Dublin-based family landscaping business, Peter O’Brien & Sons Landscaping Ltd., was announced as the Landscape Contractor of the Year and winner of the prestigious ‘Bog Oak’ Trophy at the Association of Landscape Contractors (ALCI) annual awards in the Titanic Centre, Belfast. The all-Island ALCI awards, often referred to as the ‘Oscars of the landscaping industry’, celebrate the high standards of professionalism and skill in the delivery of commercial, private residential and public authority gardens, landscapes and sports grounds.
The Winning Project – Adare Manor
As part of the extensive refurbishment of the Adare Manor Estate in 2017, Peter O’Brien & Sons Landscaping Ltd. was engaged to complete all soft landscaping elements within the 840-acre site. The project included all gardens, parklands, riversides, carparks and courtyards, alongside the roof garden on the hotel spa and elements of the Golf Club.
The operation was managed by Gregg Fanning who has worked for the company for over 10 years and included the establishment of an extensive onsite set-up featuring a dedicated nursery, procurement of locally sourced soil, management of up to 80 staff on site and the transport and installation of more than 150 mature trees, 225 topiary plants, 5,000 herbaceous species, 1700 hedging plants, 10,000 clipped Taxus shrubs, 30,000 transplants and 500,000m2 of cultivating and seeding.
ALCI Awards Judge and Bord Bia’s Bloom Manager Gary Graham said “The delivery of this stunning landscape at Adare Manor is a testament to the skill and experience which Peter O’Brien & Sons Landscaping LTD have in abundance. The sheer scale of this soft landscaping project is something which does not come around very often and the team demonstrated agility and dexterity which allowed them to tackle all of the challenges which they met along the way. The finished estate features a huge amount of clever planting and spectacular mature trees which were sourced and transplanted from Irish nurseries.”
Peter O’Brien founded the family-run landscaping business in Malahide in 1963. The business is now managed by his son, Ciaran and company Director, Peter O’Toole and employs 100+ staff. In addition to the Adare Manor refurbishment, the multi-award winning company has been involved in many high profile projects over the years including East Point Business Park, Father Collins Park and Spencer Docks. In addition to winning the overall award, they also received the ‘Sports Ground Construction & Maintenance’ category for St. Michael’s College in Dublin.
Pat McCormack, Chairman, ALCI said “This is a hugely deserved accolade for Peter O’Brien & Sons Landscaping Ltd. who have been trailblazers in the Irish landscaping industry for many years. There are very few second generation businesses in horticulture and the O’Brien’s have shown that through hard work, dedication and an ability to adapt to changing economic conditions, it is possible to achieve great success. The O’Brien’s also give back hugely to the industry by and have trained many of Ireland’s leading landscape contractors. They are well-deserved recipients of the Bog Oak trophy for the fifth time.”
Landscaping Trends
The award entries were judged by Gary Graham, Bord Bia’s Bloom Manager and Kerrie Gardiner, landscape architect and Bloom Show Garden Manager who visited all of the shortlisted project sites.
Commenting on this year’s entries, Gary Graham
said, “The ALCI awards are always a great benchmark for assessing trends in the industry. One of the continuing developments has been the extension of the garden season to one which is year round. We are seeing significant investment in outdoor dining facilities which in many cases comprise fully functional kitchens, properly designed with significant lighting and heating. The impact of extreme weather as a result of climate change is taking its toll on our gardens and this is where professional horticulturalists, such as ALCI members, really come into their own in using their skills to adapt the landscape to meet changing environments.”
About the ALCI Awards
The 2019 ALCI Awards were sponsored by Kilsaran, Coburn’s, Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Annaveigh Plants, Laird Grass Machinery, Pro Landscaper magazine. The judges awarded marks on a variety of criteria, including the use of plants and hard landscaping material, the extent of challenges faced by the landscaper in completing the work and the overall impression and quality of the scheme.
The ALCI represents Landscaping Contractors all over Ireland and is committed to the development of the landscape industry by ensuring the quality of workmanship, best practice, reliability and emphasis on training. It recognises the excellence of landscaping across various categories achieved by its members through the annual all-Ireland Awards which have been running for over 30 years.
Landscape Contractor of the Year and Bog Oak Trophy Winner
Landscape Contractor: Peter O’Brien & Sons Landscaping, Malahide, Co. Dublin
Designer: Reardon Smith Landscapes, London
Client: Adare Manor Hotel, Adare, County Limerick
Design and Build Award Winner
Landscape Contractor: Russell Landscaping, Cork City
Designer: Sean Russell, Russell Landscaping
Client: Private Garden, Kinsale, Co. Cork
Individual Category Winners:
Private Gardens Under €10,000
Landscape Contractor: Rye River Landscapes, Leixlip, Co. Kildare
Designer: Rye River Landscapes
Client: Private Garden, Co. Dublin
Private Gardens €10,000 – €30,000 – Joint Winners
Landscape Contractor: KHS Landscaping, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath
Designer: Russell Shekelton, KHS Landscaping
Client: Private Garden, Dublin 15
Landscape Contractor: Forever Landscapes, Castleknock, Dublin 15
Designer: Forever Landscapes
Client: Private Garden, Dublin 20
Private Gardens €30,000-€50,000
Landscape Contractor: Radharc Landscaping, Moycullen, County Galway
Designer: Radharc Landscaping
Client: Private Garden, Claddagh, Galway
Private Gardens €50,000-€100,000 – Joint Winners
Landscape Contractor: Russell Landscaping, Cork City
Designer: Sean Russell, Russell Landscaping
Client: Private Garden, Kinsale, Co. Cork
Landscape Contractor: Inspire Landscapes, Sallynoggin, County Dublin
Designer: Karl Barnes, Formality
Client: Private Garden, Sandycove, Co. Dublin
Private Gardens over €100,000
Landscape Contractor: Silverstream Landscapes, Monaghan
Designer: Andrew Dunne, Andrew Christopher Garden Designs
Client: Private Garden, Co. Dublin
Private Gardens Maintenance
Landscape Contractor: SAP Landscapes, Maynooth, Co. Kildare
Client: Private, Dublin
Public Authority
Landscape Contractor: Redlough Landscapes, Hollystown, Dublin 15
Designer: AIT Urbanism & Landscape Ltd.
Client: Dublin City Council / JJ Rhatigan Company
Address: Ffrench Mullen House, Charlemont Street, Dublin 2
Residential Development
Landscape Contractor: Tully Landscapes, Ballyboughal, Co. Dublin
Designer: PC Roche Associates
Client: South Dublin Construction
Address: Balure Lane, Church Road, Killiney, Co Dublin
Commercial Development up to €50,000
Landscape Contractor: Rye River Landscapes, Leixlip, Co. Kildare
Designer: Rye River Landscapes
Client: Digital Hub Development Agency
Address: The Digital Hub, Dublin 8
Commercial Development over €50,000
Landscape Contractor: Peter O’Brien & Sons Landscaping, Malahide, Co. Dublin
Designer: ReardonSmith Landscape, London
Client: Adare Manor Hotel, Adare, Co. Limerick
Residential, Commercial & Public Authority Maintenance (up to €20,000)
Landscape Contractor: Alpha Garden, Clonalvy, County Meath
Client: Core Property Management
Address: Addison Park, Old Finglas Road, Dublin 11
Residential, Commercial & Public Authority Maintenance (over €20,000)
Landscape Contractor: SAP Landscapes, Maynooth, County Kildare
Client: Kildare Village
Address: Nurney Road, Kildare Town
Sportsgrounds Construction & Maintenance
Landscape Contractor: Peter O’Brien & Sons Landscaping, Malahide, County Dublin Design: MCA Architects
Client: St. Michael’s College, Ailesbury Road, Dublin 4
