The extensive eighteenth-century Mountbellew Walled Garden was once part of the large Bellew estate. The high limestone walls of the garden stand over 7m high and enclose a large area. The gardens are now owned by Coillte, which has granted permission to the group to begin to conserve and manage the extensive gardens.
Mountbellew Walled Garden was Adopted by Mountbellew Heritage and Tourism Network.
Mountbellew Heritage and Tourism Network was founded in 2011 and consists of more than 25 members. The group aims to conserve the large limestone walls that surround the gardens, restore some of the garden’s original features, establish allotments to help people to discover the heritage of the locality and to provide opportunities for employment and tourism in the region.
In 2011, the group achieved the restoration of the historic blacksmith’s forge (adjacent to the walled garden). The forge has become a local museum and exhibition space, with many artefacts that relate to life in the past. Many of the objects have been donated by people in the locality, and include agricultural implements and even a wooden boat that dates to the medieval period!
In 2014, the group raised the funds to erect a monument to local men who fought and died in the First World War. In 2016, the group again raised funds and erected a plaque in remembrance of the 1916 Easter Rising. Every year the group organise and run the Bobby-Joe Horse Shoe Throwing Competition, a fun highlight of the year, and a continuance of a tradition that dates back to the 1600s in the region. The group also runs a popular arts competition with the local national school.
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