About Niamh In Her Own Words
I am a passionate horticulturalist currently working as assistant kitchen gardener at Ashford Castle.
I was born and raised on a sheep farm in Co Mayo. This upbringing and connection to the land and soil has thankfully never left my veins. There is still nothing more I love than spending any spare time I have helping Dad with the sheep or cutting firewood. When I am not working fulltime in the kitchen gardens of Ashford Castle, you’ll find me happily in my own kitchen garden at my family home.
There I grow a range of vegetables and herbs in raised beds, no dig beds and a greenhouse for the summer crops. I also have a small vegetable and herb garden of my own just down the road where I live. In total it is about 11 metres squared, I call it the tiny garden.
I love a good challenge and learning new skills, so I’ll always have some project on the go. I am going into my third season with my bees and my latest project is looking into raising some pigs for meat. Producing my own food, working outside and staying active bring me a lot of happiness. I hope I can inspire others, whether it is to grow their own food, finding their passion or giving someone inspiration to learn something new
My aim is to produce as much food as I can for myself and my family. With my experience I want to encourage and show people how rewarding and enjoyable gardening and growing your own food can be.