Seeking community online
This year's Spring Gathering of Community Growers is to take place later this month and it’s 100 years since the first allotment law in Ireland.
Community Gardens Ireland have announced the 2026 all-island virtual Annual Spring Gathering for Community Growing in Ireland will take place online on Saturday 25 April from 11am to 1pm. The Community Gardens Ireland AGM then continues at 1pm to 1.30pm.
The 2026 theme is ‘Let’s Keep Growing: A Garden in Every Community’ and the keynote speaker will be former president of Ireland Mary Robinson. There will also be reports from people on the ground, including community growing network leaders from Limerick, Cork city, and Belfast. Michael Gleeson, Social Enterprise Officer with Limerick City Partnership and Limerick Growing Communities, Sandrine Bertin, Food Policy and Development Officer with Cork Food Policy Council will speak along with Brenda Gough, Chair of Three Sisters Community Garden in West Belfast.
The gathering offers the chance to learn from community growers from all over the country. There will be breakout rooms dedicated to the top challenges and opportunities such as Land Access, Governance, Horticulture, Biodiversity, Engaging Community, and Fundraising.
This event has become one of the most popular events in Ireland for community growers with over 150 registered in 2025. Tickets are free and donations are welcome.
Molly Garvey, Co-Chairperson of Community Gardens Ireland said: “2026 is an important year for community growing as it is 100 years since the first allotment law in Ireland. The 1926 allotments law helped with food security in the 1940s but fell out of use, before being repealed in 1994.
“Communities have a new opportunity to access community growing spaces through the Sustainable Places and Communities Strategy local authorities must complete as part of their next local development plan,” she added.
“Community growers are part of a long heritage of community growing in Ireland. Community gardens are important sites of neighbourliness and yet their existence is often temporary and uncertain.
Building on the recent recognition of community gardens in planning law and the pioneering work of on-the-ground networks as well as certain county councils, now is the time to ask: how can we support each other to grow food and wildlife in our communities? That is the focus of our Spring Gathering 2026 and we look forward to a rich discussion.”
Dónal McCormack, Co-Chairperson of Community Gardens Ireland, said: “Each Online Spring Gathering has proven immensely popular in previous years. We are delighted to continue to keep the tickets free for community growers.”
He concluded: “Together we can work to ensure that there is a bright future for community growers locally, across regions, and throughout Ireland.”
Tickets are free and available here on Eventbrite, on the CGI website cgireland.org, and on instagram and facebook @communitygardensireland. Link to the Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/5c4m642r.