The Wild Garden

Following winning the South and Mid-West Regional Pollinator Award in 2018 and 2019, Sneem TidyTowns commissioned a Biodiversity Feasibility Study of Sneem village which identified this unused field as an area rich in biodiversity which could be developed for the community. As a result this Wild Garden was created in 2021/22 by Sneem TidyTowns with the aid of funding from Kerry County Council through the CLÁR programme.

The Boules Court was built by Sneem Development Co-operative Ltd. and the Sneem CE Scheme in 2021. Open to all, Sneem Men's Shed can be found playing boules here on Thursday evenings during the summer. The amphitheatre was built by Sneem CE workers during the winter of 2021. Pathways were laid and a pedestrian entrance was created onto the Quay Road. An Bothán (the hut) is a covered bench built by a local artisan craftsman during the summer of 2022, partially funded by Kerry County Council through the Community Enhancement Programme. Further funding came through Minister Humphrey's TidyTowns Grant for 2022.

Our aim is to encourage biodiversity by allowing native plants to grow and flourish, by gradually removing invasive plants and by adding more native plants and trees where appropriate. Through signage and ongoing promotion, we hope to educate people about the importance of our native plants and their interaction with insects and other wildlife during this worldwide biodiversity crisis. Biodiversity is the variety of animals, birds, plants, fungi and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our world.

We added a Dead Hedge and signposted a Wetland area to encourage more wildlife into the garden. For humans, we host an end-of-summer musical event in the amphitheatre.