reliability and emphasis on training.  It recognizes the excellence of landscaping across various categories achieved by its members through the annual all-Ireland Awards which have been running for over 30 years. 

Well done all.