About Lynn O'Keeffe
Based in Oranmore, Co. Galway, I work part time for the OPW in Portumna Castle walled kitchen garden as the Craft Gardener. I have also taught QQI level 4 Horticulture with GRETB. Prior to that I managed Doorus Orchard community Garden in Kinvara for ten years.
With a background in commercial organic growing, and a degree in amenity horticulture, I specialize in outreach horticulture, helping community gardeners and advising tidy towns groups. My areas of particular interest are sustainable gardening, gardening for biodiversity, and orchard management.
Education and experience​

Originally I studied organic commercial fruit and vegetable growing at Otley College in Suffolk. Following on from that I worked on organic farms in West Cork and Italy, before moving back home to Galway, where I set up Doorus Orchard Community Garden.
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After having my children I went back as a mature student and gained a degree in Amenity Horticulture from Greenmount College in Antrim.
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I now live in Oranmore, and work as Craft Gardener for the OPW in Portumna Co. Galway. The castle and walled gardens are open to the public from Easter to Halloween. And I taught for 6 years with the GRETB as a Horticulture Tutor a QQI level 4.
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​Over the years I've taught many diverse groups topics like seed sowing, vegetable growing, soil and fertility management, fruit growing and so on. I really enjoy teaching and meeting people, helping them get their gardens growing. I wrote articles for BirdWatch Ireland's publication WINGS, I've also hosted workshops on Gardening for Biodiversity for the National Biodiversity Data Centre and have worked with Tidy Towns Groups for Offaly Co. Co., Laois Co. Co. and Clare Local Development.
My vision
Green spaces are vital to us for our mental health and well being. We need to take a fresh look at our gardens, hedgerows, public spaces in villages and towns, and ask are they working for us?
We need to appreciate those areas that work well, protect them, and seek to improve other areas where possible, for the wildlife and the people that share them.
Voluntary commitments
I was a director on the board of the Irish Seed Savers Association, and company secretary for 31/2 years up till summer 2022. I've been a supporter of the Irish Seed Savers Association for over 20 years, and have trained as a seed guardian, and saved seed for them in the past.
You can find out more information about the important work they do to conserve our heritage Irish fruit and vegetable varieties here:
www.irishseedsavers.ie
Lynn O'Keeffe-Lascar