A little bit about us

Coolaught has been the Deacon family home since 1900, and gardening has been running in the family since Harry’s grandmother started tending the front garden of the former doctor’s house, then part of the famed Castleboro Estate. Our crocus lawns were planted by Harry’s aunts some 90 years ago, and, while they were at it, they planted some glorious heritage daffodil specimens still seen today. Harry’s mum was a keen gardener too, but for a long time it wasn’t a passion that Harry inherited, preferring to grow fruit and vegetables rather than flowers.

The gardens as we see them today started to take shape when Harry married Caroline, an enthusiastic plantswoman. Taking part in the National Gardens Competition in 2000, Coolaught placed 2^nd in Wexford, the first private garden to rank so highly. Soon, they began receiving phone calls from individuals and gardening clubs about organising tours. In May 2001, Coolaught Gardens opened to the public, but only on Sunday afternoons as the family still had the farm to attend to. Those cows weren’t going to milk themselves!

Since then, we’ve expanded our opening to seven days a week and we continue to attract visitors from all over Europe, even from as far away as Russia and Finland. Caroline is particularly fond of her Euchryphia while Harry has come round to the floral with a fine collection of magnolias and rhododendrons. The end of May is a notably fine time of year to visit while the Laburnum Walk is in bloom, and the whole garden comes alive with the sound of bees, making it a pleasure for all the senses.